Philip is partially right (and also
partially wrong) when referring to “Bronze-Cuckoo” but it all
depends on which taxonomic reference you use. In Australia most, but not all, people
use the recently published Christidis and Boles, 2008 as their standard
reference. However Australia
is not the only place where “Bronze-Cuckoos” occur. There are
several world checklists that are available and used by people to keep their
personal bird lists. The two most recent - and I am aware of others - are Birds of the World: Recommended English Names
by Gill and Wright 2006 (updated version 1.7 October 2008), and The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World
(version 6.3.2 December 2008). Gill and Wright is also referred to as the IOC
(International Ornithological Committee) checklist and is an attempt to
standardise the use and spelling of English bird names worldwide. I personally
use this IOC list rather than Clements as I find Clements has some very funny
ideas on Australian taxonomy (I would actually gain more species if I used
Clements). For example according to Clements the Zebra Finch does not occur in Australia (it
is in Timor etc) while we have the Chestnut-eared Finch!! Interestingly I
believe Walter Boles is also on the IOC Committee but don’t know if he
has anything to do with the naming group within the IOC.
There are many other examples within the
IOC list where hyphens have been dropped from the names of birds as we have known
them, e.g. Fruit Dove, Imperial Pigeon. Surely it is better to get a standard
set of names world wide rather than have “local” names for
internationally occurring species. An example of the way that names have been
standardised by the IOC list is that of the Swift Tern, Thalasseus (previously Sterna)
bergii. In Australia
it is Crested Tern in C&B, in Clements it is the Greater Crested Tern, but
in most other parts of the world where it occurs, it is the Swift Tern. I would
be interested to see what the bird was called in its original description. This
all just adds to confusion – just check any field guide to the different
regions of the world where the species occurs and see what happens. Perhaps if
we all learnt the scientific names of everything, this would solve the
issue!!!!!!
I know we will never get everyone to agree
to some names, or even what constitutes a species, but surely bit is better to
try for some agreement and standardisation of names. It is also individual preference
what “authority” you choose. When CSIRO published its List of
Australian Vertebrates, I was asked what authority should people use? My reply
was to use whatever you like, all have merit. I look forward to the second
volume of the Directory of Australian Birds: Non Passerines to see how Dick Schodde
et al treat the English (and
scientific) names when it finally comes out.
Finally, by capitalising “Little
Bronze Cuckoo” (with or without the hyphen), Philip has referred to a
specific species, rather than what I think he meant to do with his example, and
refer to a little bronze cuckoo which “could mean it is a (small)
cuckoo with a little bit of bronze on it”. I know there are people who do
not believe that the English names of birds etc should not be capitalised. That
is another story and I am sure people like Dick Schodde or Geoffrey Dabb are
far better placed to say why things are done this way.
Please note, I am not trying to start an argument with all
this, I am just showing that there are different sides to the whole discussion.
I am sure there are many people out there who don’t care two hoots about
it all.
Happy listing and A Happy New Year to all
Mark
From:
Philip Veerman [
Sent: Thursday, 25 December 2008
11:55 AM
To: canberrabirds chatline; Julian
Robinson
Subject: [canberrabirds] How do
young cuckoos get together?
"How do young cuckoos get together" raises two
issues. Are you asking about whilst young and still dependent on their foster
parents? My answer to that is - if they do so at all (regularly), I'd
suggest just random by seeing potential suppliers of food passing by and
latching onto them to get an extra feed. Or maybe they recognise the calls of
other baby cuckoos and are attracted to them.
If you are referring to when they are no longer babies but
ready to breed. The answer is obvious: through an instinctive recognition. The
reason is also obvious and that is to breed. To know what instinct feels
like you would need to be the bird. But I reckon I would be attracted to a
suitable female human without (or in this case in spite of) being raised with a
sister.
Lastly and sorry but it has come up again, one other point
and Julian is far from the only one to get this wrong. (Sean Dooley has
admitted to me that to his great embarrassment, he got it wrong in his big
twitch book.) It is Horsfield's, NOT Horsefields. Named in honour of Mr
Horsfield (no e in the middle and being possessive of just one Mr
Horsfield, it needs the apostrophe). Also for what it is worth, a hyphen
in there too, to indicate that "Bronze-Cuckoo" is a group name
(otherwise for example "Little Bronze Cuckoo" could mean it is a
cuckoo with a little bit of bronze on it).
