The 1978 recommendations were only that. The proposed names were then the subject of broad ‘consultations’. We waited on the edge of our seats until the new
names were confirmed in the RAOU-adopted Christidis & Boles 1994. This revealed that the Latinist’s ‘Gerygone’ and ‘Cisticola’ had (I would think ‘just’) made it to the finishing line, but ‘Hylacola’ and ‘Calamanthus’, had fallen at the water jump. Nonetheless,
some respected writers (eg Harry Recher) still use ‘Warbler’ as form of protest. I read Alan’s comment as coming, in a typically mild way, from the same direction.
From: Martin Butterfield [
Sent: Saturday, 22 October 2016 11:41 AM
To: Geoffrey Dabb
Cc: COG List
Subject: Re: FW: [canberrabirds] White-Throated Gerygone
The reference work cited is very consistent. Looking up "gerygone" in the Macquarie, the entry includes ' ... formerly known as warblers.'
Consulting the more specialised reference "Australian Bird Names" by Ian Fraser and Jeannie Gray shows that the use of 'warbler' was only officially squashed by the RAOU in 1978 (after they had
introduced it in 1926 to replace 'Fly-eater').
On 22 October 2016 at 09:56, Geoffrey Dabb <> wrote:
Yes, I would think so, Alan …
From: Alan
Cowan [
Sent: Saturday, 22 October 2016 9:42 AM
To: canberrabirds
Subject: [canberrabirds] White-Throated Gerygone
A White- Throated Gerygone in my garden at Yarralumla today. I have to stop calling them Warblers.
