Yes when it comes to things like the Brown Goshawk, choosing good names is not so easy, as most members of the genus are sort of similar looking. Though the
book by Fraser & Gray mentions it “is indeed browner than its generally grey congenerics elsewhere in the world”. Which is a passable suggestion. Also the immatures are certainly brown and we have a Red, Grey & White as Goshawk names, so why not a Brown. Also
as for Flyrobin (as below). I sure am glad we didn’t get that one. Whilst Flycatcher is easily understandable, “Flyrobin” could easily beg the question why not also have a “Perchrobin, Walkrobin”, Hoprobin”. We do have other bird names for what they do (swift,
screamer, dipper, diver, etc).
Philip
From: Geoffrey Dabb [
Sent: Wednesday, 3 July, 2019 9:44 AM
To:
Subject: FW: [canberrabirds] 5 things you may or may not know about robins
Sorry - I should have made clear that my below comment related to the Lemon-bellied Flycatcher, which in the Kimberleys ‘has no yellow at all’ (although it does in Cape
York and New Guinea). That species is the tropical equivalent of our Jacky Winter, sometimes called ‘Brown Flycatcher’. The Jacky Winter is quite brownish, unlike the Brown Goshawk and Brown Honeyeater. Several such inappropriate names were set by usage
(common or among authors) before the gavel came down on them in the various ‘authoritative’ lists. However recent taxonomic revision has allowed us to reconsider the English name of
P. simplex, now regarded as a Top End endemic species. The appropriate name for this in the Australian list is ‘Brown Whistler’ (rather than the old ‘Grey Whistler’, still used in some global lists).
From: Philip Veerman <>
Sent: Tuesday, 2 July 2019 10:25 PM
To: 'David Rees' <>
Cc:
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] 5 things you may or may not know about robins
I suggest that the story that I described is the same idea as the thought that you advise us to remember. So if you thought I had forgotten this, I had not.
Although I would not use the word “playthings” or suggest that common names should not have sensible justifications, just because scientific names do.
Philip
From: David Rees
Sent: Tuesday, 2 July, 2019 5:00 PM
To: Philip Veerman
Cc: <>
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] 5 things you may or may not know about robins
Just remember that 'English' (common) names are 'cultural property' before they are playthings for persons needing to install some sort of taxonomic order, that's what we have scientific names for. It is no surprise that the red breasted
birds here we now call 'robins' were called as such by NW Europeans when they first saw them, being of similar size, appearance and ecological function. The non-red breasted NZ Petroica species are also called 'Robins' probably due to their tameness and
curiosity (i.e. being round your feet, just like Robins in British gardens often are) their alert upright stance and hunting behaviour so similar to the European Robin. An example can be seen at https://vimeo.com/305641236
On Tue, Jul 2, 2019 at 11:10 AM Philip Veerman <> wrote:
Well yes of course that our robins were named after the European Robin because of the sort of similar
overall appearance and obvious (on some) red breast, is just another historical error that would imply a relationship that really isn’t there. The same for the American Robin which is just an orange-breasted thrush. The extract that Tony posted below skirts
around this and so does not really make any error. Just takes the name forward with the way we use it now without suggesting anything wrong.
Philip
From: Geoffrey
Dabb [
Sent: Tuesday, 2 July, 2019 9:17 AM
To:
Subject: FW: [canberrabirds] 5 things you may or may not know about robins
One could go on about names that do not always match appearance by reason of geographical variation. Examples are ‘Purple Swamphen’ (the ones here being just on the indigo side
of blue) and the sometimes yellow ‘Crimson Rosella’. From time to time the English Names Committee considers possible changes, but many people do not like changes for whatever reason.
If you use a global list for ticking purposes you might see ‘Flyrobin’ for some
Microeca ‘robins’. The committee considered that issue last year in reviewing names on the Australian list but decided after some debate to stay with ‘Flycatcher’ for
M. flavigaster.
From: Tony Lawson <>
Sent: Monday, 1 July 2019 6:53 PM
To: COG Chatline <>
Subject: [canberrabirds] 5 things you may or may not know about robins
-
While we may think of robins as ‘Robin Red-breasts’, of the 20 species of robins that occur in Australia, only six have red (or shades thereof) on their breasts; just as many species of robins have shades of yellow.
-
The Lemon-bellied Flycatchers that live in Western Australia’s Kimberley have no yellow plumage at all — despite their name.
-
Robins are among our most fastidious nest builders. Some bind the outsides of their nests with spider webs to make the surface smooth and neat, while others patiently add a coat of lichen and moss to provide camouflage.
-
Many species of robins pounce onto their food from a low perch, but Rose Robins feed more like fantails, sallying after flying insects in the air, fluttering acrobatically around shrubs and the crowns of trees.
-
The Eastern Yellow Robin is one of the first birds to begin calling in the dawn chorus, starting in the darkness, well before the sun comes up. Its scientific name means ‘dawn singer’.
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