I really can’t work up too much
enthusiasm about all this bird name debate. As long as we understand which bird
we are referring to with our abbreviations and local names (and during discussion if this is
in doubt don’t we always ask ?), then who gives a monkey’s.
Any academic paper usually refers to a
bird’s Latin, or New Latin, or Greek name, or whatever scientific
nomenclature is appropriate, thus keeping the purists happy, so what’s
the big deal? Getting to actually see them is the challenge.
-----Original
Message-----
From:
[ On Behalf Of Greg Clancy
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005
11:12 PM
To:
Cc: Birding-aus
Subject: [BIRDING-AUS] Re: Blacknecked
Jabiru
I will attempt to answer your
question as to why 'Australian Jabiru' should be less acceptable than
'Australian Raven'. Australia owns the Australian Raven, however we share
ownership of the Black-necked Stork with India, South-east Asia and Papua New
Guinea. So it is not just 'Australian'. The Black-necked Stork was
originally described in 1770 by Latham from the asian race. The species
has been known as Black-necked Stork throughout its range, with the
exception of Australia, for many years. The name was not concocted by Birds
Australia to upset local birdos. It is the accepted common name of the
species throughout most of its range. The South American Jabiru is in its own
genus Jabiru,
so both its common and scientific names include the word Jabiru. The
Black-necked Stork has only superficial resemblance to the Jabiru being far
more similar to the African Saddle-billed Stork, with which it has been grouped
in the genus Ephippiorhynchus. If
it is considered acceptable to call our stork the 'Australian Jabiru' and
to drop the 'Australian' for everyday use then it should be acceptable to call
it 'Black-necked Stork' and to refer to it as 'stork' in everday usage.
I know I won't convince the
die-hards out there but I have changed my stand on this issue from being
totally against 'Black-necked Stork' to understanding why it has been applied
and now I actually like the name. We are never too old to change!
