Besides which, I can hear a Grey Currawong
calling outside. I don’t mind if the neighbours call it a Crow !
-----Original
Message-----
From: Tony Russell
[
Sent: Friday,
July 01, 2005
9:46
AM
To: 'Greg Clancy';
Cc: 'Birding-aus'
Subject: RE: [BIRDING-AUS] Re:
Blacknecked Jabiru
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!
