My two bobs worth here...
There appears to be no stopping this but it seems a fruitless and redundant
pursuit. Fruitless because as everyone knows there are many variations of
common names for the same species of fauna or flora. For example
Magpie-lark, Peewee, Murray Magpie, Australian Magpie-lark, Mudlark- all
names for the same species. Redundant because the scientific nomenclature is
intended to circumvent the problem of multiple common names.
As a botanist I think of plants in terms of their scientific names for which
there are again multiple common names. For example Eucalyptus tereticornis
is Forest Redgum in NSW and Queensland Bluegum in QLD whereas a Bluegum in
NSW is Eucalyptus saligna. When I talk to my herpetology or microbat friends
all I hear from them are the scientific names of bats, frogs or lizards.
Most of us would know what was being referred to by Bush Canary,
White-throated Warbler or White-throated Gerygone but if clarification was
needed it is easy enough to note that it is Gerygone olivacea.
Happy birding
Colin Driscoll
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of Peter Madvig
Sent: Sunday, 6 January 2008 9:11 AM
To: Phil & Sue Gregory
Cc: birding-aus
Subject: Clements names
Phil wrote:
.....So, I have to get used to Green Oriole for Yellow Oriole (and it's one
of the few cases where a change might be justified as there is another
species with this name and our bird is more green than yellow!).....
And, not to confuse it with the East African, Green-headed Oriole (Oriolus
chlorocephalus amani). Any 'international' list must indeed be made with
local input - otherwise it becomes untenable.
Peter Madvig
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