Hi All
I have been birdwatching for a long time and have heard and know most
alternative common names. Over time I have used quite a few of them as well.
Taxonomic listings do change over time as do recommended common names. In
hindsight, perhaps suggesting we all should try to use consistent common
names as laid out in Christidis and Boles on the birding-aus forum was a bit
over the top. I do know all or pretty much all of the common names and
scientific names as laid out in C&B from memory as I refer to it quite often
when writing up reports etc. I do try to use them in conversation as well in
order to educate those people around me into using acceptable terminology.
However, it is not alays the case for me. For example, I call a Boobook Owl
just that and not a Southern Boobook as suggested by C&B. But if writing a
report or scientific paper then I adhere strictly to C&B common names. I do
realize now that I am not altogether opposed to using alternative common
names and abbreviations if they are sane and sensible options. For example,
I have no problem with Scrub Turkey or Brush Turkey; Fairy Penguin or Little
Penguin; Reef Heron or Reef Egret; Sacred Ibis or White Ibis; Jabiru or
Black-necked Stork; Pied Stilt or Black-winged Stilt; Marsh Harrier or Swamp
Harrier; Feral Pigeon or Rock Dove; Blue-winged Shoveler or Australasian
Shoveler; Marsh Tern or Whiskered Tern; Little Grebe or Australasian Grebe;
White-rumped Miner or Yellow-throated Miner; Crimson-winged Parrot or
red-winged Parrot; Ground Thrush or Bassian Thrush. I also do use and have
no problem with abbreviations such as BIFCUS for Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
and HE for Honeyeater. These abbreviations refer back to an
acceptable/accurate common name.
However, I certainly do not agree with using corny names that any person
with just the smallest amount of effort and knowledge would realize are not
acceptable, are ambiguous and confusing; are only for those people who do
not know any better. If a person is new to birdwatching then why corrupt
them with these inaccurate common names from the start. It just compounds
the problem. For example: Shag for Cormorant (we do have a shag-the Imperial
Shag-why not confine the name to it); Blue Heron for White-faced Heron;
Spur-winged Plover for Masked Lapwing (there are Lapwing species throughout
the world and our bird is one of them); Sea Gull for Silver Gull (both are
easy to say, so why not use the correct one-a Pacific Gull is a seagull as
well); Greenie for White-plumed HE; Whiskies for Whiskered Tern; Wattlejack
for Red Wattlebird; Chicken Hawks for the Accipiters; Murray Magpie/Peewee
for Magpie-lark (it is not a magpie-not closely related to one and so why
call it one); Jay for Currawong; robin red breast for Scarlet Robin. I
remember using these names as a kid when I did not know any better and
cringe at the thought of using them now.
As for some of the names listed in the email accompanying this and others
sent in about this discussion, I am somewhat horrified to think you would
seriously consider using them in emails to this forum. Remember, that is
what my initial posting pertained to - what is acceptable common name usage
on this forum. If you want to use slang names (such as "butter-butts" for
Yellow-rumped Thornbill) amongst each other in the field then that is up to
you. I hope not though! However, that is a different topic altogether to
what I am on about. So, all of those of you that still think that the slang
names you have mentioned in your emails are still Ok for this forum - then
please confirm yes or no as it is a completely different thing to saying you
use them in the field as opposed to using them here on this forum. Yes, if
you are alongside your mate and see a Swamp Harrier and call it a Marshie,
then good for you. It is obvious what you are looking at and what you mean.
But if you were to send an email to this forum and talked to us about
marshies (Marh Tern, Marsh Harrier or Marsh Sandpiper??);
butter-bums(butts)(what-are you serious!!-demeaning to the bird and surely
we can do better than that); barwits (I know immediately what it means but
its lazy and should be left in the field); wedgies, woodies, reddies,
bloods, diamys, spagga, spoggies, poms etc. Please! Some of that sounds a
lot like cage bird industry jargon to me and surely not for here.
Finally, back to the one that got me started on this in the first place -
Double-bars for Double-banded Plover. This is not an accurate or acceptable
common name to use on this forum as it is exactly what I said it was
earlier-inaccurate and misleading. Sure, as someone pointed out one can soon
cotton on to what bird is meant as it was in the context of a wader roosting
site. However, that is not the point. Why not call them what they are and if
they were to be shortened they would be called Double-bands (perish the
thought). Double-bars as we all know are the Double-barred Finch and a
terminology widely used by many. Once again I think it is a slang name that
should be left in the field (when talking amongst mates) and not for here.
Well, I got a topic of conversation going here and that has to be good. I
disagree with the person who said we should be talking about birds and not
rules for this forum. This is about birds and definitely extends beyond this
forum. It is, in my humble opinion, something that should be talked about
and if it brings a little bit more professionalism into the Australian
birding fold-then good for it.
Cheers
Chris Baxter
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of Grant Brosie
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 8:59 PM
To: birding australia
Subject: My bird name guide.....(don't read if picky)
Everyone,
I've been birding for around 15yrs now but being only 25 you'd think I'd
know better. The following are 'other' names and abbreviations I use.
Bush Turkey = Aust. Brush Turkey
Aust. = Australian
Jabiru = Black-necked Stork (sorry Greg, hard habit to kick)
Sacred Ibis = Aust. White Ibis
Marshie = Swamp Harrier
Marshie = Marsh Sandpiper (these two can get very confusing on Ash Island)
Ash Island = An island found in the Hunter River Estuary, 5-10km west of the
Newcastle CBD, 1.5hrs north of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Sea Gull = Silver Gull
Feral = Rock Dove
Crimson-wing = Red-winged Parrot
F-w = Fairy-wren
White-rumped Miner = What a great name for Yellow-throated Miner
GST = Grey Shrike-thrush
BFCS = The famous Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike though I pronounce as 'boofcus'
Woodie = Woodswallow
Peewee = We all know that one
Reddie = Red-browed Finch
Bloods = Crimson Finch
Diamys = Not sure of spelling but its what I call Diamond Firetail
Spagga = House Sparrow
These are names I've picked up over the years or names that have come from
the avicultural side of me. Would love to hear some other names, especially
local names other birders know of.
Cheers,
Grant Brosie
Raworth
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