Current:Home > StocksWhy dozens of birds are being renamed in the U.S. and Canada -FutureFinance
Why dozens of birds are being renamed in the U.S. and Canada
View
Date:2025-04-15 15:53:16
The American Ornithological Society, a birding group, pledged Wednesday to change the English names of all bird species in the U.S. and Canada currently named after people.
The organization said it was trying to move away from names "deemed offensive and exclusionary." The Thick-billed Longspur, for example, used to be named after Confederate Army General John P. McCown, which was perceived as a painful link to slavery and racism.
"There is power in a name, and some English bird names have associations with the past that continue to be exclusionary and harmful today," American Ornithological Society President Colleen Handel said. "We need a much more inclusive and engaging scientific process that focuses attention on the unique features and beauty of the birds themselves."
The American Ornithological Society is going to start the initiative next year. The organization plans to set up a naming committee and seek public input for new names for up to 80 bird species in the U.S. and Canada. The birds being renamed also have scientific names, but those will not be changed under the initiative.
"As scientists, we work to eliminate bias in science. But there has been historic bias in how birds are named, and who might have a bird named in their honor," American Ornithological Society Executive Director and CEO Judith Scarl said. "Exclusionary naming conventions developed in the 1800s, clouded by racism and misogyny, don't work for us today, and the time has come for us to transform this process and redirect the focus to the birds, where it belongs."
The move is part of an effort to diversify birding and make it more welcoming to people of all races and backgrounds. The American Ornithological Society hopes more people will focus on protecting birds, too.
"Everyone who loves and cares about birds should be able to enjoy and study them freely — and birds need our help now more than ever," Handel said.
North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds since 1970, a 2019 report found. Ten types of birds were taken off the endangered species list in October because they are extinct, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said.
"To reverse these alarming bird population declines, we need as many people as possible to get excited about birds and unite to protect them," Scarl said.
Aliza ChasanAliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBS News.
TwitterveryGood! (41)
Related
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Mega Millions jackpot rises to estimated $792 million after no one wins $735 million grand prize
- Can women and foreigners help drive a ramen renaissance to keep Japan's noodle shops on the boil?
- Inflation data from CPI report shows sharper price gains: What it means for Fed rate cuts.
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Texas parental consent law for teen contraception doesn’t run afoul of federal program, court says
- Mississippi University for Women urges legislators to keep the school open
- Cop boss says marauding rats are getting high on marijuana at New Orleans police headquarters
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- Mega Millions Winning numbers for March 12 drawing, with $735 million jackpot
Ranking
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- Eric Carmen, All By Myself and Hungry Eyes singer, dies at age 74
- TV host, author Tamron Hall talks her writing process, new book and how she starts her day
- Warriors star Steph Curry says he's open to a political career after basketball
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- 'Station 19' Season 7: Cast, premiere date, how to watch and stream the final season
- 22-year-old TikTok star dies after documenting her battle with a rare form of cancer
- A Florida man kept having migraines. Doctors then discovered tapeworm eggs in his brain.
Recommendation
Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
Man attacked by 9-foot alligator while fishing in Florida
Ariana Madix Slams Vanderpump Rules Costars for Forgiving Ex Tom Sandoval After Affair Scandal
2024 Oscars ratings reveal biggest viewership in 4 years
Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
Republican Valadao and Democrat Salas advance in California’s competitive 22nd district
Survivor seeking national reform sues friend who shot him in face and ghost gun kit maker
ASU hoops coach Bobby Hurley has not signed contract extension a year after announcement