4 ms·
TIL "Audubon" is some guy's name. In retrospect pretty obvious, but as a kid I always thought it was some word with a very technical bird-related meaning.
by RheingoldRiver 3y ago
TIL "Audubon" is some guy's name. In retrospect pretty obvious, but as a kid I always thought it was some word with a very technical bird-related meaning.
- Libcat99 3y agoThere's numerous audobon centers in the US, including one in Audobon Pennsylvania with examples of his work. His works were life sized, so the book that contains the is enormous given that we have some very large birds across the country.
- irrational 3y agoI recently learned that Stellar Jays are actually Stellar's Jays, some guy's name. I always thought Stellar referred their deep blue and black color, like InterStellar space.
- bmj 3y agoThere are dozens of birds named in a similar way -- Cooper's Hawk, Brewer's Sparrow, Wilson's Warbler, etc, etc.
- AnotherGoodName 3y agoAlso Wingspan is a great board game where you learn all of this. I suspect there may be some players in this thread :)
- acomjean 3y agoTo be fair, there are birds where the name is the description. Red Wing Black Bird, Blue Jay, snowy egret...
- neilpa 3y agoNot for much longer https://americanornithology.org/american-ornithological-society-will-change-the-english-names-of-bird-species-named-after-people/ https://americanornithology.org/american-ornithological-soci...
- numinos1 3y agoThis will no longer be true next year, as The American Ornithology Society's Diversity & Inclusion Committee plans to rename all these species with "non-colonized, inclusive" names. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84GchnXInb8&t=3903s&ab_channel=AmericanOrnithology https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84GchnXInb8&t=3903s&ab_chann...
- smegsicle 3y agoeither that or starting next year the american orthonogalogical society will no longer be a reliable resource for bird names
- lazystar 3y ago"what's in a name?" Unfortunately a lot. if they rename stellars jays, for example, it creates a rift in American culture.
- irrational 3y agoThey would have to rename every bird. Bluebird and Cardinal are named after English colors, the colonizers language.
- pests 3y agoNames of people.
- globular-toast 3y ago
- lazystar 3y agoAgain incorrect spelling - it's "Steller's Jays", not stellar. And if anyone lives in their habitat and wants to get a few of them around... they love shelled unsalted peanuts! Costco has them pretty cheap.
- nathancahill 3y agoAnd it's recently become "problematic" to the point where some chapters of the Audubon Society are renaming themselves: https://www.chicagoaudubon.org/blog/2023/10/19/b5fck20t7bwoelhx6aav039ie4whrk https://www.chicagoaudubon.org/blog/2023/10/19/b5fck20t7bwoe...