Exploring Nature: Bird Names

Oh my, lots of folks are unhappy with the names of birds.

That’s because more than 100 North American birds carry the names of people. And some of these people may not have been of the highest character, at least by present-day standards. The suggestion has been made that these birds be re-named with monikers that reflect each bird’s unique qualities.

Let’s take a few examples: John James Audubon was a very famous avian artist and among the birds named for him are the Audubon’s shearwater and Audubon’s oriole. Also, his name is on numerous bird clubs around the nation, including the Travis Audubon Society in Austin.