American Ornithological Society Will Change the English Names of Bird Species Named After People

“There is power in a name, and some English bird names have associations with the past that continue to be exclusionary and harmful today,” says president. “The time has come for us to transform this process and redirect the focus to the birds, where it belongs,” says CEO.  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:  media@americanornithology.org CHICAGO (November …

“Behind the Scenes” with the English Bird Names Committee

It has been a while since the American Ornithological Society (AOS) last informed the ornithology and birding communities about its progress in addressing harmful or exclusionary English bird names and in developing a process to change such names in a thoughtful, proactive way. This initiative is central to the AOS’s goal of building a more …

Meet the Leaders of the AOS English Bird Names Committee

As you know, the American Ornithological Society (AOS) is evaluating how to address harmful English bird names, and we are thrilled to announce that Carlos Daniel Cadena, Erica Nol, and Troy Peters have agreed to co-chair these efforts moving forward. With guidance and input from our Diversity and Inclusion Committee, the AOS selected leaders who …

English Bird Names: Working to Get It Right

Hello, AOS members, partners, and friends! As many of you know, the American Ornithological Society (AOS) has been working to determine the best process for proactively changing harmful and exclusionary English bird names for species within our geographic realm of responsibility. Our most recent public event was a Community Congress, in which we heard different …

What’s next for English bird names?

After hearing from the many perspectives shared during the Community Congress on English Bird Names hosted by the AOS Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) subcommittee in mid-April, the AOS Council is in the process of forming an ad hoc committee charged with developing recommendations for guidelines and procedures used to identify and change harmful English bird …

Community Congress Recording Available

The American Ornithological Society’s (AOS) Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Committee hosted a virtual AOS Community Congress on English Bird Names on 16 April 2021 to open a discussion on the complex issues around eponymous English bird names to the wider ornithological and birding communities to promote an even greater awareness of the complexities of name …

Thank you from the AOS Diversity & Inclusion Committee

Thank you for joining our Community Congress on English Bird Names. The goals of the Community Congress were to increase the awareness of the issue around eponymous English bird names. The Congress aimed to provide a broad range of stakeholders from the birding and ornithological community the opportunity to share their viewpoints, including challenges and …

FAQ: AOS Community Congress on English Bird Names

Why are you holding a Community Congress on eponymous English Bird Names? This event brings together members of the birding and ornithological community, especially birders, scientists, and data managers, to discuss the issue of eponyms. Eponyms are names for birds that honor specific people, often for their contributions to generating knowledge about the particular species …

AOS D&I Committee Welcomes All to the Community Congress

Thank you for your interest in the Community Congress on English Bird Names webinar! This discussion is open to the entire birding community, irrespective of your background, affiliation, or Society membership status. The AOS Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Committee recognizes that the timing of the Community Congress presents a challenge for some, due to a conflict …

You’re invited to a Community Congress on English Bird Names

The AOS Diversity and Inclusion Committee invites you to a Community Congress on English Bird Names16 April 2021 | 2:00–4:00 p.m. EDT Renewed spotlights on racism in the U.S. have injected greater urgency within the ornithological and birding communities to acknowledge and address racism in birding and ornithology, including in eponyms (species names honoring people). …