This has some explanation. TL;DR get ready to be underwhelmed. This was based on some earlier efforts e.g. one in Sweden that changed bird names containing "neger" (negro), "kaffer" (a racial slur), or "zigenarfågel" (gypsy bird), but the stuff they've been able to find in North America is, well:

Oldsquaw (a slur)
Inca Dove (historically inaccurate, no overlap with Incas)
McCown’s Longspur (McCown was a confederate)

Maybe there were more they didn't mention but my guess is that there's a reason they're writing the story while dancing around what names are actually being changed.

[–] glimse 15 points 11 months ago (26 children)

Aw man, I thought I was gonna find out there's birds with old person shit like what my grandma used to call Brazil nuts lol

I guess that's a good kind of disappointment to have

[–] mo_ztt -5 points 11 months ago (18 children)

To me it sounds like it used to be that way, but at this point this is just someone questing around for a "problem" to solve so they can prove to the world that they're a really good person.

[–] Corran1138 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's a problem in that it ignores the fact that McCown (who happened to then fight for the Confederacy after) collected this bird and gave it to another white man, who 'named' it. The bird was already well known to Native American tribes in Texas and Arizona. So to say that McCown 'discovered' it is just blatantly wrong. The name that the AOS will go with is the 'thick-billed longspur' as it's anatomically accurate and doesn't make it seem like McCown discovered this bird.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

So you are saying they are gonna change all European centric names for something regarding their phisical attribute? Or is it just this one?

[–] mo_ztt 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I believe they're trying to change any bird that's named after a person, and any European-centric name that replaced an existing indigenous name.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

But, that's a weird tactic. I mean, the rock dove/common pigeon is native to Spain, Senegal and Sri Lanka. What is going to be it's indigenous name?

Another example: Heerman's Gull is native to the westcoast of north america, from Vancouver to Guadalajara. Obviously none of the natives called it Heerman's Gull, since the guy wasn't born till the early 19th century. I wouldn't be surprised if it has two dozen "indigenous names" before leaving the US, so what are we going to pick?

[–] mo_ztt 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

All we need to do is to add to this comic another guy over on the riverbank who says anyone who doesn't agree with his new river chart is racist.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I mean, I'm still using Turkey, and my parents still occasionally refer to Former Yugoslavia and they called Zaire by it's old name (Congo) long enough that they are now once again correct. On the other hand, I'm pretty nobody here has ever called Heerman's Gull anything but "seagull", so I doubt anyone will notice this.

load more comments (16 replies)

load more comments (23 replies)