What bird is named after a Confederate general?

Should the bird world rename Confederate general longspur?

Some say all of them. The bird world is embroiled in debate about whether to rename McCown’s Longspur, a grassland bird that bears the name of a Confederate general—an ornithological outgrowth of a national movement to remove monuments to defenders of slavery. Photo: Agami Photo Agency/Alamy

Is this the only Confederate general with a bird’s name?

But McCown’s case stands out for one significant reason: Ten years after shooting the longspur, he joined the Confederate States Army, where he was ultimately promoted to Major General and commanded multiple armies by the end of the war. He is the only member of the Confederate armies whose name is borne by a bird.

Should we stop naming birds after people?

McLaughlin and some other researchers suggest that birds shouldn’t be named after people at all. “The landscape of birding is changing,” says Ward. “Why not change these bird names as well? I say throw them all out the window and rename all the birds named after old dead White ornithologists.”

How many birds are named after people?

There are still almost 150 other bird named after people in North America alone, some of them bearing the names of known racists and anti-abolitionists. “McCown wasn’t just a singular anomaly that has now been ‘solved,'” Alex Holt of Bird Names for Birds said.

Is McCown’s longspur a Confederate bird?

Something much smaller has also elicited debate over its Confederate name: McCown’s longspur, a bird that lives in the Great Plains and looks a bit like a sparrow.

Should McCown’s longspur be renamed?

Last year, the North American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (AOS), passed on a chance to rename McCown’s longspur, citing the importance of maintaining stability in bird names. More recently, after Black Birders Week, the AOS proclaimed that it would be increasing efforts for inclusivity.

Should the longspur’s name be a barrier to inclusion in birding?

By memorializing someone who fought to defend slavery, the longspur’s name, some birders and scientists say, adds further barriers to inclusion in the world of bird researchers and enthusiasts-an overwhelmingly White community where people of color have repeatedly reported feeling ignored, excluded, and even deeply unsafe.

Are bird names for birds named after people?

Bird names. Bird Names for Birds is a grassroots initiative aiming to change eponymous common names of birds, specifically in North America, arguing that many have been named after problematic people. Take the Hammond’s flycatcher, named for William Alexander Hammond, a former US surgeon general, said Jordan Rutter, co-founder of the initiative.

How many bird names are honorifics?

Today, 142 North American English common bird names are honorifics. But McCown’s case stands out for one significant reason: Ten years after shooting the longspur, he joined the Confederate States Army, where he was ultimately promoted to Major General and commanded multiple armies by the end of the war.

Are people who keep birds ignorant?

“People who keep birds are ignorant.” . . . and so on and so on. I even encountered one individual who seemed to think keeping pet or caged birds was doing pure evil. Perhaps our ancestors should have admired the birds from a distance and left them in the wild.

Why can’t we get more species named after US?

The vast majority of our American birds got their common names more than a century ago, and so any of us living now will have a hard time getting a species named after us unless we start making some changes. (Which we should, but I’ll get into that later.)

How many birds have been given eponymous names?

However, around the world there are over 4,000 examples of birds that have, or have had, eponymous names. A personal favourite is the bird first brought to the attention of Europe by French explorer and naval officer Jules-Sébastien-César Dumont d’Urville.

Are there any birds named after people?

Most of the birds named after people are rare or unusual, such as Dupont’s lark, a Spanish species recently in the news because of its steep population decline.

Why is it called the McCown bird?

Ornithologists since 2018 have been trying to rid the bird’s name of the reference to McCown, who in addition to his role in the Civil War also fought in the Seminole Wars, during which US forces tried to force native tribes out of Florida.

How did the McCown’s longspur get its name?

The organization has announced it is renaming the McCown’s longspur, a little prairie bird native to the Southwest and northern Plains that originally was named after Confederate Gen. John Porter McCown. The bird will now be known as the thick-billed longspur. How did a little bird get to be named after a Civil War figure in the first place?

What bird did John McCown see on the Prairie?

In 1851, John P. McCown, an amateur ornithologist and army officer stationed in Texas, shot a group of larks on the prairie. Examining his kills, he noted two examples of a bird he’d never seen before: pale gray longspurs with a small spot of chestnut on the wings and prominent white patches in the tail.

Is Rhynchophanes mccownii now thick-billed longspur?

Rhynchophanes mccownii will now be known as Thick-billed Longspur after a decision by the North American Classification Committee (NACC). An email this evening from the AOS said the name change decision was unanimous.

Will the longspur get a new name?

That would mean renaming about 150 species found from Canada to Panama. In response, the AOS and NACC said they would revisit the longspur’s name and would make a further statement about honorific bird names during the North American Ornithological Conference in August.

Is McCown’s longspur a longspur?

The great longspur debate came to a conclusion of sorts tonight when the American Ornithological Society (AOS) announced it is changing the name McCown’s Longspur, a bird named after Captain John P. McCown, the naturalist who first collected the species in 1851.

Should the longspur be renamed?

Many birders and researchers believe that renaming shouldn’t be limited to the longspur. In interviews with Undark, Martinez, Driver, and others pointed out that McCown is certainly not the only figure associated with racist violence whose memory is honored by a bird name.

How do you name a longspur bird?

Instead, Ward points out that many birds are named after their behaviors, their preferred habitat, or physical features, and these characteristics could be used to rename birds like the longspur as well. “ is common in the Great Plains, so we could call this bird the prairie longspur,” says Ward.

Should birding names be changed?

To Make Birding Inclusive, Some Birds Will Need New Names Without Colonial Roots Across the country, efforts are underway to change the names of birds that commemorate a colonial and racist past. It’s part of an effort to move birdwatching away from being a mainly white activity.

How many birds have been named after naturalists?

Other instances from this country include Montagu’s harrier and Richard’s pipit, both named after naturalists. However, around the world there are over 4,000 examples of birds that have, or have had, eponymous names.

Are birds named by people who secretly hate birds?

It started, as many great Internet threads do, on Twitter. A hilarious observation by @stu_bot3000 that certain species of birds may have been named by people that secretly hate birds: My favourite species of birds are the ones named by people who clearly hate birds. (thread) pic.twitter.com/81Ztls7B2O

Are We responsible for the birds we care for?

Perhaps our ancestors should have admired the birds from a distance and left them in the wild. However, they brought them into their homes and bred and raised them—and, in doing so, they took away their ability to survive in the wild. Now we are responsible for keeping these birds safe.

Is it okay to eat birds?

There are also still people in USA and around the world that will kill and eat any kind of wild bird even one that doesn’t have a season. This can be a big issue in countries such as Italy where song birds are considered a delicacy. Other ‘elitist’ groups think it is cool to eat endangered species.

What animal is named after a famous person?

Many celebrities have their names associated with some kind of animal species: The frog species Hyla stingi is named after Sting. The spider species Pachygnatha zappa is named for Frank Zappa.