> Serge, I'll defend Charles Easterberg a little. "English Sparrow" was the
> name ...

I recall it was not an attack against anyone. Uh, well, it was just an attack
against people who gave this name to the bird.

> I think it's fascinating that so few bird names commemorate European
> countries, while at least a few of our American states have birds named
> after them (there were a lot more when subspecies common names were in
> vogue), and Canada and Mexico are well commemorated in English and
> especially scientific names. And just about very South American country
> has it's "own" birds. Why *isn't* there a French Hornbill or a Norwegian
> Woodpecker or a Spanish Flycatcher? But of course there's no bird with the
> name "United States of American ........" either.

A few european birds (again an appropriation !) have names evoking countries
or counties.
For example, the "Dartford Warbler" _Sylvia undata_, which is mostly a
submediterranean bird, but is named in english after a county of southern
England where a little population remains.
Also, the Brambling _Fringilla montifringilla_ is usually called "Pinson du
Nord" in french, but sometimes (less frequently) "Pinson des Ardennes". The
Ardennes are a wooded area between France, Belgium and Luxemburg.
Probably, there are more examples, but I didn't have any european birds book
with me, so I can't find others.

Your comment were interesting. They made me think of european examples, and I
was quite surprised to find one in French too !

--
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A bird in the bush is better than two in the hand.

Serge Le Huitouze School of Computing Science
email: serge at cs.sfu.ca Simon Fraser University
tel: (604) 291-5423 Burnaby, British Columbia
fax: (604) 291-3045 V5A 1S6 Canada