I almost hate to ask, but here goes...

I've just recently begun birding in North America, having become a birder
on a three-year overseas assignment in Australia which ended in 1994, and
I am struggling with pronunciation questions. Of course, the Aussies
have the same debates with things like Pardalotes, Gerygones, and the
now-out-of-favor Hylacola, but now that I have learned to soften my "a"s
to "ah"s I'm certain that I'm getting some of the American names wrong.

At the moment I'm wondering about Heerman's and Phalarope. I've just
returned from California where I saw both and was confounded by the
proper pronunciation of each. Is there help available? I know
regionalism would make it difficult, but sometimes I wish there were a
pronunciation guide to bird names of the world. The plant people have
one, maybe we should too!

Thanks.



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Becca Knox rknox at scn.org Seattle, Washington
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