Although nobody asked whether four-letter codes for bird names are
appropriate for Tweeters, I'm going to post my 2-cents worth.

I believe these codes have a place. They obviously are important in any
database where entering and retieval of data is the primary goal.

However, I see no reason why they should appear in Tweeters. As I read
through the numerous postings to this forum, I recognize that Tweeters
attracts people interested in birds. I sense people who are beginning
birdwatchers, intermediate and advanced log on. Scientists also read
Tweeters. People interested in the arts read Tweeters.

Why should we create any barriers to the understanding, or enjoyment of the
postings on Tweeters by using these codes? In reality, these codes are a
foreign language. Most readers of Tweeters will have to break stride to read
messages with four-letter codes. I believe the world is all ready saturated
with acronyms, codes and jargon. My vote is to keep it simple. The English
language (and all other languages) are a beautiful medium.

What would you rather read and savor: "Agile Tit-Tyrant," "Warbling
Antbird," "Reddish-winged Bare-eye," "Cinerous Mourner," "Spangled Cotinga,"
or "Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant," or...whatever four-letter code might be
concocted for these evocative, sensual, or wonderfully descriptive names? By
the way, all of the above were gleaned from Birds of Venezuela by Schauensee
and Phelps.

I, for one, will never use these codes in a laymans forum like Tweeters. I
should say, however, that I maintain databases, where to use anything but
these codes, would be unwieldly and inefficient.

We have such a beautiful language! Let's savor and use it!

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato, WA