As was mentioned yesterday, Long-tailed Duck is the common name in the Clements
world checklist. It is also the common name listed in Sibley and Monroe's
"Distribution and Taxonomy of the Birds of the World," with specific mention
that the name is preferred to the New World name, Oldsquaw.

AviSys software, which uses the Clements world checklist, substitutes the name
Oldsquaw because the American Birding Association still uses it -- because the
AOU still uses it. The intent is to serve N.A. as well as world birders. As long
as the Latin name remains unchanged, there is no problem. AviSys makes similar
substitutions in the (few) cases where there is a difference between the ABA and
Clements - such as Green-winged Teal - but retains the Clements spelling in some
cases where the ABA spelling is clearly awry, such as "Pintailed (sic) Snipe."

It is virtually certain that the AOU will publish again this year, and I have
heard that "Oldsquaw" will be dealt with, and that "Long-tailed Duck" is
preferred. But my information is third-hand, and the AOU's machinations remain
deeply, darkly mysterious. When the AOU acts, the ABA will act, and this
well-salted wound might have a chance to heal.

There was a comment made here that we should pay attention to the Latin name
because, "...that isn't going to change..." I don't know what was meant by that
-- there was no further illumination. The name "Clangula hyemalis" refers to the
whistling wings of the duck (L. clangere, to resound [cf Common Goldeneye]) and
the bird's winter range where it was named, (L. hiemalis, of winter). I suppose
it could be argued that the genus name actually refers to the bird's alleged
noisy habits. In any case, I don't see anything particularly interesting there,
so I don't know what the message writer was referring to....

Jerry Blinn
Silverdale


E-mail from: Jerry Blinn, 19-Mar-1997