Hi, Tweeters

This just came in from the South African bird list and I thought some of
you would find it interesting. They are in heavy, heavy discussion down
there about changing many of their bird names, hence this post.

Cheers, Diann


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>From: "John Mc Allister" <mcallister at recs.co.za>
>To: "SA Birdnet" <sabirdnet at und.ac.za>
>Subject: Politically correct bird names
>Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 21:27:22 +0200
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>
>Hi Netters
>
>The US and Europe are also in the throes of changing the names of their
>birds. The Longtailed Duck of northern Europe is known as an Oldsquaw in the
>US. Arguments about this "sexist and racist" name (and please I don't want
>to start a discussion about the merits and demerits of this) got rather
>vicious and this humerous offering was made by Roy Philips of Cornwall, UK
>to defuse the situation a bit (or was it???). I reproduce it here for
>Netters with his permission.
>
>" .................... for the sake of political expediency and harmony on
>BIRDCHAT it is
>obvious that we should adopt a whole new list, and I tentatively suggest the
>follow changes

>
>Common Loon = Great Northern personality disordered, Diver
>Spectacled = Visually impaired, Eider
>Common = Proletarian, Pochard
>Booby = Well, you tell me!
>Red-faced = Socially embarrassed, Cormorant.
>Ruddy = The Brits already call it that, Duck
>Marbled = Deityordarwin, Wit
>Eskimo = Inuit, Curlew (probably not allowed already)
>Bristle thighed = Tibialy hirsute , Curlew
>Spotted
. = we've already done those.
>Little = Dimensionally challenged, Stint
>Ivory = Plastic substitute, Gull
>Bald = Alopex, Eagle
>Blue = X?rated, Grouse
>Whip = economically disadvantaged, Will
>Green = Tenderfooted, kingfisher
>Bohemian = Alternative lifestyle, Waxwing.
>Red-eyed = Inebriated, Vireo
>Yellow = Confrontationaly inadequate, Throat
>Red = UnAmerican, Crossbill. ( I'm expecting some flak over that
>one!)
>
>And what about Pomarine (originally pomatorhine) Jaeger that mixture of
>Greek (I think) and German which hardly anyone knows the meaning of.
>('cept me, of course).
>
>Pen gwyn is Cornish, (and Welsh and Breton) so don't anybody dare play about
>with that or there will be a Celtic revolt.
>
>Roy Phillips, Penzance, Cornwall, UK
>
>E-mail Roy at liznroy.free-online.co.uk
>
>I hope at least some of you find this as humerous as I do. As Roy also
>mentioned we'll have to find another name for that great South African
>rarity - a Buff- (bare?) breasted Sandpiper as this cannot be acceptable!
>
>
>Maybe that's why we are not changing korhaans to bustards - it would simply
>not be PC to have Little Black Bustards in South Africa today (grin!).
>
>Regards to all,
>
>John McAllister
>mcallister at recs.co.za
>
>
>
>
>
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Diann MacRae
Olympic Vulture Study
22622 - 53rd Avenue S.E.
Bothell, WA 98021 USA
tvulture at halcyon.com