Wilson, now I might be wrong but I think I recall reading somewhere that when publishing an article, the correct standard is to only capitalize the first word. Anyway, that is how I have always written common names for many, many years. You are 100% correct, every blue jay is not a Blue jay!

Eric Kowalczyk
Seattle

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My pet peeve with bird names is not the pronunciation but rather the capitalization. Why do newspaper editors and even the USF&WS refuse to capitalize the second part of a bird's common name? Why is it Sandhill crane instead of Sandhill Crane, isn't it a proper name? Don't they know that every blue jay is not a Blue Jay?


Wilson Cady
Skamania County, WA