Subject: [Tweeters] Capitalization of bird names
Date: Mar 31 17:31:21 2011
From: Neil Johannsen - neil.johannsen at gmail.com


I engaged my old dear buddy Robert Michael Pyle about the capitalization
discussion ? I know most of you know Bob?s magnificent books (14 books
published now on natural history subjects) and he said this, a bit out of
context from his email to me, but clear to understand:

There is also the real problem of saying "rufous-backed robin"--description,
or name?--especially for non-birder readers. ? So in B'flies of Cascadia, I
capitalize species' common names.? However, it is not an issue in Mariposa
Road or indeed any of my Houghton Mifflin Harcourt books, as their immutable
policy is lower case, except with proper names (Wilson's warbler,
Boisduval's blue, but orange-crowned warbler, arrowhead blue).

-Robert Michael Pyle

Neil C. Johannsen
Kitsap Audubon