Some Bird Names Are Changing Because They're 'Exclusionary,' 'Harmful'

We all knew it was just a matter of time before some of the woke insanity made its way into the world of... ornithology.

Yes, some bird names are now considered offensive and are on the chopping block. However, it may surprise you that it isn't the usual suspects. Nope, the likes of the titmouse, blue-footed booby, and woodpecker are safe (for now).

Instead, the issue is with birds named after people.

The American Ornithological Society has announced that it will be changing the names of about 80 birds that are named after questionable people.

Why? Well, naming birds after people can be "exclusionary" and "harmful." Apparently.

“There is power in a name, and some English bird names have associations with the past that continue to be exclusionary and harmful today,” Colleen Handel, the society's president, said in a statement, per The Washington Post. “We need a much more inclusive and engaging scientific process that focuses attention on the unique features and beauty of the birds themselves.”

Close-up of male house sparrow on the branch.

Birds Named After People Accused Of Being Racist Are Going To Be First To Go

While dozens of names are getting changed, the focus will be on birds named after people with questionable pasts. Take the Bachman’s sparrow or Townsend’s warbler. Both are named after men accused of being racist.

“White people are credited for discovering . White people were the ones to name the birds after other White people. And White people are still the folks that are perpetuating these names,” birder (and surely the life of the party) Jordan Rutter — who organized the petition to change a bunch of bird names — said in a 2021 interview.

So, the guy it's named after may not have been great. At this point, no one even knows who that is. It's just the bird's name.

Plus, "Bachman" and "Townshend" are common names. Just say they were named after someone else with those names. It's this easy: they're now named after Randy Bachman and Robbie Bachman of Bachman-Turner Overdrive fame and Pete Townshend.

Alright, maybe there's a better Townshend out there but he'll do for now. You're welcome.

I find it hard to believe that someone who is into birdwatching would see a bird named after someone and say, "Well, that's it. Now I can't enjoy birdwatching anymore because of that harmful, exclusionary name."

Look, if you want to change the name of something change it, but let's do it without the sob story and this argument that changing a bird's name will cause some incredible change in society.

All it's going to do is irritate all the bird people who wasted their lives learning the old names and now have to brush up on new ones.

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