100 birds that might be 'offensive' to be renamed in inclusivity row

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Over 100 birds are set to undergo name changes in the USA as their current names are thought to be offensive. Species linked to historical figures with connections to slavery and genocide are among those that will be renamed by experts after the American Ornithological Society (AOS) decided to take action, reports The Express.

They have said that it has become apparent that naming birds after certain individuals can be distressing to certain groups, according to The New York Times. “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 and a research wildlife biologist with the US Geological Survey in Alaska, said.“We need a much more inclusive and engaging scientific process that focuses attention on the unique features and beauty of the birds themselves.

Everyone who loves and cares about birds should be able to enjoy and study them freely—and birds need our help now more than ever.“We’ve come to understand that there are certain names that have offensive or derogatory connotations that cause pain to people, and that it is important to change those, to remove those as barriers to their participation in the world of birds,” she told NPR.Gambel's Quail, Lewis's Woodpecker, Anna's Hummingbird, Bullock's Oriole, and Bewick's Wren, are among bird species that will be renamed.

One is the Audubon's Shearwater, named after the renowned bird illustrator James John Audubon.This bird will be renamed due to Audubon's association with slave ownership and strong opposition to abolition.