American Ornithological Society to Rename 80 Bird Species, No Longer Naming Birds After People

Effort Aims to Eliminate Exclusionary and Harmful Associations with Historic Figures from Bird Names, Beginning in 2024

The American Ornithological Society (AOS) announced it will no longer name birds in North America after people, deciding to rename around 80 species beginning in 2024. The aim is to eliminate harmful and exclusionary associations with historic figures from bird names.
Species to be renamed include the Wilson’s warbler and Wilson’s snipe, both currently named after 19th-century naturalist Alexander Wilson, and Audubon’s shearwater, named after John James Audubon.
The decision comes amid discussions within birdwatching communities over the past few years and calls from groups like 'Bird Names for Birds' for a change in harmful common names. All such birds will be renamed, rather than reviewing each bird named after a person individually.
The AOS will set up a new committee to develop new names, which will not change the currently existing scientific names of species. The organization aims to invite public participation in the renaming process to make it more inclusive and engaging.
This move is a part of a larger effort aimed at diversifying birding and making it more welcoming to people of all races and backgrounds. The aim is to focus attention on the birds themselves, their unique features, and conserve their declining populations.