On November 1st, 2023 the American Ornithological Society announced the end of naming birds after people in order to “address past wrongs.”

The motive for this change was addressed in a statement by the group, Bird Names for Birds, stating that many birds are primarily named after white men who “have objectively horrible pasts and do not uphold the morals and standards the bird community should memorialize.” A bird was renamed by the AOS in 2020. The bird was initially named after John P McCown, who was a Confederate General during the Civil War and is linked to slavery and racism, the bird is now named the thick-billed longspur. 

Another example of a bird name with problematic origins is the Hammond’s flycatcher which was named after William Alexander Hammond. Hammond was a former US surgeon general who held negative views on both black people and Native Americans, writing that black people were “little elevated in mental or physical faculties above the monkey of an organ grinder.” Another one of the many birds that the society looks to rename is Townsend’s warbler, named after John Kirk Townsend, who was known for stealing skulls out of indigenous graves.

However, It should be noted that not all birds are named after controversial figures. Birds such as Anna’s hummingbird,  which is named after an Italian duchess, and Lewis’s woodpecker, which is named after explorer Meriwether Lewis are two notable examples of birds with non-controversial namesakes. The AOS’ drew particular attention to the birds with controversial namesakes.

Efforts to distance the names of birds from their human origin have persisted in the past, The movement bolstered in activity in 2020, as did other similar movements condemning the names of sports teams and school buildings. Furthermore, in 2021 the AOS announced an ad-hoc committee in order to have recommendations regarding the aforementioned bird names. The committee was formed in 2022 and the AOS’ recent announcement stems from the recommendations from this committee.

Judith Scarl, the executive director and CEO of the AOS said in a statement, these naming conventions developed in the 1800s, clouded by racism and misogyny, and that they are outdated, and that it is now time to shift focus away from these names and to the birds themselves.

The AOS is set to start with a pilot program which will begin in 2024 with an initial focus on about 70-80 different bird species that are primarily found in the US or Canada. With an eventual end goal of up to 260 birds. The AOS has two naming committees, one for birds in North America and one for the birds in South America. The public will also be able to participate in the renaming process. Which the AOS hopes will build more excitement for individuals looking to study birds.