eBird abundance map for Eastern Towhee. It is resident in the southeast, but expands north in summer.
The Eastern Towhee, a bird of scrub and thickets, is a common resident in the southeast United States. One subspecies migrates north in summer.
They are a prime example of a species that is considered “Least Concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but “High Risk” in National Audubon’s assessment of birds under climate change. In their 3.0 C scenario, they predict it would lose 83% of its current breeding range, while gaining only 23%.
This is National Audubon’s projection for the Eastern Towhee’s breeding range under just a 1.5C scenario. This would spell extinction for the white-eyed birds of Florida and the deep South.
Their winter range is not anticipated to change much.
These projections are consistent with recent literature showing poleward shifts of species ranges– of the northern edge of their range, of the southern edge, and of their range’s geographic center. The predictions for Eastern Towhee are among the most dramatic.
Recent research also suggests that non-migratory and short-distance migrants are more adaptable to climate change than are long-distance migrants, and more able to shift their ranges. Indeed, we are already seeing that with Eastern Towhee. The Audubon projections appear to be in progress.
Based on Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data, the Eastern Towhee breeding population in Florida has declined over 50% since the late 1990s. The timing of this is consistent with worldwide ecological shifts which began in the mid-1980s.
The white-eyed subspecies appears to be already in trouble. eBirders in Florida in May and June are encountering the species half as often as they were just six years earlier.
eBird data from Florida, focusing on frequency of lists reporting the species during the May-June period, shows that the maximum frequency has fallen from 18.3% in 2015 to 8.6% in 2021.
Not all range shifts are due to climate. As a scrub specialist, the Eastern Towhee prefers habitat that is in the act of regrowth, such as after a fire or being cleared. But they don’t want a forest either. To quote the Birds of the World species account for Eastern Towhee: “As farmland is abandoned, successional changes produce suitable midseral habitats that towhees favor, and their numbers increase. But, successional time is against towhees, and their numbers decrease as seres age.” That may be the explanation for the Georgia data (orange dots), which show a decline in the late 60s and early 70s, possibly due to forest growth or land clearance for development, and then a leveling off.
As the climate warms, many species are expanding north and/or declining in the southern part of their range. But these need not happen simultaneously. Opportunities for suitable habitat may open doors in the north, and doors may close in the south, at different times. There is evidence of Eastern Towhee expansion in Minnesota, but look at the vertical axis; it does not compare with the losses in Florida.
In Florida, the white-eyed subspecies faces extinction based on National Audubon’s 1.5C scenario. They appear to have declined dramatically in the past two decades.
The east side of the Olympics is a staircase of thrushes. The low country is for American Robins. As you get into woodsy habitat, you’ll hear the spiral song of Swainson’s Thrushes. After that, among the tall old growth along the streams, the ethereal Varied Thrush. Finally, up near timberline, you’ll hear singing Hermit Thrushes. Freeman and colleagues are tracking how these ranges are shifting with the climate.
Two 5-minute point counts at each stop as you gain elevation. June 1 to July 15. Entered into eBird. Shared with the Mountain Bird Network.
That’s all Ben Freeman, a post-doc at University of British Columbia, is asking for. And it can be any mountain, any canyon, any road.
To get the party started, here are my proposals for new bird names for 82 species. I also provide a lot of historic and current alternatives.
Ross’s Gull’s Latin name Rhodostethia rosea can be translated as Rosy Gull. Indeed, the bird is called Rosy Gull throughout most of the world.
In a previous blogpost, I documented the history of honorific bird names in the United States. Some basic facts emerged. The practice became common in the early to mid-1800s, after most eastern species had already been given descriptive English names. Thus, 58% of honorific names are western species. They were often named by ornithologists after each other, or after colleagues or supporters, or their wives or daughters (first names for women). Remarkably a third do not have Latin names that match their English honorific name (e.g. Cassin’s Auklet is Ptychoramphus aleuticus, or Aleutian Auklet), almost always because the species was described twice, with the second time (usually Audubon) providing the honorific name. When it was realized the species had been previously described, they followed international protocol and reverted to the original Latin name.
Moving forward, the AOS is now considering new English names for potentially all species with honorific names. As controversial as that may be, coming up with new names is very much the fun part. Here is my personal exercise in that.
For each of these 82 species, I provide their current English name, the meaning of their Latin name, other historic names, the meaning of any subspecies names (leaving off the nominate subspecies), names in other languages, and, finally, my proposals for a new English name (or reverting to a previous name, as the case may be).
Caveats: 1) translating Latin is not clear-cut; there are options for each name. 2) My research on other historic names is undoubtedly incomplete; please add more in the comments. I relied largely on the Birds of the World species accounts and Grinnell and Miller (1944) for these. 3) Translating the names in other languages is definitely as much art as science. I used some online dictionaries, but it was clear they were struggling at times with the nuance. At times I felt like a bewildered traveler unfamiliar with the local slang. I encourage Native speakers to provide clarification.
I was struck that, more often than not, other languages eschewed American English honorifics. For example, Sprague’s Pipit is known as Prairie Pipit in Danish, Dutch, German, Norwegian, Polish, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish. Worldwide species such as Leach’s and Wilson’s Storm-Petrel are predominately known by other names around the world (e.g. Northern and Oceanic Storm-Petrel, respectively, among other names).
This opens the door to a rich tableau of alternative names. Hands down my favorite non-English name goes to Haitian Creole’s moniker for Blackburnian Warbler: Little Flamboyant Warbler. A special shout-out to Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, and Slovak, which almost always avoid honorifics and use a descriptive moniker. I became a big fan of Norwegian, which often relies on habitat-based names (e.g. Chaparral Sparrow for Bell’s Sparrow, Yucca Oriole for Scott’s Oriole).
The Norwegian list also includes several indigenous-based names (e.g. Eskimo Goose, Navajo Thrasher, Shoshone Sparrow, and Apache Sparrow). Following guidance on tribal consultation (“nothing about us without us”), the selection of such a name should involve discussions with relevant tribes. I’ll dedicate a blog post to indigenous-based names in the future.
Regarding my proposed new names, I gave priority to previous historic names, whether they be in English or derived from Latin, as well as to ideas from other languages. I am confident that others can come up with gems that are better proposals than mine.
Originally called the Horned Wavey, the bird is known as the White Goose, Dwarf Goose, and Eskimo Goose in other languages.
Ross’s Goose
Meaning of Latin name: Ross’s Goose
Other historic names: Horned Wavey, Ross Snow Goose
Names in other languages: White (Croatian, Czech), Dwarf/Pygmy (Danish, Swedish), Eskimo (Finnish, Norwegian), Lesser/Little Snow (German, Portuguese, Slovenian, Turkish), Blizzard (Polish), Snowflake (Slovak)
My proposals: Ivory Goose
Steller’s Eider
Meaning of Latin name: Steller’s Eider
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Bald (Czech), Siberian (Lithuanian), Lesser (Slovak, Spanish), Russian (Slovenian), Bird-that-sat-in-the-campfire (Inupiat)
My proposals: Fire Eider, Charred Eider, Flaming Eider, Flammulated Eider
Barrow’s Goldeneye
Meaning of Latin name: Iceland Goldeneye
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: American (Finish), Iceland (most languages)
My proposals: Crescent Goldeneye, Northern Goldeneye
Described in the 1800s, birds of the southwest disproportionately have honorific names. This quail frequents dry washes filled with mesquite.
Gambel’s Quail
Meaning of Latin name: Gambel’s Quail
Other historic names: Desert Quail
Meaning of subspecies names: Forgiving/Gracious, Pemberton’s, Tawny-breasted, Stephens’s
Names in other languages: Desert (Finnish), Helmeted (German), Black-bellied (Norwegian), Pointed (Polish), Headbanded (Slovak), Oak (Swedish)
My proposals: Mesquite Quail, Arroyo Quail, Desert Quail
Clark’s Grebe
Meaning of Latin name: Clark’s Grebe
Other historic names:
Meaning of subspecies names: Transitional
Names in other languages: Mexican (Finnish), White-faced (French), Yellow-billed (Norwegian, Polish), White-fronted (Slovak), Orange-billed (Spanish-Mexico)
My proposals: Elegant Grebe, White-faced Grebe
Vaux’s Swift
Meaning of Latin name: Vaux’s Swift
Other historic names: American Swift, Oregon Swift
Meaning of subspecies names: Gaumer’s, Tamaulipas, Richmond’s, Pale-rumped, Invisible
Names in other languages: Gray-bellied (German, Polish), Brown (Norwegian), Common (Spanish-Costa Rica)
My proposals: Forest Swift
Known previously as Magnificent, and then reverting to Rivoli’s when split, it’s Latin name is Glittering Hummingbird.
Rivoli’s Hummingbird
Meaning of Latin name: Glittering Hummingbird
Other historic names: Magnificent (when lumped with Talamanca Hummingbird)
Names in other languages: Purple-crowned Brilliant Hummingbird (German), Glowing Brim (Icelandic), Purple (Norwegian), Thin-billed Amethyst (Polish), Honey (Slovak), Magnificent (Spanish)
My proposals: Glittering Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird
Meaning of Latin name: Anna’s Hummingbird
Other historic names:
Meaning of subspecies names: Sedentary
Names in other languages: Red-faced (Norwegian), Ruby-bearded (Finnish), Red-headed (Spanish-Mexico)
My proposals: Winter Hummingbird, Singing Scrub-gem
Costa’s Hummingbird
Meaning of Latin name: Costa’s Hummingbird
Other historic names: Ruffed Hummingbird, Coast Hummingbird
Names in other languages: Violet-headed (German, Spanish-Mexico), Desert (Norwegian), California (Polish)
My proposals: Desert Hummingbird, Xeric Hummingbird, Desert Scrub-gem, Amethyst Scrub-gem
Allen’s Hummingbird
Meaning of Latin name: Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) for “hummingbird” (so really meant for Rufous)
Other historic names: Nootka Hummingbird (original Latin name for Rufous, with which Allen’s was lumped)
Names in other languages: Green-backed Cinnamon/Rufous (German), Chaparral (Norwegian), California (Polish)
My proposals: Pacific Hummingbird, Coastal Hummingbird, California Hummingbird, Chumash Hummingbird
Ridgway’s Rail
Meaning of Latin name: Plain Rail
Other historic names: Clapper Rail (when lumped), Red-breasted Rail
Meaning of subspecies names: Light-footed, Belding’s, Yuma
Names in other languages: California (Dutch, French, Polish, Slovak), Pacific Coast (Spanish-Mexico)
My proposals: Pacific Rail
Wilson’s Plover
Meaning of Latin name: Wilson’s Plover
Other historic names: Belding Plover
Meaning of subspecies names: Belding’s, Cinnamon, Thick-billed
My proposals: Arenaceous Sandpiper, Nunavut Sandpiper, Long-winged Sandpiper
Wilson’s Snipe
Meaning of Latin name: Delicate/Elegant Snipe
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: American (Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Serbian), North American (Czech, Spanish-Mexico), Short-legged (Haitian), Indian (Norwegian), Shrill (Spanish-Venezuela)
My proposals: Elegant Snipe, Winnowing Snipe
Wilson’s Phalarope
Meaning of Latin name: Tricolored Phalarope
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Tricolored (Croatian, Polish, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish), Long-billed (Czech, Spanish-Mexico, Venezuela), American (Danish, Finnish, Latvian, Romanian), Large/Great (Dutch, Lithuanian, Turkish), White-tailed (Norwegian), Common (Spanish-Argentina, Uruguay)
My proposals: Tricolored Phalarope
Kittlitz’s Murrelet
Meaning of Latin name: Short-billed Murrelet
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Short-billed (Finnish, German, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish), Mountain (Icelandic), Gray (Slovak), Brown (Swedish)
My proposals: Glacier Murrelet, Short-billed Murrelet
Scripps’s Murrelet
Meaning of Latin name: Scripps’s Murrelet
Other historic names: Xantus’s (when lumped with Craveri’s and Guadalupe)
Names in other languages: Black-tailed (Croatian), California (German, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish), Mourning (Polish), White-winged California (Spanish-Mexico)
My proposals: California Murrelet
Craveri’s Murrelet
Meaning of Latin name: Murrelet
Other historic names: Xantus’s (when lumped with Scripps’s)
Names in other languages: Mexican (Croatian, Norwegian), Baja California (German, Swedish, Turkish), California (Polish), Dark-winged (Slovak), Dark-winged California (Spanish-Mexico)
My proposals: Mexican Murrelet, Baja Murrelet
Cassin’s Auklet
Meaning of Latin name: Aleutian Auklet
Other historic names: Aleutian Auklet (first described before Cassin was born)
Meaning of subspecies names: Southern
Names in other languages: Aleutian (German), Black (Polish), Ashy/Smoky (Slovak, Turkish), Somber (Spanish), Dark (Spanish-Mexico),
My proposals: Pacific Auklet, Ashy Auklet
Sabine’s Gull
Meaning of Latin name: Sabine’s Gull
Other historic names: Fork-tailed Gull
Meaning of subspecies names: Palearctic, Chukhotski, Voznesensky
Names in other languages: Little Black-headed (Dutch, Turkish), Tree (Icelandic, Swedish), Canada Hooded (Norwegian), Canadian (Polish), American (Portuguese), American River (Slovenian), Little/Small (Spanish-Cuba)
Meaning of Latin name: Aztec Gull (Nahuatl for “gull”)
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Prairie (Finish, German, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Swedish), Rosy (Spanish-Venezuela), Little (Spanish-Paraguay and Argentina)
My proposals: Prairie Gull
Over 95% of the world’s Heermann’s Gulls come from tiny Isla Rasa in the Gulf of California, Mexico.
Heermann’s Gull
Meaning of Latin name: Heermann’s Gull
Other historic names: White-headed Gull, Belcher Gull
Names in other languages: Mexican (Finnish, Spanish), Ashy (Norwegian), Snowy (Polish), Coastal (Slovak), Leaden/Plumbeous (Spanish-Mexico), White-headed (Swedish)
My proposals: Isla Rasa Gull, Plumbeous Gull, Mexican Gull, Baja Gull
Forster’s Tern
Meaning of Latin name: Forster’s Tern
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: North American (Czech), Prairie (Danish, Norwegian), Silver (Finnish), Fork-tailed (Haitian), Pond (Hungarian), Black-eared (Polish), Marsh (Slovak, Swedish), American River (Slovenian), Masked (Turkish)
My proposals: Marsh Tern
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel
Meaning of Latin name: Oceanic Storm-Petrel
Other historic names: Yellow-webbed Storm-Petrel
Meaning of subspecies names: Exasperating, Chilean
Names in other languages: Ordinary/Common (Afrikaans), Yellow-footed (Czech, Polish), Southern (Finnish, Greek), Variegated (German), Oceanic (Icelandic, Spanish-Dom Rep), Brown (Indonesian), Antarctic (Slovenian), Brownish-Gray (Spanish-Uruguay)
My proposals: Oceanic Storm-Petrel
Leach’s Storm-Petrel
Meaning of Latin name: White-rumped Storm-Petrel
Other historic names: Mother Cary’s Chicken
Meaning of subspecies names: Chapman’s
Names in other languages: Forked/Swallow-tailed (Afrikaans, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish), Large (Basque), Northern (Asturian, Catalan, Czech, Latvian, Lithuanian, Spanish), Great (Danish), Storm Fairy (Finnish), White-rumped (French, Haitian), Wave Runner (German), Sea Swallow (Icelandic), Storm Swallow (Norwegian)
My proposals: Northern Storm-Petrel
Cory’s Shearwater
Meaning of Latin name: Diomedes/White Shearwater
Other historic names:
Meaning of subspecies names: Northern
Names in other languages: Brown (Basque), Ashy (Catalan, French), Gray (Czech), Kuhl’s or Atlantic (Danish), Kuhl’s (Dutch), Macaronesian (Finnish), Sepia (German), Great/Northern (Italian), Yellow-billed (Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Slovenian, Swedish), Mediterranean (Portuguese-Brazil), Fairy (Slovak), Cinderella (Spanish), Large (Spanish-Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela)
My proposals: if split with Scopoli’s, Diomedes/White/Silver Shearwater and Northern Shearwater
I own older bird books that call this both Gray-backed and New Zealand Shearwater.
Buller’s Shearwater
Meaning of Latin name: Buller’s Shearwater
Other historic names: New Zealand Shearwater, Gray-backed Shearwater, Ashy-black Shearwater
Names in other languages: Gray-backed (Czech, German, Norwegian, Polish, Slovak, Spanish, Turkish), Gray (Swedish)
My proposals: Gray-backed Shearwater, New Zealand Shearwater, Elegant Shearwater
Audubon’s Shearwater
Meaning of Latin name: l’Herminier’s Shearwater
Other historic names: Dusky-backed Shearwater
Meaning of subspecies names: Miller’s
Names in other languages: Seaweed (Icelandic), Equatorial (Polish), Broad-winged (Portuguese), Ocean/Oceanic (Slovak)
My proposals: Gulf Stream Shearwater
Brandt’s Cormorant
Meaning of Latin name: Paintbrush/Painted/Plumed Cormorant
Other historic names: Plumed Cormorant, Green Cormorant
Names in other languages: Blue-throated (Croatian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish), Paintbrush (German), Plumed (Polish), Short-tailed (Slovak), Sergeant (Spanish)
My proposals: Plumed Cormorant, Paintbrush Cormorant
Cooper’s Hawk
Meaning of Latin name: Cooper’s Hawk
Other historic names: Blue-backed Hawk, Mexican Hawk
Names in other languages: Smooth (Norwegian)
My proposals: Woodland Hawk, Blue-backed Hawk, Capped Hawk, Town Hawk
Harris’s Hawk
Meaning of Latin name: Banded Hawk
Other historic names: Bay-winged Hawk
Meaning of subspecies names: Bay-winged
Names in other languages: Desert (Dutch, German), Knight (Finnish), Sand (Icelandic), Cactus (Norwegian, Swedish), Social (Polish), Bay-winged (Portuguese, Slovenian), Four-colored (Slovak), Mixed (Spanish), Red-and-black (Spanish-Mexico), Walking (Spanish-Venezuela)
My proposals: Bay-winged Hawk, Cactus Hawk, Social Hawk, Coyote Hawk
Other languages often avoid American honorifics in place of ecology-based names. This bird is known as the Prairie Hawk across much of Europe. In its wintering grounds, it is called the Grasshopper Hawk.
Swainson’s Hawk
Meaning of Latin name: Swainson’s Hawk
Other historic names: Rocky Mountain Buzzard, Canada Buzzard, Brown Hawk, Sharp-winged Hawk
Names in other languages: White-throated (Czech), Prairie (Dutch, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Swedish), Grasshopper (Spanish-Argentina, Chile, Paraguay)
My proposals: Prairie Hawk, Plains Hawk, Grasshopper Hawk
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Meaning of Latin name: Lewis’s Woodpecker (previously, Collared Woodpecker)
Other historic names: Black Woodpecker (by Lewis)
Names in other languages: Blood-faced (German), Crow Woodpecker (Icelandic, Swedish), Flycatching Woodpecker (Norwegian), Pink-bellied (Polish)
My proposals: Crow Woodpecker, Wandering Woodpecker, Painted Woodpecker
Williamson’s Sapsucker
Meaning of Latin name: Shielded Sapsucker
Other historic names: Black-breasted Sapsucker, Brown-headed Woodpecker, Round-headed Woodpecker, Brown Woodpecker
Meaning of subspecies names: Natalie
Names in other languages: Mountain (Dutch), Pine (German, Norwegian), Shielded (Icelandic), Black/Dark-headed (Polish, Swedish), Dark (Spanish), Elegant (Spanish-Mexico)
My proposals: Mountain Sapsucker, Montane Sapsucker, Conifer Sapsucker, Larch Sapsucker
Nuttall’s Woodpecker
Meaning of Latin name: Nuttall’s Woodpecker
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: California (Norwegian, Polish, Serbian, Spanish-Mexico), Chaparral
My proposals: Oak Woodpecker, California Woodpecker
Couch’s Kingbird
Meaning of Latin name: Couch’s Kingbird
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Texas (Dutch, German, Polish, Russian), Mayan (Norwegian), Whistling (Spanish), Mexican (Swedish, Turkish)
My proposals: Whistling Kingbird, Mexican Kingbird, Veracruz Kingbird, Mayan Kingbird
This bird was called a vociferous tyrant by Swainson when Cassin was just 13 years old.
Cassin’s Kingbird
Meaning of Latin name: Vociferous/Noisy Kingbird
Other historic names: Noisy Kingbird
Meaning of subspecies names: Different-winged
Names in other languages: Squeaky/Noisy/Screaming (Icelandic, Polish, Spanish), Scrub (Norwegian)
My proposals: Vociferous Kingbird
Hammond’s Flycatcher
Meaning of Latin name: Hammond’s Flycatcher
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Spruce (Dutch, Norwegian, Slovak), Fir (German, Polish),
My proposals: Lodgepole Flycatcher, Mountain Flycatcher
Say’s Phoebe
Meaning of Latin name: Say’s Phoebe
Other historic names: Black-tailed Phoebe
Meaning of subspecies names: Peaceful/Tranquil/Quiet, Pale/Pallid
Names in other languages: Brown (Finnish, Norwegian), Rufous-bellied (French, Swedish), Cinnamon-bellied (German), Land/Terrestrial (Icelandic), Plain (Slovak), Plains (Spanish)
My proposals: Mesa Phoebe, Plains Phoebe, Cinnamon Phoebe, Sunrise Phoebe
Bell’s Vireo
Meaning of Latin name: Bell’s Vireo
Other historic names: Greenlet
Meaning of subspecies names: Intermediate, Arizona, Least/Tiny
Names in other languages: Brown-eyed (German), Floodplain (Slovak), Chaparral (Swedish)
My proposals: Riparian Vireo
Hutton’s Vireo
Meaning of Latin name: Hutton’s Vireo
Other historic names: Dusky Vireo
Meaning of subspecies names: Pacific (group), Island, Dusky, Parkes’s, Mountain/Sierra, Unitt’s, Oberholser’s, Connected; Interior (group), Stephens’s, Caroline’s, Peaceful, Mexican, Volcano
Names in other languages: Greenish (Icelandic, Polish), Oak (Norwegian), Kinglet Vireo (Spanish-Mexico)
My proposals: Oak Vireo, Live Oak Vireo
Cassin’s Vireo
Meaning of Latin name: Cassin’s Vireo
Other historic names: Solitary Vireo (when lumped with Plumbeous and Blue-headed)
Meaning of subspecies names: San Lucas
Names in other languages: Ash-green (Icelandic), California (Norwegian), Olive (Polish), Spectacled (Slovak)
My proposals: Gray-headed Vireo, Spectacled Vireo
One of the first birds given an honorific name (by a Russian expedition in the late 1700s), a recent study shows the Pacific and Rocky Mountain birds have been separate for four million years and have different habitat preferences.
Steller’s Jay
Meaning of Latin name: Steller’s Jay
Other historic names: Sierra Jay, Blue-fronted Jay, California Mountain Jay, Crested Jay
Meaning of subspecies names: Charlotte, Fronted, Coal, Connecting, Long-crested, Diademed, Phillips, Crowned, Purple, Aztec, Teotepec, Ridgway, Azure, Pleasant
Names in other languages: Pine (Norwegian), Diademed (German), Crested (Spanish-Mexico)
My proposals: assuming a split, Forest Jay (along the Pacific) and Mountain Jay (Rocky Mtn interior)
Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay
Meaning of Latin name: Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay
Other historic names:
Meaning of subspecies names: Nevada, Texas, Gray, Dark-blue, Sumichrast’s, Remote
Names in other languages: Juniper (Norwegian), Woodland (Polish), Hooded (Slovak), Necklaced (Spanish-Mexico), Inland (Swedish)
My proposals: Juniper Scrub-jay
Clark’s Nutcracker
Meaning of Latin name: Columbian Nutcracker
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Gray (Dutch, Polish, Swedish), American (Finish, French, Russian, Serbian, Spanish), Pine (German, Norwegian)
My proposals: Timberline Nutcracker, Pine Nutcracker, Alpine Nutcracker
Bewick’s Wren
Meaning of Latin name: Bewick’s Wren
Other historic names:
Meaning of subspecies names: Desert-loving, Obscure/Hidden, Pulich’s, Sada’s, Mexican, Fine-voiced/Melodious, Thicket/Wood-dwelling, Marin, Spot-tailed, White-browed, Beautiful-tailed, Cerros Island, Magdalena, Short-tailed
Names in other languages: Gray (Icelandic), Long-tailed (Norwegian, Spanish-Mexico), Mousey (Polish), Garden (Slovak), Black-tailed (Spanish), Thicket (Swedish)
My proposals: Thicket Wren, Long-tailed Wren
Bendire’s Thrasher
Meaning of Latin name: Bendire’s Thrasher
Other historic names:
Meaning of subspecies names: White/Glittering, Ruddy
Names in other languages: Cactus (Dutch, German, Polish, Slovak), Navajo (Norwegian), Short-billed (Spanish)
My proposals: Yucca Thrasher
LeConte’s Thrasher
Meaning of Latin name: LeConte’s Thrasher
Other historic names: Yuma Thrasher
Meaning of subspecies names: McMillan’s, Desert (Vizcaino)
Names in other languages: Desert (Dutch, German), Mohave (Norwegian, Swedish), Sand (Polish), Steppe (Slovak), Pale/Pallid (Spanish),
My proposals: Yuma Thrasher, Sand Thrasher, Xeric Thrasher
The America’s most northerly solitaire is a juniper specialist.
Townsend’s Solitaire
Meaning of Latin name: Townsend’s Solitaire
Other historic names:
Meaning of subspecies names: Fine-voiced/Melodious
Names in other languages: Mountain (Dutch), Squeaky (Icelandic), Gray (Norwegian), Clarinet (Polish), Northern (Spanish, Swedish)
My proposals: Juniper Solitaire, Northern Solitaire, Clarinet Solitaire
Bicknell’s Thrush
Meaning of Latin name: Bicknell’s Thrush
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Newfoundland (Czech), Mountain (Danish), Forest (Norwegian), Wandering (Polish), Brown (Slovak)
My proposals: Fir Thrush
Divided into the Russet-backed and Olive-backed groups, Swainson’s Thrush is also known by a variety of names that describe its appearance or habitat.
Swainson’s Thrush
Meaning of Latin name: Burnt/Burnished Thrush
Other historic names:
Meaning of subspecies names: Russet-backed: Phillip’s, Musical; Olive-backed: Hoary, Appalachian, Swainson’s
Names in other languages: Dwarf (Croatian, Dutch), Western (Czech), Olive (Danish, French, German, Slovak), Brown Forest (Norwegian), Spectacled (Polish, Portuguese, Spanish-Mexico), Spruce (Slovenian), Boreal/Northern (Spanish-Argentina), Beige (Swedish)
My proposals: Boreal Thrush, Lyric Thrush
Sprague’s Pipit
Meaning of Latin name: Sprague’s Pipit
Other historic names: Missouri Skylark
Names in other languages: Prairie (Danish, Dutch, German, Norwegian, Polish, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish)
My proposals: Prairie Pipit
Cassin’s Finch
Meaning of Latin name: Cassin’s Finch
Other historic names: Cassin Purple Finch, Cassin Pine Finch
Names in other languages: Rock (Icelandic), Red-crowned (Norwegian), Red-headed (Polish, Slovak), Mountain (Spanish-Mexico)
My proposals: Pine Finch, Crimson-crowned Finch
Lawrence’s Goldfinch
Meaning of Latin name: Lawrence’s Goldfinch
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Masked (Dutch, German), Gray (French, Norwegian), Gorgeous (Polish), Oak (Slovak), Black-faced (Spanish-Mexico), California (Swedish)
My proposals: Fiddleneck Goldfinch, Golden-winged Goldfinch, Desert Goldfinch, Oasis Goldfinch
Smith’s Longspur
Meaning of Latin name: Painted Longspur
Other historic names: Painted Bunting
Names in other languages: Pied (Dutch), Golden-bellied (German), Frenzied (Icelandic), Tundra (Norwegian, Swedish), Fawn (Polish), Painted (Slovak)
My proposals: Painted Longspur
Botteri’s Sparrow
Meaning of Latin name: Botteri’s Sparrow
Other historic names:
Meaning of subspecies names: Arizona, Texas, Mexican, Goldman’s, Petén, Van Tyne’s, Black-and-chestnut, Volcano
Names in other languages: Stripe-backed (German), Straw (Icelandic), Prairie (Polish), Stubble/Grass (Slovak),
My proposals: Monsoon Sparrow, Sacaton Sparrow
Cassin’s Sparrow
Meaning of Latin name: Cassin’s Sparrow
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Apache (Norwegian), Gray (Polish), Meadow (Slovak)
My proposals: Skylarking Sparrow, Nomadic Sparrow, Plains Sparrow
Bachman’s Sparrow
Meaning of Latin name: Summer Sparrow
Other historic names: Pinewoods Sparrow
Meaning of subspecies names: Bachman’s, Illinois
Names in other languages: Pine (Dutch, French, German), Palmetto (Norwegian), Sharp-tailed (Polish)
My proposals: Pinewoods Sparrow, Summer Sparrow
Brewer’s Sparrow maps so well onto traditional Shoshone lands that I looked up the word in Shoshone, which translates to “sage bird” or “sage sparrow”. This would be a great English name, though it would cause confusion with the other species formerly known by that name.
Brewer’s Sparrow
Meaning of Latin name: Brewer’s Sparrow
Other historic names: Pale Sparrow
Meaning of subspecies names: Taverner’s (aka Timberline)
Names in other languages: Pale (German), Shoshone (Norwegian), Bright-bellied (Polish), Sage (Shoshone)
My proposals: Dawn Sparrow, Trilling Sparrow, Shoshone Sparrow
Harris’s Sparrow
Meaning of Latin name: Mourning/Plaintive Sparrow
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Black-crowned (Dutch), Eskimo (Finnish), Black-faced (French, Polish, Slovak), Spruce (Norwegian), Canada (Swedish)
My proposals: Mourning Sparrow, Treeline Sparrow
Bell’s Sparrow
Meaning of Latin name: Bell’s Sparrow
Other historic names: Sage Sparrow when lumped with Sagebrush Sparrow
Meaning of subspecies names: Gray/Hoary, San Clemente Island, Ashy
Names in other languages: Sage (German), Chaparral (Norwegian), California (Spanish-Mexico)
My proposals: Chaparral Sparrow
LeConte’s Sparrow
Meaning of Latin name: LeConte’s Sparrow
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Gray-eared (Norwegian), Striped Marsh (Polish), Meadow (Slovak)
My proposals: Meadow Sparrow
Nelson’s Sparrow
Meaning of Latin name: Nelson’s Sparrow
Other historic names: Sharp-tailed Sparrow (when lumped with Saltmarsh Sparrow)
Meaning of subspecies names: Other, Streak-bellied
Names in other languages: Needle-tailed (Norwegian), Marsh (Polish), Wetland (Slovak)
My proposals: Marsh Sparrow
Baird’s Sparrow
Meaning of Latin name: Baird’s Sparrow
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Dakota (Norwegian), Meadow (Polish), Solitary/Reclusive (Slovak), Prairie (Swedish)
My proposals: Prairie Sparrow, Buffalo Sparrow, Dakota Sparrow
Henslow’s Sparrow
Meaning of Latin name: Henslow’s Sparrow
Other historic names:
Meaning of subspecies names: Whispering
Names in other languages: Red-winged Swamp (Polish), Weed (Slovak)
My proposals: Tallgrass Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Meaning of Latin name: Lincoln’s Sparrow
Other historic names: Forbush Sparrow
Meaning of subspecies names: Slender/Elegant, High-dweller/Mountain
Names in other languages: Streaked/Striped (Czech, Danish), Cane-browed (Haitian), Breast (Icelandic), Gray-browed (Norwegian), Gray-breasted Fawn (Polish), Migratory (Spanish-Venezuela)
My proposals: Fawn Sparrow, Bog Sparrow
The masked Abert’s Towhee is another Southwest mesquite specialist.
Abert’s Towhee
Meaning of Latin name: Abert’s Towhee
Other historic names:
Meaning of subspecies names: Thicket, Vorhies’s
Names in other languages: Black-chinned (Dutch, German), Masked (Norwegian, Spanish-Mexico), Black-faced (Polish, Slovak), Arizona (Swedish)
My proposals: Mesquite Towhee, Bosque Towhee, Masked Towhee, Arizona Towhee
Bullock’s Oriole
Meaning of Latin name: Bullock’s Oriole
Other historic names: Northern (when lumped with Baltimore), Western Oriole
Meaning of subspecies names: Short
Names in other languages: Turnip (Icelandic), Golden-browed (Norwegian), Orange-browed (Spanish-Mexico), White-winged (Slovak)
My proposals: Western Oriole, Cottonwood Oriole
Audubon’s Oriole
Meaning of Latin name: Step-tailed Oriole
Other historic names: Black-headed Oriole
Meaning of subspecies names: Audubon’s, Nayarit, Dickey’s
Names in other languages: Black-headed (Dutch, German, Polish, Slovak), Citrine/Lemon (Norwegian), Black-hooded (Spanish-Mexico),
My proposals: Citrine Oriole
Scott’s Oriole
Meaning of Latin name: Paris’s Oriole
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Gold-green (French), California (German), Yucca (Norwegian), Prickly Pear (Spanish-Mexico), Black-headed (Slovak)
My proposals: Yucca Oriole
Brewer’s Blackbird
Meaning of Latin name: Blue/Purple-headed Blackbird
Other historic names: Satin Bird, Glossy Blackbird, Western Blackbird
Names in other languages: Field (Finnish), Purple (German, Polish, Slovak), Smooth/Satin (Icelandic), Purple-headed (Norwegian), Yellow-eyed (Spanish-Mexico), Prairie (Swedish)
My proposals: Purplish Blackbird, Purple-headed Blackbird, Satin Blackbird
Swainson’s Warbler
Meaning of Latin name: Swainson’s Warbler
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Sharp-beaked (Haitian), Cane (Icelandic, Polish), Brown (Norwegian), Long-billed (Slovak), Brown-capped (Spanish-Mexico), Plain (Spanish-Venezuela)
My proposals: Cane Warbler, Palmetto Warbler, Bayou Warbler
Lucy’s Warbler
Meaning of Latin name: Lucy’s Warbler
Other historic names: Mesquite Warbler, Desert Warbler
Names in other languages: Red/Rufous-rumped (German, Spanish-Mexico, Swedish), Plain (Icelandic), Mesquite (Norwegian), Rusty (Polish), Little (Slovak)
My proposals: Mesquite Warbler
Originally named Tolmie’s Warbler, and called that in some older bird books, it carries two honorifics, one in English and one in Latin. Others call it by its appearance or preference for riparian thickets.
Virginia’s Warbler
Meaning of Latin name: Virginia’s Warbler
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Yellow-vented (German), Pine (Norwegian), Ravine (Slovak)
My proposals: Juniper Warbler, Great Basin Warbler
My proposals: Thicket Warbler, Riparian Warbler, Riverine Warbler, Brook Warbler
Kirtland’s Warbler
Meaning of Latin name: Kirtland’s Warbler
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Michigan (German), Firefield (Norwegian), Spotted (Slovak)
My proposals: Jack Pine Warbler, Wildfire Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Meaning of Latin name: Dusky or Dark Warbler
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Hemlock (Czech, Norwegian), Fire (Danish, Spanish-Puerto Rico), Spruce (Dutch, German), Orange-throated (French, Spanish), Little Flamboyant (Haitian), Orange-crowned (Hungarian), Glossy/Glowing (Icelandic), Red-breasted (Lithuanian), Red Forest (Polish), Firecracker (Portuguese), Orange-streaked (Swedish)
My proposals: Flamboyant Warbler, Flame-faced Warbler
Grace’s Warbler
Meaning of Latin name: Grace’s Warbler
Other historic names:
Meaning of subspecies names: Yaeger’s, Remote, Beautiful
Names in other languages: Arizona (German), Ponderosa (Norwegian), Yellow-throated (Polish), Yellow-breasted (Slovak), Yellow-browed (Spanish-Mexico), Gray-headed (Swedish)
My proposals: Yellow-fronted Warbler, Pine-oak Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Meaning of Latin name: Townsend’s Warbler
Other historic names:
Names in other languages: Tree (Icelandic), Spruce (Norwegian), Black Forest (Polish)
My proposals: Evergreen Warbler
Western field guides thru the 1950s called it the Pileolated Warbler. Its Latin name means Tiny Warbler. Wilson himself called it the Green Black-capped Flycatcher.
Wilson’s Warbler
Meaning of Latin name: Little or Tiny Warbler
Other historic names: Pileolated Warbler, Black-capped Yellow Warbler, Green Black-cap Warbler, Green Black-capped Flycatcher
Meaning of subspecies names: Pileolated, Golden
Names in other languages: Black-crowned (Swedish, Spanish-Mexico), Black-capped (Portugese)
My proposals: Brilliant Warbler, Dancing Warbler, Golden-green Warbler
Backyard bird feeders bring nature close to people, increase appreciation for the natural world, and, in winter, help birds survive. But research also documents some adverse effects, such as the potential to spread avian diseases and to inflate the population of nest predators. There’s a lot of attention on the former, but the latter issue probably does a lot more harm.
Close to half of all bird nests fail due to predation. Corvids (ravens, crows, jays, and magpies) play a big part in that; they are among the most voracious nest predators, taking other birds’ eggs and chicks. Squirrels and rats are also major nest predators. Open cup nesters are especially vulnerable.
Crows and jays are especially fond of peanuts. Feeding them may depress other bird populations.
Corvids are part of the natural ecosystem, but the problem goes beyond “natural” because many corvid populations are artificially higher due to anthropogenic food subsidies – human garbage, bird feeders, scraps, etc. In short, corvids are often what biologists call human-subsidized predators. Millions of restoration dollars have been spent trying to protect declining species from corvids (e.g., Marbled Murrelet, Least Tern, Snowy Plover, Piping Plover, and Desert Tortoise). Additionally, local populations of otherwise common species are known to be at risk from corvids (e.g. Common Murre, Red-capped Plover). And research shows they can depress bird populations in residential neighborhoods.
The Research
Sign from Big Basin State Park. Corvid-control measures may include removal (killing or transferring elsewhere), camper education, improved food storage, and food waste management and garbage control, among other measures. There is a vast literature on the topic.
By providing food, humans have a remarkable ability to inflate corvid populations. Brunk et al (2021) examined efforts to reduce Steller’s Jay densities at campgrounds in Big Basin State Park in California in order to protect endangered Marbled Murrelets. Jay densities within the campgrounds were nine times higher than in the surrounding forest. Previous research documented that the Steller’s Jay juvenile survival rate in the campgrounds was over 90%, possibly the highest figure ever recorded for a bird; 50% is more typical. After the installation of new garbage cans, food lockers, as well as extensive camper education, the jays disbursed and densities fell to natural levels. I’m proud to have been a part of that project.
There is a long list of papers that show the depressing impact that high numbers of jays and crows can have on the productivity and populations of other birds. Here are a few examples focusing on songbirds:
Jokimäki et al (2020) looked at nest predation rates in nine European cities, finding that cats and corvids had a significant impact on other birds’ nest success in urban and suburban areas.
Hanmer et al (2017) experimented with artificial thrush nests with quail eggs placed in a natural context but in the vicinity of bird feeders that were offering peanuts. Nests near active feeders were far more likely to be depredated than nests that were far away from peanut feeders. The predators were jays, magpies and squirrels.
Malpass et al (2017) conducted an experiment in seven neighborhoods in Ohio, adding bird feeders during the breeding season to some areas. The neighborhoods with the most feeders had triple the numbers of American Crows and Brown-headed Cowbirds compared to the neighborhoods with the least feeders. American Robin nest success fell to just 1% in the high-feeder neighborhoods, compared to 34% in the areas with the fewest feeders. Northern Cardinals, perhaps because their nests are generally more hidden, managed to avoid these impacts.
In the Santa Cruz Mountains of California, eggs painted to look like Marbled Murrelet eggs are injected with a chemical that causes jays to vomit. This has trained some jays to avoid them.
Jokimäki and Huhta (2000) looked at bird assemblages across urban, suburban, and natural areas in Finland. They found a dramatically higher nest predation rate in the managed urban parks (53 to 92%) compared to more wild suburban parks (22 to 67%). Additionally, most ground nesting species simply avoided the urban areas. Crows and jays were listed among the primary nest predators.
Stoate and Szczur (1994) reported that corvid removal led to dramatic improvement in the hatching success of thrushes and Chaffinch. Some ground-nesting and thicket-nesting species (Dunnock, Yellowhammer, etc) were unaffected by corvids.
Slagsvold (1980) found that Fieldfare populations (the Scandinavian counterpart to the American Robin) doubled after the removal of Carrion Crows (the counterpart to the American Crow). Smaller songbirds also sought protection and nested near Fieldfares. Many songbirds based nest site decisions on the presence or absence of crows.
There are several meta-analyses, studies of studies, that try to summarize the big picture. Most of these include a wide array of avian and mammalian predators—and most focus on ground-nesting shorebirds and gamebirds, where conservation and hunting interests fuel research funding.
Hanmer et al (2017) examined the fate of artificial nests placed 5 and 10 meters away from feeders with peanuts, feeders with peanuts and a protective cage guard to exclude predators, and empty feeders. Approximately 90% of nests near empty feeders survived the first day, and 50% remained a week later. Near active peanut feeders, these numbers fell to 50% and just 10%. Guarded feeders only slightly reduced the impact.
Cote and Sutherland (1997) is typical. It reviews 29 studies, focusing on avian (crows, gulls, grackles) and mammalian (foxes, skunk, marten) nest predation on gamebirds (pheasants, quail, etc) and some songbirds. Removing predators had a large positive effect on the prey species’ productivity and post-breeding population.
It is important to add that not all studies have found a link between corvids and reduced densities of other birds. This seems to be truer in rural contexts. Furthermore, impacts seem to be species-specific. I can imagine, for example, that chickadees and nuthatches, which nest in small cavities, are relatively protected from jay and crow nest predation.
Finally, there is Madden et al (2015), a meta-analysis focusing exclusively on corvids, which caused some confusion. It focused mostly on impacts to gamebirds and did not include jays. It is curious because its summaries and conclusions do not match the data they present. Based on their data, Madden could have concluded with this:
“The presence of crows had a negative impact on other bird species’ productivity in 66% of cases. In 10% of cases, a decline in abundance was also detected. These results suggest that, in certain contexts and for many species, large crow populations may create population sinks or actual declines in the populations of other birds.”
That would have been consistent with other studies, but the paper didn’t end that way. Instead, it summarized the data in ways to bury important results, failed to include some well-known cases involving endangered species, and concluded with this head-scratching statement:
“Our review shows that although there is no consistent pattern with regard to corvid impacts on other bird species, the most commonly reported effect is that corvids have no negative impact on prey species abundance or productivity. When combining experimental and correlative studies (326 cases), most cases (81%, n=264) showed no negative influence of corvids on either abundance or productivity of birds…”
“Most commonly” meant more than 50%. Because they lumped magpies with crows, and lumped abundance with productivity, they were able to say this (barely). I am astonished this paper passed thru peer review with this sweeping, and deceptive, summary intact. Some backyard birders, in defense of laying out a smorgasbord of peanuts on their back patio, have cited this paper on social media.
There’s a lot more I can say about this paper, but suffice it to say their own numbers (see Table 4) imply that two-thirds of studies involving crows found significant impacts to other species’ productivity.
Conclusion: No peanuts, and use caution in the breeding season
Make no mistake—bird-feeders in winter are associated with increased bird survival. There are lots of papers about that. I feed birds in winter (but no peanuts!). In the spring and summer, however, when my juncos and sparrows have departed, those same feeders disproportionately attract jays, crows, and squirrels, as well as House Sparrows, Eurasian Starlings, and Brown-headed Cowbirds. It’s no wonder that open cup nesters have a tough time. In the summer, I maintain hummingbird feeders and have a little pond and fountain that attracts bathing warblers.
Bird feeding in spring and summer, and especially offering peanuts which disproportionately attract crows and jays, likely depresses the populations of other songbirds in the vicinity. This is probably a big reason why many suburban neighborhoods can be largely devoid of cup nesters (e.g. warblers, vireos, flycatchers) while still having cavity and thicket nesters (e.g. chickadees, nuthatches, wrens, towhees).
A good sentinel species may be the American Robin. If your neighborhood is devoid of breeding robins, and especially fresh juvenile robins, it may be due to excessive numbers of jays or crows.
References
Benmazouz et al. 2021. Corvids in urban environments: A systematic global literature review. Animals.
Brunk et al. 2021. Reducing anthropogenic subsidies can curb density of overabundant predators in protected areas. Biological Conservation.
Cote and Sutherland. 1997. The effectiveness of removing predators to protect bird populations. Conservation Biology.
Hanmer et al. 2017. Provision of supplementary food for wild birds may increase the risk of local nest predation. Ibis.
Jokimäki et al. 2020. Land-sharing vs. land-sparing urban development modulate predator–prey interactions in Europe. Ecological Applications.
Jokimäki and Huhta. 2000. Artificial nest predation and abundance of birds along an urban gradient. The Condor.
Madden et al. 2015. A review of the impact of corvids on bird productivity and abundance. Ibis.
Malpass et al. 2017. Species-dependent effects of bird feeders on nest predators and nest survival of urban American Robins and Northern Cardinals. The Condor.
Shutt and Lees. 2021. Killing with kindness: Does widespread generalised provisioning of wildlife help or hinder biodiversity conservation efforts? Biological Conservation.
Slagsvold. 1980. Habitat selection in birds: on the presence of other birds species with special regard to Turdus pilaris. Journal of Animal Ecology.
Stoate and Szczur. 1994. Game management and songbirds. The Game Conservancy Review of 1993.
In 2021, Shutt and Lees reminded us that we (humans and jays and warblers) are all connected: “Generalised provisioning is enthusiastically promoted by many conservation organisations as a means to foster connection with nature and help wildlife. However, such a vast input of additional resources into the environment must have diverse, ecosystem-wide consequences. Direct effects… are generally positive in leading to increased survival, productivity and hence population growth. However, we argue that the wider implications for the recipients’ non-provisioned competitors, prey and predators are underappreciated and have the potential to generate pervasive negative impacts for biodiversity.”
The Cottonwood Post 