This is bird note.

If you're new to birding, you might be baffled by names like

couches kingbird, Wilson's warbler, and Townsend's solitaire.

These birds were named in honor of scientists and their friends long ago,

but the result is a long list of birds named after white men, many of whom took part in colonizing the Americas or enslaved people.

The American Ornithological Society, or AOS, which governs official bird names in English,

is working to rename all birds named after people in North America.

The bird once called Macown's long spur, for example, was originally named after a man who first collected the bird and later became a general in the Confederate Army.

In 2020, the AOS renamed that songbird

the thick-built long spur, which instead highlights the big beak that distinguishes the

species from other long spurs.

In late 2023, after years of people campaigning for new bird names,

the AOS said they'll rename 70 to 80 more species

named after people, replacing them with names that call attention to

distinctive traits of the birds. The goal is to make birding more inclusive and welcoming to everyone

and to make it easier for people to start getting to know their birds. After all,

every friendship begins with learning a name.

For Bird Note, I'm Ariana Rimmel. It's.