Comments on: Now That’s Some Hardcore Birding!

By: Laura

Laura — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:49:32 +0000

I enjoyed the story…especially when the guys were “sneaking up” on said unknown bird. Sneaking up? You could have heard them miles away? No wonder all they got was a glimpse as it took off!

By: Birdchick

Birdchick — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:48:13 +0000

So you are the one! I like your idea of the compromise.

Maybe I’m such a chatty gal that I don’t mind the long names.

By: John

John — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:45:28 +0000

I’m a fan of the name-shortening. The four-word names were a bit of a mouthful, and they resembled subspecies naming conventions more than species conventions. When the AOU originally approved the split, I think they should have called one Sharp-tailed and the other Nelson’s or Saltmarsh.

By: Jo

Jo — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:25:14 +0000

They’ve renamed it to Nelson’s Sparrow?! ‘Sharp-tailed’ is descriptive — makes the whole business of remembering which field marks you’re dealing with in an already confusing family a little bit easier. It’s prettier, too. If you’re going to drop anything, drop the Nelson’s (politics be damned).

If I ever update my field guide … that entry is getting a little whiteout.

By: hammerchick

hammerchick — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:13:49 +0000

Am immediately changing my name to Winky Fruitcake.
Am still calling a Nelson’s sharp-tailed sparrow a Nelson’s sharp-tailed sparrow too.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:08:20 +0000

I too caught this story. It kept me sitting in my car after I arrived at my destination so that I wouldn’t miss any of it.

Good suggestion on the name choice.