Last November, the American Ornithological Society, or AOS, announced that it would change the common names of all American birds named after people. There are 152 such “eponymic” names (that is, ...

Dozens of bird species will have their English names changed in an attempt to avoid associations with “historic bias” and exclusionary practices, The American Ornithological Society(AOS) has now ...

There are thousands of species of birds, and many of their names are well-known to us—blue jay, robin, and mallard, to name just a few. But we have little understanding of the holistic nature of avian ...

To J. Drew Lanham, a conservation and cultural ornithologist at Clemson University and a lifelong birder, the little brown bird officially called Bachman’s Sparrow has long been the pinewoods sparrow.

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Jared Del Rosso, University of Denver (THE CONVERSATION) This winter, tens of ...

After years-long discussion, birds will no longer be named after people — a decision meant to dissociate the animals from problematic eponyms. The American Ornithological Society announced Wednesday ...

Think telling sparrows apart is just not worth the effort? Our tips might change your mind. Identify sparrows by habitat, ...

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Although birds do indeed live in a world “without words,” humans pay careful (sometimes inordinate) attention to them. This month the American ...

Some birds are about to get new names. And no, we aren't talking pets, parrots at a zoo, or cartoon characters like Woody Woodpecker. Think the Cooper’s hawk, Townsend’s warbler and Bachman’s sparrow ...

“There is power in a name, and some English bird names have associations with the past that continue to be exclusionary and harmful today,” Colleen Handel, the organization’s president, said Wednesday ...

After years-long discussion, birds will no longer be named after people — a decision meant to dissociate the animals from problematic eponyms. The American Ornithological Society announced Wednesday ...