North American birds to get new names: American Bird Society.

Birds in North America are getting new names that are not based on people's names, the American Ornithological Society said. They decided to change the names of about 80 bird species in the U.S. and Canada starting next year. The American Ornithological Society's president said that names have power and some bird names can make people feel left out or hurt.

All birds named after people will get new names, not just some. Among the birds to be renamed are Wilson’s warbler, Wilson’s snipe, and Audubon’s shearwater. In 2020, a bird previously named after a Confederate general was renamed to thick-billed longspur.

Emily Williams, an ornithologist, is very happy about the name changes. She and others think it's better to name birds by what they look like or where they live. Some people wanted the National Audurn Society to change its name because its namesake's family owned slaves, but the society decided to keep the name.

A situation in 2020 where a Black birdwatcher in Central Park faced racism showed the need for change. This incident led to the creation of Black Birders Week and a push for more inclusive bird names. A group asked the ornithological society to change bird names they felt were harmful.

The work on this project gets support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Education Media Group. But the AP is the one to decide what they write about. This shows how people are trying to make birdwatching welcoming for everyone by changing bird names.