Birds

I read a story today about a couple who made friends with some crows. When the couple's bullying neighbors backed their car into theirs they couldn't get the police to act. But the crows understood somehow and began flying over the neighbors' car daily and pelting it with rocks. The neighbors could never figure it out.

I read another story about magpies who help each other remove their tracking devices.

Every Magpie is different, but they all have a seagull on their face.


Is this true? I run to Google to look it up.

Oy! it's true! This is a most amazing thing.

These American birds and dozens more will be renamed, to remove human monikers

I don't see the problem with common bird names having human names. It happens a lot in scientific nomenclature to honor somebody by naming an organism after that person.

Bird guides have inflated their importance by almost claiming that the common names of birds are standardized, and, as a result, birders have become snobs. They are standardized to bird guides, and that's it. People in different regions call the same birds with different common names, and you can't stop it. To some people a cardinal is a red bird, but a scientific name is standardized worldwide.

Did you read the article or listen to the short piece? You're fine with birds named after Confederate general's and other horrible people who have zero scientific association with the discovery of said bird species?

Honestly! A name is just a name.

In that case? If you don't mind, Roger? Could you change the name on your bank account and have them issue me a new ATM card with a new pin number of my choosing?

As I said there is no such thing as a standardized common name, so people can give them any name they want. But scientific names have only one name worldwide.

These songbirds sing for hours a day to keep their vocal muscles in shape