A bird named after former President Barack Obama will keep its name despite a widespread effort to rename dozens of birds eponymous with people.
The American Ornithology Society (AOS) said on Wednesday that it would rename all bird species in its jurisdiction that were named for people regardless of the name's history. The announcement came after birdwatchers have debated bird names for years, specifically those that commemorate historical figures who committed acts of racism. The decision comes as numerous organizations reexamine landmarks, statues and other objects named for controversial figures.
The name changes will impact up to 80 birds, most of which are native to the U.S. and Canada. However, the western striolated puffbird, also known as the Nystalus obamai after Obama, will keep both its English and Latin names.
"The AOS announcement covers only English names (not scientific names), so that puffbird will not be affected," spokesperson for AOS told Newsweek.
The puffbird was discovered in 2008 by Bret Whitney, biologist at Louisiana State University. Whitney was conducting fieldwork in the Amazon when he discovered the new species, Science reported. The report described the bird as "stout" and "fluffy" with an "exceptionally large" head. Whitney named it after Obama to honor the president's impact on the green-energy transition.
The bird was officially named in 2013. It lives in the western Amazon and is found in Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Colombia.
Newsweek reached out to Whitney by email for comment on Friday.
However, other birds—like the Lewis's woodpecker named after American explorer Meriwether Lewis and the Wilson's warbler named after American ornithologist Alexander Wilson—will be renamed since their English names are in honor of people.
New names will focus on describing the bird rather than honoring historical figures.
"Eponyms are poor names when it comes to describing a bird. Names that describe the bird (e.g., Spotted Sandpiper, Red-breasted Nuthatch), its habitat (e.g., Marsh Wren, Pinyon Jay), its range (e.g. Eastern Wood-Pewee, Mexican Chickadee), or something else about the species (e.g., Fish Crow, Northern Mockingbird) convey more information," the AOS wrote in a report, adding that species named after places that were named after people—such as the American crow or the Carolina chickadee—will not be changed.
The AOS spokesperson told Newsweek that further details, including the full list of bird names that will be changed, will be announced next year.
"To get started with the birds in the U.S. and Canada, the AOS will conduct an open, inclusive, and scientifically rigorous pilot program in 2024 to develop its new approach to these English bird names," the spokesperson said.
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