During a recent Audubon birding discussion group on the Internet, a visitor posted a question that I think some of you may share. The writer said that while doing research in old field guides, he came across some birds of which he had never heard. Since I still use some of those older field guides, I realized that this was a question of birds having been either reclassified or renamed. Birders are often heard to complain about this frequent nomenclature happening in the scientific bird world. Nomenclature means a system of names and is derived from two Latin words, nomen, to name, and calare, to call.
Nomenclature means literally to call by name.
Common names are part of a bird's name but the scientific name is its universal identification. Common names have a way of being slippery, referring to one animal in one country and a different one in another. Taxonomy is the science of classification of birds and other animals and plants. This is done by examining both superficial similarities and likenesses of habit, habitat, parasite and diet. They were Audubon and Myrtle warblers, solitary vireo, bronzed grackle, Gambel's sparrow and water pipit.