Hi folks, If the primary reason not to use scientific names is to prevent being seen as pretentious, and therefore lose the interest of new folks, then we have many other problems. If I go out with a new birder, not only do I use common names, but I DON"T go looking for sparrows, or fall warblers, or peeps. That is also "ostentatios" if by ostentatious, you mean "showing your knowledge." I think it is important for any serious birder to learn at least some taxonomy. I don't think it's important for us to, on a regular basis, refer to birds (or most other organisms) by Genus and species, when we are with our peers in the field. But in papers it is vital. And when dealing with knowledgeable people from afar, it is important. Think back to the time when you FIRST identified a bird to it's family, THEN to species. Didn't that help a lot? To be able to say "it was a warbler" was a big step, instead of "it was a small bird high in the tree." It helps you identify unknown species when you know some taxonomy. Try this sometime. Memorize some field mark that is distinct for a genus, then try to see that field mark as often as possible. How many Dendroica warblers have white in the outer tail? How many warblers of other genera do? Learn that, and you can really whittle down the possibilities of a mystery bird when you don't see the supercilium or eyering, right? Those who don't like scientific names, but have been birding a while, surely know what a "yellowlegs" is. Why is that so much harder than "Tringa?" A few years ago Townsend, TN (Blount County) gained momentary fame in east Tennessee when a small field was found to have a great assortment of sparrows. One day I happened to see a bird I could NOT identify to species. However I told another birder, David Trently, that I had seen an Ammodramus. It is EASY to id one of those guys to genus - if you remember a few fairly easily seen field marks, ANYone can call it to genus. But they are skulkers. I just didn't see enough. David went out the next day, knowing what to look for. And, I imagine, having reviewed his field guides to refresh his memory on LeConte's, Grasshopper and both sharptailed species. He quickly found the bird, and was able to id it. If I'd simply reported on TN-bird that I saw a sparrow I couldn't identify, I'm not sure anyone would have checked it out. And if they did, I'm not sure I'd know that the great bird they saw was the bird I saw. Remember, taxonomy, in the end, is simply a study of what things are most similar. Learn it, and you know your subject better. It is NOT just using big words. And if you don't like my speech, I don't care. I have my friends Jack Daniels and Pedro Martinez keeping me company. GO BOSOX! Oh, and there is a Great Horned Owl calling right across the street from my house right now. Charlie Muise ===== ************************************************** Charlie Muise, Senior Naturalist Now living in Maryville, TN Still working in Great Smoky Mountains National Park "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm" Ralph Waldo Emerson __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search http://shopping.yahoo.com =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation. ----------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ----------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s) endorse the views or opinions expressed by the members of this discussion group. Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ========================================================