CALIFORNIA'S PREMIER BIRD SITE!
SAME BIRD, DIFFERENT NAMES
There are many chances for nomenclature confusion in the world of birds. Those early European settlers in North America used many Old World names when they started seeing New World birds. Confusing? The American Robin is a distant relative of the Eurasian Robin but is a close cousin of the Eurasian Blackbird that is in turn very different from the American blackbird family. The American and Eurasian Blackbird are thrushes. American blackbirds are in the New World Icterid family. So are American orioles which share only the bright color with Europe's Golden Oriole for which they were originally named. And you want real confusion, try sorting out the New World and Old World sparrows... or finches... or buntings. At least everybody seemed to agree on gulls. So here's a short lexicon for American birders who find themselves using a European field guide or be birding with Europeans.
Latin |
American |
English |
Gavia immer |
Common Loon |
Great Northern Diver |
Gavia arctica |
Arctic Loon |
Black-throated Loon |
Podiceps auritus |
Horned Grebe |
Slavonian Grebe |
Podiceps nigricollis |
Eared Grebe |
Black-necked Grebe |
Nycticorax nycticorax |
Black-crowned Night-Heron |
Night-Heron |
Cygnus columbianus |
Tundra Swan |
Bewick's Swan |
Branta bernicla |
Brant |
Brent Goose |
Mergus merganser |
Common Merganser |
Goosander |
Melanitta nigra |
Black Scoter |
Common Scoter |
Melanitta fusca |
White-winged Scoter |
Velvet Scoter |
Circus cyaneus |
Northern Harrier |
Hen Harrier |
Circus aeruginosus |
-------- |
Marsh Harrier |
Buteo buteo |
-------- |
Common Buzzard |
Lagopus lagopus |
Willow Ptarmigan |
Willow Grouse |
Phasianus colchicus |
Ring-necked Pheasant |
Common Pheasant |
Pluvalis squatarola |
Black-bellied Plover |
Grey Plover |
Charadrius alexandrinus |
Snowy Plover |
Kentish Plover |
Arenaria interpres |
Ruddy Turnstone |
Turnstone |
Phalaropus fulicaria* |
Red Phalarope |
Grey Phalarope |
[* fulicarius in England] |
||
Stercorarius pomarinus |
Pomarine Jaeger |
Pomarine Skua |
Stercorarius parasiticus |
Parasitic Jaeger |
Parasitic Skua |
Stercorarius longicaudus |
Long-tailed Jaeger |
Long-tailed Skua |
Larus Canus |
Mew Gull |
Common Gull |
Uris aalge |
Common Murre |
Common Guillemot |
Uria lomvia |
Thick-billed Murre |
Brunnich's Guillemot |
Alle alle |
Dovekie |
Little Auk |
Fratercula arctica |
Atlantic Puffin |
Puffin |
Eremophila alpestris |
Horned Lark |
Shore Lark |
Riparia riparia |
Bank Swallow |
Sand Martin |
Lanius excubitor |
Northern Shrike |
Great Grey Shrike |
Cardeulis hornemanni |
Hoary Redpoll |
Arctic Redpoll |
Loxia curvirostra |
Red Crossbill |
Common Crossbill |
Loxia leucoptera |
White-winged Crossbill |
Two-barred Crossbill |
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