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data-animation-delay="0" data-animation-duration="1"> <div class="fl-module-content fl-node-content"> <div class="fl-rich-text"> <h1>IOC World Bird List</h1> </div> </div> </div> <div class="fl-module fl-module-rich-text fl-node-5fedee15495cc fl-animation fl-fade-in" data-node="5fedee15495cc" data-animation-delay="0" data-animation-duration="1"> <div class="fl-module-content fl-node-content"> <div class="fl-rich-text"> <h3>v14.2</h3> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="fl-row fl-row-full-width fl-row-bg-color fl-node-600849cf13327 fl-row-default-height fl-row-align-center" data-node="600849cf13327"> <div class="fl-row-content-wrap"> <div class="fl-row-content fl-row-full-width fl-node-content"> <div class="fl-col-group fl-node-600849cf1caf6" data-node="600849cf1caf6"> <div class="fl-col fl-node-600849cf1cbbc" data-node="600849cf1cbbc"> <div class="fl-col-content fl-node-content"><div class="fl-module fl-module-menu fl-node-5fedee15495cd" data-node="5fedee15495cd"> <div class="fl-module-content fl-node-content"> <div class="fl-menu fl-menu-responsive-toggle-mobile"> <button class="fl-menu-mobile-toggle hamburger-label" aria-label="Menu"><span class="fl-menu-icon svg-container"><svg version="1.1" class="hamburger-menu" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" viewBox="0 0 512 512"> <rect class="fl-hamburger-menu-top" width="512" height="102"/> <rect class="fl-hamburger-menu-middle" y="205" width="512" height="102"/> <rect class="fl-hamburger-menu-bottom" y="410" width="512" height="102"/> </svg> </span><span class="fl-menu-mobile-toggle-label">Menu</span></button> <div class="fl-clear"></div> <nav aria-label="Menu" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="https://schema.org/SiteNavigationElement"><ul id="menu-main-menu" class="menu fl-menu-horizontal fl-toggle-none"><li id="menu-item-11611" class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/welcome">Home</a></li><li id="menu-item-862" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children fl-has-submenu"><div class="fl-has-submenu-container"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/ioc-lists/">IOC Lists</a><span class="fl-menu-toggle"></span></div><ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-3677" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/ioc-lists/master-list-2/">Master Lists</a></li> <li id="menu-item-4416" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/ioc-lists/references/">References</a></li> <li id="menu-item-2790" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/ioc-lists/crossref/">DOI</a></li> <li id="menu-item-441" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/ioc-lists/range-terminology/">Ranges</a></li></ul></li><li id="menu-item-177" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children fl-has-submenu"><div class="fl-has-submenu-container"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/classification/">Classification</a><span class="fl-menu-toggle"></span></div><ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-8928" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/classification/orders-of-birds-draft/">Orders of Birds</a></li> <li id="menu-item-178" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/classification/family-index-2/">Family Index</a></li> <li id="menu-item-8950" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/classification/species/">Species</a></li> <li id="menu-item-191" class="menu-item 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id="menu-item-335" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/updates/english-names/">English Name Updates</a></li> <li id="menu-item-8039" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/updates/subspecies-2/">Subspecies Updates</a></li> <li id="menu-item-192" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/updates/taxonomy/">Taxonomic Updates</a></li> <li id="menu-item-6791" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/updates/proposed-splits/">Proposed Splits/Lumps</a></li></ul></li><li id="menu-item-7143" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children fl-has-submenu"><div class="fl-has-submenu-container"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/">BOW (Birds of the World)</a><span class="fl-menu-toggle"></span></div><ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-9902" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/ratites/">Ratites: Ostriches to tinamous</a></li> <li id="menu-item-9909" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/waterfowl/">Screamers, ducks, geese, swans</a></li> <li id="menu-item-9910" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/megapodes/">Megapodes, guans, guineafowl, New World quail</a></li> <li id="menu-item-9911" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/pheasants/">Pheasants, partridges, francolins</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10047" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/nightjars/">Nightjars, Oilbird, potoos, frogmouths</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10008" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/swifts/">Owlet-nightjars, treeswifts, swifts</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10009" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/hummingbirds/">Hummingbirds</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10010" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/turacos/">Turacos, bustards, cuckoos, mesites, sandgrouse</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10011" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/pigeons/">Pigeons</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10012" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/flufftails/">Finfoots, flufftails, rails, trumpeters, cranes, Limpkin</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10013" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/grebes/">Grebes, flamingos</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11444" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/buttonquail/">Buttonquail, thick-knees, sheathbills, plovers, oystercatchers, stilts, painted-snipes, jacanas, Plains-wanderer, seedsnipes</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10014" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/sandpipers/">Sandpipers, snipes, Crab-plover, coursers</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10015" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/gulls/">Noddies, skimmers, gulls, terns, skuas, auks</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10016" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/loons/">Kagu, Sunbittern, tropicbirds, loons, penguins</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11455" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/petrels/">Petrels, albatrosses</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10017" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/storks/">Storks, frigatebirds, boobies, darters, cormorants</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10018" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/pelicans/">Ibises, spoonbills, herons, Hamerkop, Shoebill, pelicans</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10019" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/raptors/">Hoatzin, New World vultures, Secretarybird, raptors</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10020" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/owls/">Owls</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10021" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/mousebirds/">Mousebirds, Cuckoo Roller, trogons, hoopoes, hornbills</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10022" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/rollers/">Rollers, ground rollers, kingfishers</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10023" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/todies/">Todies, motmots, bee-eaters</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10024" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/jacamars/">Jacamars, puffbirds, barbets, toucans, honeyguides</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10025" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/woodpeckers/">Woodpeckers</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10026" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/falcons/">Seriemas, falcons</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10027" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/parrots/">Parrots, cockatoos</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10028" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/nz_wrens/">NZ wrens, Sapayoa, asities, broadbills, pittas</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10029" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/ovenbirds/">Ovenbirds, woodcreepers</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10030" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/antbirds/">Antbirds</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10031" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/antthrushes/">Antthrushes, antpittas, gnateaters, tapaculos, crescentchests</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10032" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/flycatchers/">Tyrant flycatchers</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10033" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/cotingas/">Cotingas, manakins, tityras, becards</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10034" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/lyrebirds/">Lyrebirds, scrubbirds, bowerbirds, Australasian treecreepers, Australasian wrens</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10035" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/honeyeaters/">Honeyeaters</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10036" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/bristlebirds/">Bristlebirds, pardalotes, Australasian warblers</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10037" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/au_babblers/">Australasian babblers, logrunners, satinbirds, berrypeckers, wattlebirds, whipbirds, jewel-babblers, quail-thrushes</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10038" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/batises/">Batises, bushshrikes, boatbills, vangas (sensu lato)</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10039" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/butcherbirds/">Bristlehead, butcherbirds, woodswallows, ioras, cuckooshrikes</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10040" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/whistlers/">Whiteheads, sittellas, Ploughbill, Australo-Papuan bellbirds, Shriketit, whistlers</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10041" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/shrikes/">Vireos, shrike-babblers</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10042" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/orioles/">Orioles, drongos, fantails</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10043" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/monarchs/">Monarchs</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10044" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/crows/">Jayshrike, shrikes, crows, mudnesters, melampittas, Ifrit, birds-of-paradise</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10045" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/au_robins/">Australasian robins, rockfowl, rockjumpers, Rail-babbler</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10046" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/waxwings/">Waxwings and allies, tits, penduline tits</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10048" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/larks/">Nicators, Bearded Reedling, larks</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10049" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/bulbuls/">Bulbuls</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10050" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/swallows/">Swallows</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10051" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/crombecs/">Cupwings, crombecs, cettiid bush warblers, Streaked Scrub Warbler, yellow flycatchers, hylias</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10052" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/bushtits/">Bushtits, leaf warblers, reed warblers</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10053" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/grassbirds/">Grassbirds, Donacobius, tetrakas, cisticolas, allies</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10056" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/sylvias/">Sylviid babblers, parrotbills, white-eyes</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10054" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/babblers/">Babblers, scimitar babblers, ground babblers, Alcippe fulvettas</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10055" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/laughingthrushes/">Laughingthrushes and allies</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10057" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/sugarbirds/">Dapple-throats, sugarbirds, fairy-bluebirds, kinglets, Elachura, hyliotas, wrens, gnatcatchers</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10058" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/nuthatch/">Nuthatches, Wallcreeper, treecreepers, spotted creepers, mockingbirds, starlings, oxpeckers</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10059" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/thrushes/">Thrushes</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10060" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/chats/">Chats, Old World flycatchers</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10061" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/dippers/">Dippers, leafbirds, flowerpeckers, sunbirds</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10062" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/weavers/">Old World sparrows, snowfinches, weavers</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10063" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/waxbills/">Waxbills, parrotfinches, munias, whydahs, Olive Warbler, accentors, pipits</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10064" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/finches/">Finches, euphonias, longspurs, Thrush-tanager</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10065" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/buntings/">Buntings</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10066" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/sparrows/">New World sparrows, bush tanagers</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10067" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/enigmas/">Caribbean “tanagers”, Wrenthrush, Yellow-breasted Chat</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10068" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/blackbirds/">Oropendolas, orioles, blackbirds</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10069" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/warblers/">New World warblers, mitrospingid tanagers</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10070" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/cardinals/">Cardinals, grosbeaks and “tanager” allies</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10071" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/tanagers/">Tanagers and allies</a></li></ul></li><li id="menu-item-374" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page current-page-ancestor current-menu-ancestor current_page_ancestor menu-item-has-children fl-has-submenu"><div class="fl-has-submenu-container"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/english-names/">English Names</a><span class="fl-menu-toggle"></span></div><ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-198" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/english-names/principles/">Principles</a></li> <li id="menu-item-199" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page current-page-ancestor current-menu-ancestor current-menu-parent current-page-parent current_page_parent current_page_ancestor menu-item-has-children fl-has-submenu"><div class="fl-has-submenu-container"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/english-names/spelling-rules/">Spelling Rules</a><span class="fl-menu-toggle"></span></div><ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-172" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page current-menu-item page_item page-item-22 current_page_item"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/english-names/spelling-rules/capitalization/">Capitalization</a></li> <li id="menu-item-184" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/english-names/spelling-rules/patronyms-and-accents/">Patronyms & Accents</a></li> <li id="menu-item-171" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/english-names/spelling-rules/british-vs-american/">British vs American</a></li> <li id="menu-item-1274" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/english-names/spelling-rules/geographical-nouns-vs-adjectives/">Geographical Nouns vs Adjectives</a></li> <li id="menu-item-174" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/english-names/spelling-rules/compound-names/">Compound Names</a></li> <li id="menu-item-409" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/english-names/spelling-rules/hyphens/">Hyphens</a></li></ul></li></ul></li><li id="menu-item-204" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children fl-has-submenu"><div class="fl-has-submenu-container"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/the-project/">The Project</a><span class="fl-menu-toggle"></span></div><ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-181" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/history/">History</a></li> <li id="menu-item-183" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page"><a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/history/ioc-committee/">Original Participants</a></li></ul></li></ul></nav></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div id="fl-main-content" class="fl-page-content" itemprop="mainContentOfPage" role="main"> <div class="fl-content-full container"> <div class="row"> <div class="fl-content col-md-12"> <article class="fl-post post-22 page type-page status-publish hentry" id="fl-post-22" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="https://schema.org/CreativeWork"> <header class="fl-post-header"> <h1 class="fl-post-title" itemprop="headline">Capitalization</h1> </header> <div class="fl-post-content clearfix" itemprop="text"> <p>An important rule adopted at the outset was that the words of an official birds name begin with capital letters. While this is contrary to the general rules of spelling for mammals, birds, insects, fish, and other life forms (i.e., use lowercase letters), the committee believed the initial capital to be preferable for the name of a bird species in an ornithological context, for two reasons.</p> <ol> <li>It has been the customary spelling in bird books for some years;</li> <li>Because it distinguishes a taxonomic species from a general description of a bird. Several species of sparrows could be described as “white-throated sparrows,” but a “White-throated Sparrow” is a particular taxonomic species.</li> </ol> <p>Jon S Greenlaw recently expanded this concept (in litt.) as follows:</p> <blockquote><p>The value of capitalizing the English names of animals seems obvious to me.Somewhere deep in the history of our language, we came to regard vernacular and “common” names as second-class citizens. Thou shalt not capitalize them.I believe that it has something to do with the (mis-)perception of species by folks in the humanities as “categories” or “classes” rather than as real entities (to the extent that we can know them). Well, biology has come a long way from that typological view. The standardized English names now have graduated from the realm of “common/vernacular” names.From my perspective, the strongest argument for capitalizing the English names of birds is that we now have a single, unique name (see below) for each of the biological entities that we call bird species. These names must be regarded as proper nouns (thus receive capitals in all English publications), rather than as common nouns (vernacular names). My unabridged dictionary defines a “proper noun” as (1) a word that is not necessarily preceded by an article (e.g., “the,” “a”) and (2) denotes a particular person, place, or thing.A species is a particular thing or biological entity. We have other proper nouns in the English language that are composites as well. We talk about the “Great Lakes,” the “Rocky Mountains,” and the “Alps.” In the same way, “American Robin” says it all. No “the” is necessary except as grammatical stricture in a sentence may require one for proper nouns.</p></blockquote> </div> </article> <div class="fl-comments"> <div id="respond" class="comment-respond"> <h3 id="reply-title" class="comment-reply-title">Leave a Comment <small><a rel="nofollow" id="cancel-comment-reply-link" href="/new/english-names/spelling-rules/capitalization/#respond" style="display:none;">Cancel Reply</a></small></h3><p>You must be <a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/wp-login.php?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldbirdnames.org%2Fnew%2Fenglish-names%2Fspelling-rules%2Fcapitalization%2F">logged in</a> to post a comment.</p> </div> </div>  </div> </div> </div> </div> <footer class="fl-page-footer-wrap" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="https://schema.org/WPFooter" role="contentinfo"> <div class="fl-page-footer"> <div class="fl-page-footer-container container"> <div class="fl-page-footer-row row"> <div class="col-lg-12 text-center clearfix"><div class="fl-page-footer-text fl-page-footer-text-1">© 2024 | Updated August 17, 2024 with version 14.2<br /> IOC World Bird List v14.2 by Frank Gill, David Donsker & Pamela Rasmussen (Eds) is licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License</a>. </div></div> </div> </div> </div> </footer> </div> <a href="#" role="button" id="fl-to-top"><span class="sr-only">Scroll To Top</span><i class="fas fa-chevron-up" aria-hidden="true"></i></a><script src="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/wp-content/plugins/bb-plugin/js/jquery.imagesloaded.min.js?ver=2.8.3.6" id="imagesloaded-js"></script> <script src="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/wp-content/plugins/bb-plugin/js/jquery.ba-throttle-debounce.min.js?ver=2.8.3.6" id="jquery-throttle-js"></script> <script src="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/wp-content/plugins/bb-plugin/js/yui3.min.js?ver=2.8.3.6" id="yui3-js"></script> <script src="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/wp-content/plugins/bb-plugin/js/fl-slideshow.min.js?ver=2.8.3.6" id="fl-slideshow-js"></script> <script src="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/wp-content/plugins/bb-plugin/js/jquery.waypoints.min.js?ver=2.8.3.6" id="jquery-waypoints-js"></script> <script src="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/d87eb2715203c0ca3fef630798ee1c20-layout-bundle.js?ver=2.8.3.6-1.4.10" id="fl-builder-layout-bundle-d87eb2715203c0ca3fef630798ee1c20-js"></script> <script src="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/wp-content/plugins/bb-plugin/js/jquery.magnificpopup.min.js?ver=2.8.3.6" id="jquery-magnificpopup-js"></script> <script src="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/wp-content/plugins/bb-plugin/js/jquery.fitvids.min.js?ver=1.2" id="jquery-fitvids-js"></script> <script src="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/wp-includes/js/comment-reply.min.js?ver=164f298ac2e8ca1b06e7ea45035d7686" id="comment-reply-js" async data-wp-strategy="async"></script> <script src="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/wp-content/themes/bb-theme/js/bootstrap-4.min.js?ver=1.7.16" id="bootstrap-4-js"></script> <script id="fl-automator-js-extra"> var themeopts = {"medium_breakpoint":"992","mobile_breakpoint":"768","scrollTopPosition":"800"}; </script> <script src="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/wp-content/themes/bb-theme/js/theme.min.js?ver=1.7.16" id="fl-automator-js"></script> </body> </html>