Update (Jan. 2014): This post, now three years old, is one of the most frequently visited posts I've written. The issue clearly comes up for people a lot. The comments contain some good points that helped me develop my views (and probably state them better), and so I encourage readers to read them too.
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Readers with an editor's eye (perhaps I should say eagle-eyed readers) may have noticed that I've been less than consistent when it comes to the capitalization of the official English names for bird species, such as Northern Cardinal or Black-capped Chickadee (or, as it may happen, northern cardinal and black-capped chickadee).
In this, I'm reminded of my quandary over the use of the apostrophe in common terms like farmers' market and kids' meals, which I explored in some detail three years ago in a post titled Tormented By an Apostrophe. (After some dithering, I came down firmly on the side of retaining the apostrophe despite a modern trend to do without it that is generally supported on the claim that the plural is being used purely as an adjective, not connoting possession; I was convinced to the contrary by applying the question to irregular plurals, concluding that we would not feel comfortable calling something a children meal or looking for women sizes in a department store.)
However, back to capitalization of bird names. There's a split here, basically between ornithologists and the rest of the writing world, except where style guides expressly defer to the common usage in a particular field. As a born editor and English usage junkie, I had to investigate further. (This is going to be a long one, so settle in...)
It's undisputed that the International Ornithologist's Union prescribes capitalization in the official English common names set forth in its definitive IOC World Bird List:
Our goal on behalf of the International Ornithologist's Union, formerly International Ornithological Congress (IOC), is to facilitate worldwide communication in ornithology and conservation through the consistent use of English names linked to current species taxonomy. The English names follow explicit guidelines for spelling and construction that increase clarity of application. ...
An important rule adopted at the outset was that the words of an official bird[']s 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.
- It has been the customary spelling in bird books for some years;
- 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.
I'd like to point out that the IOC World Bird List website, worldbirdnames.org, is a marvel of clear, simple, precise writing (though not without a few typos), and I admire it very much.
I surveyed our collection of field guides at home, and found that every one (Sibley, National Geographic, Peterson, Audubon, Golden, and Tekiela) uses the IOC convention of capitalizing all words in a bird's common name except for a word following a hyphen in a hyphenated name, such as White-throated Sparrow.
This practice in the world of ornithology departs from that in most other areas of plant and animal classification, which follows the generally accepted rule of reserving capitalization for proper nouns (such as names of specific people and places, and trade names). Some defenders of the IOC approach say that birds' names ARE proper names, equating Bald Eagle with Johnny Depp, but that doesn't explain why most other groups of animal and plant biologists don't apparently feel the same.
Wikipedia Manual of Style generally requires its contributors to avoid unnecessary capitalization, but recognizes an established exception for bird names:
Common (vernacular) names of flora and fauna should be written in lower case (oak, lion). There are exceptions; for particular groups of organisms, there are particular rules of capitalization based on current and historic usage among those who study the organisms; for example, official common names of birds.
So, if all these sources agree to capitalize bird names, what is the authority against it? As Anselm Atkins wrote in The Auk in 1983: "Any American dictionary. Look up "blue jay."
Atkins continues:
Most field guides and some other books do use capitals. On the other hand, birds are confined to lower case in the writings of Darwin, Thoreau, Muir, Aldo Leopold, Stephen Gould, and many others. Highly literate magazines such as Audubon, Smithsonian, National Geographic and National Wildlife do not capitalize birds' names. Neither do Science or Scientific American. A great number of writers and editors thus follow the dictionary rather than the CBE [Council of Biology Editors, which follows the IOC rule for bird names, or at least did at the time Atkins was writing]. ...
Language changes; grammatical usages come and go. There are no eternal verities here; convention and consent are all. Rules of grammar are not handed down from on high--they are merely a codification of actual usage. The dictionary says "what is," not "what should be." Nevertheless, it is proper to follow "what is" as determined by the compilers of current dictionaries. Professional ornithologists and lepidopterists, whose writings surely constitute only a fraction of today's literature, cannot possibly win the day (but what a gallant showing of nets and binoculars against all those typewriters, word processors, and printing presses!). Lacking an Archimedes' fulcrum, we shall never change convention but only succeed in violating it. Meanwhile, our idiosyncrasy causes confusion among those who want to write birds' names correctly. It would be most helpful if we would generously concede and conform. As Humpty-Dumpty said (it's impossible to make it through a reflective essay without quoting Lewis Carroll), it is a question of who is to be master. In this instance, let us surrender to the dictionary. Until we do, we ornithologists, with our Important Capitals, continue to look Curiously Provincial.
Whew! What writer with an interest in nature could dislike being grouped with Muir, Leopold, Gould and the other luminaries mentioned, and who could fail to be charmed by Atkins' comments about "nets and binoculars" and Lewis Carroll? And yet what blogger who focuses on birds wouldn't want to be taken at least a bit seriously in the birding world?
As a writer and editor (this is a significant part of what I do for a living) who is not a trained ornithologist, I have to say those capitals catch my eye. When I use them in my blog posts, they start to bug me. They look old-fashioned and, as Atkins notes, overly Important. They don't seem necessary for clarity most of the time when I or others are writing carefully, though they do indeed convey instant information that sometimes helps avoid ambiguity.
So, I imagine you're thinking, Cut to the chase. What's your decision?
And my answer is that I'm not sure I have a final decision. And, after all this wallowing, I'm not sure that it's really all that important to decide. But if I were writing a Penelopedia style guide right now, here's where I think I'd start, recognizing that I'm a generalist who writes for a wide audience, not an expert writing for a scholarly audience:
- Use IOC format (caps) in lists of bird species, but --
- Use dictionary format (no caps) in general text. There, I said it. I feel relieved. But I will --
- Add the Latin species name in parentheses when needed for clarity
One nice thing about style guides is that while they provide a useful consistency, they can change. (Witness the Associated Press finally in the past year adopting the almost universal non-AP usage of website, abandoning the awful, stilted-looking Web site.) So I'll see how this goes, and if I have problems or misgivings, I'll revisit the issue.
In the meantime, you general readers, trained ornithologists, and English style junkies out there: what do you think?
FAQs
English names of birds are capitalized in keeping with standard ornithological practice. As noted by Parkes (1978), capitalization also prevents ambiguity between a species name and a description in such cases as “gray flycatcher” or “solitary sandpiper”. Diacritical marks are not used in English names.
Is the bird name robin capitalized? ›
Names that include proper nouns: If an organism's common name includes a proper noun, then the proper noun is capitalized; the rest of the name is not. Examples are Swainson's hawk, Bachman's sparrow, the American robin.
Is Blue Jay bird capitalized? ›
If you're writing about that splendid species the Blue Jay, you capitalize both words, but if you're writing about several species of jays that happen to be blue, you lowercase them.
Do animal names need to be capitalized? ›
Capitalize animals' names if part or all of the name is derived from a proper noun. Do not capitalize if the name is not derived from a proper name. Capitalize the first and second word in hyphenated proper names. Do not capitalize the second word in hyphenated proper names if it is not as important as the first word.
Does ostrich need to be capitalized? ›
The word "ostrich" is commonly not a proper noun. It is not the name given to one specific animal. "Ostrich" could be used as (or as part of) a proper noun if included in the name of a place, such as "The Ostrich Hotel," if used as part of a name, such as "Ollie Ostrich," or if used as a name all by itself.
Is co*ckatoo capitalized? ›
Whether you name your co*cktail or your co*ckatoo, that name generally gets treated as a proper noun and capitalized.
Is sparrow a proper noun? ›
When we talk about a “Common noun” ,it refers to a general non-specific person ,place or thing”,but when “we talk about a specific person place or thing,then we call it a “Proper noun”. Here “Sparrow” is a “common noun” because here we are talking about a “general i.e., non-specific Sparrow”.
Should Phoenix bird be capitalized? ›
Note that the word phoenix is spelled with a lowercase letter.
Do you capitalize peregrine falcon? ›
Example: hom*o sapiens sapiens. A more controversial practice followed by some authors, though few if any style guides, treats the common names of some animal and plant species as proper nouns, and uses initial majuscules for them (e.g., Peregrine Falcon, Red Pine), while not capitalizing others (e.g., horse or person).
Is Wren capitalized? ›
But a House Wren, Carolina Parakeet, or Anhinga have no alternative names, so capitalizing them recognizes that. We have other names in the English language that are capitalized.
Robin is the name of a person ,then Robin is proper noun. We also know Robin means a small brown bird,with a bright red chest.
Do you capitalize great white shark? ›
Great white shark, used at the beginning of a sentence, should be capitalized. Do note, if there is a proper noun within the common name, then that word should be capitalized. Such as the Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, because the Atlantic Ocean, about which the fish is named for, is a proper noun.
Should blue whale be capitalized? ›
The proper capitalization of animal names depends on if the name is categorized as a regular common noun or a proper noun. A regular common noun will not be capitalized, whereas a proper noun will be capitalized.
Do you capitalize Lion? ›
Nouns. Style guides agree that nouns should always be capitalized. Incorrect: The lion, the witch and the wardrobe is by C. S.
Is Sparrow capitalized? ›
The general rule by convention and in many style guides for generations has been that common names of mammals, birds, insects, fish and other life forms are not capitalized.
Is Kiwi bird capitalized? ›
A kiwi is a flightless bird
A 'kiwi' with a lower case 'k' is a native New Zealand bird. We don't capitalise it because it's a noun (a word that identifies a thing, like 'apple', 'bicycle', or 'cheese'). Our most iconic bird, the kiwi, is mostly nocturnal.
Do you capitalize Hawks? ›
Do capitalize: the name of athletic teams: Hawks, Cardinals, but not football team, varsity soccer team.
Do you capitalize squirrel? ›
However, as in the case of plant names, animal names are not capitalized (“I spotted a red-tailed hawk,” not “I spotted a Red-Tailed Hawk”), except when an element of the name is a proper noun, as in “Steller's jay” and “Siberian tiger.”
Is Pigeon a proper noun? ›
The noun 'pigeon' is a common noun, a general word for a type of bird. A proper noun is the name of a specific person, place, or thing. A proper noun for the common noun 'pigeon' is Pigeon Forge in Tennessee.
Is Dove a proper noun? ›
Answer: Common nouns..... If you want clear explanation....
Raven can be a noun, an adjective or a verb.
Does Cardinals need to be capitalized? ›
religious titles
The clergy below pope are, in descending order, cardinal, archbishop, bishop, monsignor, priest and deacon. Capitalize the title before a name.
Is Dragonfly capitalized? ›
Although species of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) do have official English names, which are usually capitalized.
Which bird is proper noun? ›
Answer: The word 'bird' is a common noun, a word for any bird of any kind.
Do you capitalize orca whale? ›
The first letter of the Genus name is always capitalized and the species name is always lowercase.
Is geese proper noun? ›
Flock and geese are both common nouns.
Is Donald Duck a proper noun? ›
Proper noun
The character Donald Duck was created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions.
Is Eagle a proper noun? ›
No. It is a common noun because it refers to class of birds.
Do you capitalize king salmon? ›
fish. Lowercase the common names of all fish species, such as coho, silver, blackmouth and spring. Do not capitalize salmon or trout when used either alone or with the species name (such as bull trout).
Do you capitalize Emperor penguins? ›
For example, should it be an “emperor penguin” or an “Emperor penguin”? This might simply require a bit of research. In the above example, the species gets its name from being the largest penguin – larger than the king penguin. It doesn't refer to a particular emperor, so the lower case 'e' is correct.
In title case, the first letter of every important word is capitalized (e.g., Grey Currawong, Duke of Burgundy), except for words that follow a hyphen (e.g., Brown-headed Spider Monkey).
Are Kangaroos capitalized? ›
In sentence case, no capital letters are used (e.g., brown bear, ray-finned shark), except for proper names (e.g., North American beaver, Roosevelt's elk). Names of higher categories of animals are always written in sentence case (e.g., kangaroo rat, river martin).
Do you capitalize Siamese cat? ›
Going back to the second graders' animals, they were correct in that all are indeed common nouns, despite the fact that some include proper adjectives in their names. But the capitalization for each is Siamese cat, Maine coon, great white shark, and golden retriever, respectively.
Do you capitalize tuna in a sentence? ›
Common names for animals should be entered in title case with each word starting with a capital letter (e.g. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna) but not the second part of adjectival hyphenated words (e.g. Sulphur-crested co*ckatoo).
Should I capitalize husky? ›
Do not routinely capitalize the names of dog breeds. Many breed names are composed of proper nouns that you capitalize and generic terms (like retriever or terrier) that you lowercase.
Are butterfly names capitalized? ›
A: Some people do capitalize it; it's just a matter of preference. Some people capitalize bird names, and other people don't. You can choose; in my experience, most scientists don't capitalize the common names of species.
Do you capitalize Easter Bunny? ›
AP Style tip: Easter Bunny is capitalized, like Santa Claus, Peter Pan and other renowned characters.
Is it Robyn or Robin? ›
Robyn is a gender-neutral given name. Robin is a variant which is both masculine and feminine. It is of Germanic origin and means 'bright famous one'.
How do you spell Robin as a name? ›
Robin is a unisex given name and a surname.
...
Robin (name)
| Pronunciation | UK English /ˈrɒb.ɪn/, American English /ˈrɑb.ɪn/ |
| Gender | Unisex (Originally only male) |
| Origin |
|---|
| Word/name | France, Germany |
| Meaning | "Fame-bright", diminutive |
4 more rowsrobin
- countable noun. A robin is a fairly large brown bird found in North America that has a reddish brown breast.
- countable noun. A robin is a small brown bird found in Europe that has an orangey red neck and breast. ...
- See also round-robin.
Popularity: Robin has consistently ranked in the top 1000 names for both boys and girls. Nicknames: Ro, Rob, Robby, Robby-Bobby, Ro-Ro. Variations: Robben, Robbin, Robbyn, Robene, Robine, Robyn, Robyne, Robynne.
What is Robyn short for? ›
A pet form of Robert, a Norman name, originally from the Germanic hrod, meaning "fame" and berhtl, meaning "famous" or "bright".
What is the Irish name for Robin? ›
What is a good genderless name? ›
If you're looking for trendy, gender-neutral names, these monikers work for any gender.
- Noah. As the most popular unisex baby name in 2020, Noah comes from the Old Testament and means “rest, repose.” ...
- James. ...
- Evelyn. ...
- Harper. ...
- Michael. ...
- Logan. ...
- Avery. ...
- Madison.
Film. The Carrie Kelley version of Robin appears in the two-part animated adaptation of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, voiced by Ariel Winter.
What does the name Wren mean? ›
Origin:British. Meaning:Small brown songbird. Hit the right note with this sweet British girl's name that means "small brown songbird." Sometimes called the king of the birds, in Celtic folklore wrens were often associated with poets, songwriters, musicians, and writers thanks to their lilting songs.
Why do robins only live 2 years? ›
A robin's lifespan is just 13 months on average due to high mortality among robins in their first year. Once they've passed that barrier, they stand a much better chance of surviving for quite a while - the record currently stands at 19 years.
Why is a robin called red breast? ›
Another legend says that the robin's breast is red because of his association with Christ's death and crucifixion. When Jesus was on the road to Calvary it is said that a robin plucked a thorn from Christ's temple and a drop of Jesus' blood fell on the robin's chest, turning it red.
Is robin named after the bird? ›
And if you look at it, it's Wyeth's costume, from my memory, because I didn't have the book to look at." Other accounts of Robin's origin state that the name comes from the bird called the American robin, not from Robin Hood, Frank Miller's All Star Batman and Robin being a notable exception.
