[Birdtalk] Re: brd abrvtns?

Fri Dec 19 09:57:10 MST 2008

Certainly abbreviations in posts can lead to confusion since not everyone uses the same abbreviations.

For some purposes, however, banding codes are extremely helpful.  I keep my bird records on the computer program Avisys, which allows me to record a bird sighting by entering the banding code rather than typing the bird’s full name or selecting the bird from a long list. I have found that, for me, this is the fastest and most convenient was to keep records. Avisys also allows one to record the types of information sought by eBird and then upload.

Not everyone may find the codes as useful as I do, but there are as many kinds of birders as there are birds and we each find our own way to pursue our interests.

Tom Williams

OIT Communications and Training

BYU | 1007B JKB | (801) 422-1496

From: birdtalk-bounces at utahbirds.org [mailto:birdtalk-bounces at utahbirds.org] On Behalf Of Tim Avery
Sent: Friday, December 19, 2008 9:39 AM
To: birdtalk at utahbirds.org; phigginscsc at yahoo.com
Subject: Re: [Birdtalk] Re: brd abrvtns?

Paul, et all,

I don't think that the using of alpha codes is meant to be "cool", and I think most people who try to see a bird, watch it for 5 seconds and then tick it off their life lists probably couldn't tell you the alpha code for the bird they just saw.  As I stated in my previous email, alpha codes were intended by use for banders and that migrated to other fieldwork.  It just so happened as with many things once reserved for science, that these codes made their way into the ametuer ranks as a simple short hand.  I became immersed in these codes while in college and doing field work.  Mourning Dove were now MODO, Black-throated Gray Warbler became BTYW.  Western Meadowlark... WEME. When you spend several hours a day recording sightings over and over, it becomes second nature to use these codes, and that follows outside of the field work, becoming the primary way I take notes on birds.

I do have to admit, I HATE it when I get an email that geos into talking about birds without a mention of the proper name and instead lists only alpha codes.  But I for one will ALWAYS use them in following up in an email after I have mentioned American Three-toed Woodpecker(ATTW) or Black-crowned Night Heron(BCNH) once.  No need to spell those names out 4 or 5 times, when ATTW or  BCNH works very well after already mentioning the name.

Good Birding

Tim

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Paul Higgins <phigginscsc at yahoo.com<mailto:phigginscsc at yahoo.com>>
Date: Fri, Dec 19, 2008 at 7:34 AM
Subject: Re: [Birdtalk] Re: brd abrvtns?
To: birdtalk at utahbirds.org<mailto:birdtalk at utahbirds.org>

In this age of acronyms, brevity, fast foods, get rich quick, we need $700 Billion NOW!!! and special codes, I encourage the use of full naming birds, although it's not as "cool" as MODO or GHO. As a photographer; who will spend hours, if not days, trying for a good bird image, I am amazed at people who see the bird for five seconds, check it off their list, and are on to the next one...yes they probably need name codes.  That's my two cents worth.  Merry X-Mas,

Paul

--- On Fri, 12/19/08, Ryan O'Donnell <ryan at biology.usu.edu<mailto:ryan at biology.usu.edu>> wrote:
From: Ryan O'Donnell <ryan at biology.usu.edu<mailto:ryan at biology.usu.edu>>
Subject: [Birdtalk] Re: brd abrvtns?
To: birdtalk at utahbirds.org<mailto:birdtalk at utahbirds.org>
Date: Friday, December 19, 2008, 12:33 AM

I have been trying to learn the four-letter codes myself, mostly to make

my note-taking in the field more efficient.  I tried making them up

myself but then would get confused trying to remember whether my NOSH

meant Northern Shrike or Northern Shoveler, for example.  (The standard

has it as Northern Shrike; Northern Shoveler is NSHO.)  When I need to

look one up I go to www.whatbird.com<http://www.whatbird.com>.  They list the four-letter species

code at the top of the page just under the species' name. (they call it

"Code 4")  But, Tim's comment is worth repeating: if you use an

abbreviation in a post, you should try to always define that

abbreviation the first time you use it.

Good birding,

Ryan

Ryan P. O'Donnell

Department of Biology and the Ecology Center

Utah State University

5305 Old Main Hill

Logan, UT 84322-5305

http://200birds.blogspot.com

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Jeff Bilsky
Salt Lake City
jbilsky at gmail.com<mailto:jbilsky at gmail.com>

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