Date:         Tue, 2 Mar 2004 13:16:49 -0500
Reply-To:     Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         Phil Davis <pdavis@IX.NETCOM.COM>
Subject:      Re: Wigeon -v- Widgeon
In-Reply-To:  <20040302164137.61891.qmail@web60503.mail.yahoo.com>
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Hi Lynette, et al.

Yes, "widgeon" can be considered as a spelling error. In North America, the= =20 official taxonomic source for birds is the American Ornithologist's Union=20
(AOU) Checklist--which addresses order, scientific and common names--and=20 they have established it as "wigeon." The AOU checklist is recognized by=20 the MOS, ABA, and most other organizations as the authority for North=20 American birds. The checklist can be found here ...

         http://www.aou.org/aou/birdlist.html

The British Ornithologists Union (BOU), the AOU equivalent, also uses=  "wigeon."

         http://www.bou.org.uk/recbrlst1.html

There is no officially sanctioned World Checklist, but there are several=20 private versions. The mostly widely used is the Clements checklist=20 (recognized by the ABA for world listing), which also uses "wigeon."

         http://www.ibispub.com/

As is always said, "It's your personal checklist, you can list (or spell)=20 anyway you wish," however, to be compatible with scientific standards,=20 journals, and organizations, "wigeon" would be correct.

Hope this helps ...

Phil



At 08:41 03/02/2004 -0800, you wrote:
>If you go to dictionary.com and type in the word
>"wigeon" you'll get this (from the American Heritage
>Dictionary):
>
>"wid=B7geon also wi=B7geon ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (wjn)
>n. pl. widgeon, also wigeon or wid=B7geons also wi=B7geons
>
>Either of two wild, freshwater ducks (Anas americana
>of North America or A. penelope of Europe) having a
>grayish or brownish back and a white belly and wing
>coverts. The European widgeon has a reddish-brown head
>and creamy crown, and the American widgeon has a shiny
>white crown."
>
>Looking in "older" field guides (by which I mean
>before 1982, which was the date of the first field
>guide where I found it spelled without the d) you'll
>find it spelled widgeon.  Does anyone know when the
>'d' was dropped?  Please understand that I am as
>nitpicky as the next person when it comes to spelling,
>but I don't think that "widgeon" can really be counted
>as a spelling error...Can it?
>
>Curious in Crownsville,
>Lynette Fullerton
>l_fullerton_1999atyahoodotcom
>
>
> >
> > Now if only I could come up with a similarly
> > diplomatic prompt for
> > all those folk writing about "eurasion widgeons"
> >
> > Do you think they also see "rock pidgeons"?
> >

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Phil Davis      Davidsonville, Maryland     USA
                 mailto:PDavis@ix.netcom.com =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =20

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
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