Dear All,
Just a few comments on the naming of White-winged Tern.

When a bird changes its common name to something novel, then it should
be for an improvement in the name that corrects something that was
misleading in the original. Forget atrocities like Spotted Palm Thrush
for which the majority from hatching to falling off their perches will
never ever even see a palm. That was a stupid change if ever there was
one, but I want to go back to the terns.

Since time immemorial Chlidonias leucopterus has been called
White-winged Black Tern, it is in fact the worlds only black tern with
white wings, a perfectly good name you would think. If you out there
had discovered this bird in its breeding plumage as new to science, I
am sure you would have called it White-winged Black Tern. Let’s face
it, 90% of the worlds tern species differ in having whitish
flight-feathers i.e. they have white wings. So what inane individual
(come on whoever you are own up!), thought it would be an improvement
to remove a name that described a completely unique feature, for a
name that could equally befit 90% of all the world’s terns. It’s sheer
idiocy and I for one will never support the name White-winged Tern for
the species.
So it may be listed in four major checklists of the world’s birds, but
it is not these checklists that dictate common usage, it’s the
field-guides to the regional birds that will determine what the local
birding population will be calling their birds.

The recently published “Britain’s Birds” has to be the most incredible
field-guide for any country I have ever seen and it will be the most
used in Britain for very many years to come. So I looked up Chlidonias
leucopterus and there it was White-winged Black Tern, and so it will
be for all who follow this book. I have attached the relevant double
spread so you can appreciate it for yourselves and also appreciate
what a fine volume this is.

Personally I think the name of White-winged Tern is going to be short
lived, let’s start the revolt!!!

Best to all
Brian