>> CHICAGO BIRDERS ARE QUITE FAMILIAR WITH SPECIES LIKE THE COOPER'S HAWK WILSON'S WARBLER AND LOWS SPARROW.

BUT THEY'RE ABOUT TO DISAPPEAR.

THE NAMES THAT IS NOT THE BIRDS, THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY ANNOUNCES THEY WILL BEGIN THE PROCESS OF RENAMING ALL OPPONENTS BIRDS STARTING IN 2024.

WBTW NEWS REPORTER PATTY WET LEE JOINS US NOW WITH MORE.

PATTY, START BY REMINDING US WHAT OUR ECONOMY BIRDS AND HOW MANY BIRDS HAVE HISTORICALLY RECEIVED THESE NAMES.

SO UPON US BIRDS ARE ONES THAT ARE NAMED AFTER PEOPLE.

THAT COULD BE A NATURAL IS DONE ON COLLEGE IS THE PERSON WHO, QUOTE, UNQUOTE, DISCOVERED THE SPECIES.

>> DECISION APPLIES ONLY TO BIRDS IN NORTH AMERICA THERE MAYBE LIKE 150 OF THEM THE LOGIC SOCIETY IS GOING TO TACKLE ABOUT 70 TO 80 OF THEM IN THE U.S. AND CANADA TO START WITH.

>> SO WHAT PROMPTED THIS DECISION FROM THE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY?

WELL, THIS WAS THERE WAS A GROUP CALLED BIRD NAMES FOR BIRDS THAT STARTED IN 2020 FOLLOWING THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD.

YOU RECALL ALL OF THE RACIAL RECKONING THAT HAPPENED AND A LOT OF THE NAMES ATTACHED TO THESE BIRDS.

YOU KNOW, MIGHT NEED A CONFEDERATE GENERAL MIGHT BE A SLAVE OWNER.

A LOT OF THESE NAMES CAME ABOUT IN YOU KNOW, MADE 18 HUNDREDS WITH THE WESTWARD EXPANSION.

SO A LOT OF THESE FOLKS WHO ARE CREDITED FOR DISCOVERING AS SPECIES MAYBE WEREN'T THE FIRST PERSON TO ACTUALLY ENCOUNTERED THE SPECIES OR MAYBE YOU KNOW, DID SOMETHING TO MOVE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OFF THEIR LAND.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF NEGATIVE BAGGAGE ATTACHED TO A FAIR NUMBER OF THESE NAMES PEOPLE WANTED TO HAVE THOSE CHANGED.

>> SO SOME OF THE NAMES ARE BEING CHANGED.

REGARDLESS, THOUGH, OF WHO THEY'RE BEING ASSOCIATED WHITE, THEY'RE ALL GOING BECAUSE THERE WAS A COMMITTEE FORMED TO KIND OF LOOK AT WHAT WOULD BE THE CRITERIA FOR SHOULD WE CHANGE A NAME OR NOT?

AND THEY DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD JUST BE A DEBACLE.

IT WOULD CREATE SO MANY MORE CONTROVERSIES.

NAME BY NAME WOULD JUST HATE GROUPS AGAINST EACH OTHER.

CREATES SO MANY ARGUMENTS.

>> THAT THEY FELT LIKE THEY USE THE WORD INTRACTABLE.

BASICALLY THAT GO ONE BY ONE WOULD BE A NIGHTMARE.

AND SO JUST CLEAR, THE ENTIRE SLEET AND THAT WAY, THERE'S NO QUESTION WHO'S GOOD, WHO'S WORTHY?

WHO IS?

AND IT'S JUST A CLEAN SLATE JUST TO ALL OF WHAT'S BEEN THE REACTION TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT?

WELL, LIKE MANY THINGS, IT'S BEEN POLARIZING.

THERE'S BEEN A FAIR CONTINGENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT'S BEEN QUITE UPSET WITH THE SORT OF THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER APPROACH IN THEIR CONCERN IS THAT WE WILL LOSE A LOT OF NATURAL HISTORY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DO YOU THINK ORNITHOLOGIST AND NATURALISTS DID SOME GOOD IN THE WORLD OF CONSERVATION?

BUT OTHER PEOPLE ARE APPLAUDING IT AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, CREATURE SHOULD HAVE A HUMAN NAME ATTACHED TO SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN IDENTITY.

APOSTROPHE S THINGS LIKE COOPER'S HAWK, YOU KNOW, SUGGESTS OWNERSHIP AND WE SHOULDN'T HAVE OWNERSHIP FROM PRACTICAL STANDPOINT.

PEOPLE ARE LIKE THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE NAMES DON'T REALLY HELP A YOUNG BIRD OR IDENTIFY A BIRD LIKE WILSON'S WARBLER.

WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU DOESN'T TELL YOU IT'S A YELLOW BELLIED BIRD WITH A BLACK CAP.

SO IT'LL BE GREAT TO HAVE MORE DESCRIPTIVE NAMES.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S THEIRS PEOPLE AGAINST A PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY PRAISING THE ORGANIZATION FOR DOING EITHER WAY.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

SO THERE THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY SAID THEY'RE GOING TO START A PILOT PROGRAM IN 2024.

TACKLING ABOUT 10 MEANS OF 10 BIRDS.

TBD AND AND THEY WILL OPEN UP THE PROCESS TO THE PUBLIC FOR WHAT THE SUGGESTIONS SHOULD BE FOR THE NEW NAMES AND THEY'RE GOING TO BRING IN A LOT OF GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT OF THE PROCESS OF NAMING BIRDS IN THE PAST.

SO THEY WILL BRING IN INDIGENOUS GROUPS THAT WOMEN WHO TEND TO NOT HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF BIRDS NAMED AFTER THEM.

AND, YOU KNOW, OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES.

SO.

>> BE INTERESTING TO SEE THIS PLAY I'M SURE THAT AS IT DOES PLAY OUT, PATTY WILL BE WATCHING AS A OR NOT.

THANK