Why dozens of birds are being renamed in the U.S. and Canada

The American Ornithological Society, a birding group, pledged Wednesday to change the English names of all bird species in the U.S. and Canada currently named after people. 

The organization said it was trying to move away from names "deemed offensive and exclusionary." The Thick-billed Longspur, for example, used to be named after Confederate Army General John P. McCown, which was perceived as a painful link to slavery and racism.

"There is power in a name, and some English bird names have associations with the past that continue to be exclusionary and harmful today," American Ornithological Society President Colleen Handel said. "We need a much more inclusive and engaging scientific process that focuses attention on the unique features and beauty of the birds themselves."