[kellyhound]

Sweden's Ornithological Society has banned several names for birds following concerns that they sound racist, after completing the first official guide to bird names in Swedish.

Four different bird species which include the word "*****" ("*****") have been renamed using "svart" ("black") instead.

Other feathered creatures known as "swifts" in English will no longer be called "kaffer" in Swedish.

This word, which can also be spelt "caffer" and "kaffir" is a racist term that has been used by white South Africans towards black South Africans.

So white-rumped swifts will now be known as "vitgumpseglare" in Swedish.

"Hottentott", a species of dabbling duck is also being renamed because the word "Hottentot" is a derogatory term for a group of indigenous people called the "Khoikhoi" living in South Africa.

The term is thought to refer to their language, which includes clicking sounds.

"Zigenarfågel" which translates as "gypsy bird" will take the name "hoatzin", the English word already used to describe a type of tropical pheasant found in swamps and forests.

"We haven't had an official list of what all the birds in the world are called in Swedish until now, we just had an unofficial list put together about ten years ago," Anders Wirdheim Information Officer at Sweden's Ornothological Society told The Local.

"We kept getting more and more questions from translators of Swedish TV programmes and books wanting to know what exactly different bird names were or meant, so we decided to compile a list and while we were doing that we decided to change the names of any birds that could have stirred up a debate," he added.

The full list of Swedish bird names was completed three weeks ago after several years of research and includes translations for 10,709 different species.

Bird watching is a popular hobby among nature-loving Swedes. Around 17,000 are members of Sweden's Ornothological Society and the group estimates that a total of 30 to 40,000 people across the country participate in the sport on a regular basis.

There has been little debate about the name changes in the Swedish media, although plenty of bird fans have been tweeting photos or drawings of the animals in question.

"I thought it would be a few reactions, but there have not been so many," Erling Jirle a researcher at the University of Lund and bird enthusiast told.

Negerfink Scrotas.

http://www.thelocal.se/20150220/raci...nned-by-sweden

[gatagato]

Looks like they have much time to waste on such worthless issues; a word is only racist if you mean it to be derogatory, and this is definitely NOT the case in my opinion (unless some bird filed a complaint).

[kellyhound]

they can re-name what they want but most will still be using the old names anyway just like city neighbourhoods getting re-named but 15 years later most people that were born and live in that city all their life still refers to them using the old names.

[Pigeon]

Who fuckin' cares; they're just common names! There are always multiple common names for the one species, especially with birds. I guarantee the people will treat these new names as secondary, alternate names ("also known as") and continue to refer to the birds by the same names they've always used.

[Pollucy]

Actually, racism and racist words have been at the center of attention in Sweden quite a lot in the past few years. Not that most people even knew about these birds to begin with, but I think it's nice that "we" are taking steps to eliminate racism in the everyday language.

[Kelseecat65]

[Pyramid_Head]

A bunch of sensitive pussies these days.

[Bletch]

well, swell...

[niknik]

The only place I could go and shoot sum negers is gone.

[bob351]

Originally Posted by kellyhound ↗

they can re-name what they want but most will still be using the old names anyway just like city neighbourhoods getting re-named but 15 years later most people that were born and live in that city all their life still refers to them using the old names.

People die, the new words will be for use for the next however many generations without any racial issues.