[mou] Birder's shorthand: Question

[Refsnider]

To find a complete list of the correct 4-character "alpha codes" for 
bird species' names, go to the Bird Banding Lab's web site.   This site 
has links to the list sorted by alpha code and sorted by common name.  
It also has a link to the list sorted by species number ("AOU number"), 
but this is of use mainly to bird banders.

Here is the URL:  http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/manual/bandsize.htm

In response to Emily's question on what codes are used if two species 
would have the same alpha code if the first 2 letters of each name are 
used (like barn swallow and bank swallow both being BASW if the "rule" 
is used) I recall from my early days of bird banding (but I can't now 
find it on the BBL web site) that the "rules" state that if two species 
would otherwise have the same alpha code, then NEITHER species is given 
the expected code and instead a unique code is devised for each.  Thus, 
barn swallow is BARS and bank swallow is BANS (not BASW, as Emily 
wrote); cedar waxwing is CEDW and cerulean warbler is CERW.

Another useful rule applies to a three-word species name:  use the first 
letter of the first 2 words, and the first 2 letters of the third word.  
Thus, American tree sparrow is ATSP.

If I can locate a link to the complete set of rules for devising these 
alpha codes I will post it.

---Ron Refsnider

Emily Hutchins wrote:
> I have used the shorthand abbreviations for bird names for a number of years but was wondering if there's a "formal" list somewhere of all US birds.  I have had a number of questions on this system:  For instance, what are the rules when the first 2 letters of a 2-word name are the same for 2 different birds, such as in bank swallow and barn swallow?  Barn swallow supposedly is BARS and bank swallow is BASW.  Just looking for some guidelines or a list in writing on the naming system.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Emily Hutchins
> Private Lands Specialist
> MN Department of Natural Resources
> Area Wildlife Office
> 8485 Rose St.
> Owatonna, MN  55060
> Phone:  (507) 455-5841
> Fax:  (507) 446-2326
> emily.hutchins at dnr.state.mn.us
>
>
>
>
> ---
> This mailing list is sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.  Mailing list membership available on-line at http://moumn.org/subscribe.html.
> -----
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to mou-net-request at moumn.org with a subject of unsubscribe.
>
>