[mou] Alpha Codes website
Val/Roger
writers2@comcast.net
Fri, 21 Jan 2005 10:57:36 -0600
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I agree with Mark one thousand percent! Those abbreviations serve the
purpose for bird banders, but many of the rest of us have to stop and fill
in the words each time we see something like GGOW, or whatever. Let's use
birds' names, all of us know birds by their names. And it can't be too
time-consuming to write them out: use the full name in the first reference,
then some generic (such as 'the owl') from there on out.
It's a matter of better communication,
Regards,
Val Cunningham
St. Paul, Minn.
on 1/21/05 9:46 AM, MARTELL, Mark at MMARTELL@audubon.org wrote:
What if we stopped using codes all together. I know it makes things a bit
easier for the person writing the email, but for those of us (most of us?)
who face large numbers of emails each day and need to use triage, guessing
what a code in the subject line means is not only a hassle, but interferes
with the message you are tying to convey.
thanks
Mark Martell
Director of Bird Conservation
Audubon Minnesota
2357 Ventura Drive #106
St. Paul, MN 55125
651-739-9332
651-731-1330 (FAX)
-----Original Message-----
From: mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu [mailto:mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu]On Behalf
Of James Mattsson
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2005 6:21 PM
To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu
Subject: [mou] Alpha Codes website
FYI:
Like so many others that use bird species 4-letter alpha codes in listserver
postings, I sometimes make a guess at a code and too often get it wrong. So
do lots of others, it seems. For example, Northern Hawk Owl has variously
been shown as NOHO, HAOW, NHAO and probably some others variations. The
correct code is NHOW.
Another code that is often misused is CEWA. Think that stands for Cerulean
Warbler? Nope. That would be CERW. How about Cedar Waxwing? Wrong again.
That's CEDW. Actually, CEWA stands for nothing...at least birdwise.
The Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Banding Lab has a website showing all
the alpha codes in alphabetical order. Unfortunately, it is the CODES that
are in alphabetical order, not the species, which can be somewhat confusing
when you are trying to look up a particular bird by species common name.
Nonetheless, it is a very useful website. I keep this website bookmarked
for quick reference. Hope this will reduce some of the confusion.
http://www.pwrc..usgs.gov/bbl/manual/aspeclst.htm
<http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/manual/aspeclst.htm>
GOBI = Good Birding
James Mattsson
Eagan, MN
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<TITLE>Re: [mou] Alpha Codes website</TITLE>
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I agree with Mark one thousand percent! Those abbreviations serve the purpo=
se for bird banders, but many of the rest of us have to stop and fill in the=
words each time we see something like GGOW, or whatever. Let's use birds' n=
ames, all of us know birds by their names. And it can't be too time-consumin=
g to write them out: use the full name in the first reference, then some gen=
eric (such as 'the owl') from there on out. <BR>
<BR>
It's a matter of better communication,<BR>
Regards,<BR>
Val Cunningham<BR>
St. Paul, Minn.<BR>
<BR>
on 1/21/05 9:46 AM, MARTELL, Mark at MMARTELL@audubon.org wrote:<BR>
<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE><FONT COLOR=3D"#0000FF"><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">What if we stopped usi=
ng codes all together. I know it makes things a bit easier for the person wr=
iting the email, but for those of us (most of us?) who face large numbers of=
emails each day and need to use triage, guessing what a code in the subject=
line means is not only a hassle, but interferes with the message you are ty=
ing to convey.<BR>
</FONT></FONT> <BR>
<FONT COLOR=3D"#0000FF"><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">thanks<BR>
</FONT></FONT> <BR>
<FONT FACE=3D"Arial">Mark Martell</FONT> <BR>
<FONT FACE=3D"Arial">Director of Bird Conservation</FONT> <BR>
<FONT FACE=3D"Arial">Audubon Minnesota</FONT> <BR>
<FONT FACE=3D"Arial">2357 Ventura Drive #106</FONT> <BR>
<FONT FACE=3D"Arial">St. Paul, MN 55125</FONT> <BR>
<FONT FACE=3D"Arial">651-739-9332</FONT> <BR>
<FONT FACE=3D"Arial">651-731-1330 (FAX)</FONT> <BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE>-----Original Message-----<BR>
<B>From:</B> mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu [mailto:mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu]<B=
>On Behalf Of </B>James Mattsson<BR>
<B>Sent:</B> Thursday, January 20, 2005 6:21 PM<BR>
<B>To:</B> mou-net@cbs.umn.edu<BR>
<B>Subject:</B> [mou] Alpha Codes website<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
FYI: <BR>
<BR>
Like so many others that use bird species 4-letter alpha codes in listserve=
r postings, I sometimes make a guess at a code and too often get it wrong. S=
o do lots of others, it seems. For example, Northern Hawk Owl has vari=
ously been shown as NOHO, HAOW, NHAO and probably some others va=
riations. The correct code is NHOW. <BR>
<BR>
Another code that is often misused is CEWA. Think that stands for Cerulean =
Warbler? Nope. That would be CERW. How about Cedar Waxwing? Wrong again. Tha=
t's CEDW. Actually, CEWA stands for nothing...at least birdwise. <BR>
<BR>
The Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Banding Lab has a website showing all=
the alpha codes in alphabetical order. Unfortunately, it is the CODES that =
are in alphabetical order, not the species, which can be somewhat confusing =
when you are trying to look up a particular bird by species common name. Non=
etheless, it is a very useful website. I keep this website bookmarked =
for quick reference. Hope this will reduce some of the confusion. <BR>
<BR>
http://www.pwrc..usgs.gov/bbl/manual/aspeclst.htm <http://www.pwrc.usgs.=
gov/bbl/manual/aspeclst.htm> <BR>
<BR>
GOBI =3D Good Birding<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
James Mattsson<BR>
Eagan, MN<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
</BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
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