[mou] WIDGEON OR WIGEON?

[Forest & Kirsten Strnad]

GREETINGS BIRDERS:
 
Thanks to each of you who responded.  It was interesting to read  your information.
 
LAURA ERICKSON, New York: "I think the AOU Checklist changed the spelling for the 1975 edition. Before that it was widgeon. I'm not sure why they changed it."
 
JOSEPH MORLAN: "The change was made by the AOU Checklist committee in the 32nd supplement."
 
MANLEY OLSON, Minnesota: "The British have always spelled it WIGEON. Sometime in the early 1970's the AOU Checklist changed the spelling to be consistent witht the British spelling, so the spelling books depends on when they were publish"
 
ROB PARSON: "Technically both are correct.  Widgeon is older (note the publication dates of both your reference books using the "D" are rather long in the tooth), and the AOU adopted wigeon in (roughly) the 1970s,or very early 80s. I vagely recall someone saying it was to conform with pigeon, but there may have been other (better?) reasons.   As far as I know, the British spelling is still widgeon. (And I wonder why the Brits don't use pidgeon, but that's another topic! LOL)
 
KEN OR REBECCA VAIL,  Minnesota: My dictionary (1966)  has under "WIGEON" ... 'See WIDGEON' where you will find the definition.  I think both spellings are correct with 'WIGEON' being the modern spelling.
ps:  When I hit 'send email' spell check engaged and 'WIGEON' was highlighted as incorrect with 'WIDGEON' offered as the correct spelling"
 
Forest Strnad
Faribault, Mn.


      
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