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Sign this post to support the capitalising of English names of species
Posted by Graeme Lyons , Thursday, 3 February 2022 10:15
Last year I wrote this post. It is by far the most viewed post I have ever written on this blog in 12 years of blogging, with over 3000 views! So I thought we needed to put a little more momentum into it.
So, if you agree with the following statement, why not put your name to it and ideally, let me know who you work for OR say 'rather not say'. Either comment or message me directly. And please share this post like mad so we can get a big list of names going. Yes, some big organisations are doing it wrong but some are getting right, like Butterfly Conservation, BTO and (now) Sussex Wildlife Trust. And publications like British Wildlife and Adastra also get it bang on. If you can think of anymore, please feel free to comment too.
"English names of species should be correctly capitalised and hyphenated, effectively treated as 'proper names'. This should be mandatory and standardised, as is the format for scientific names. There are many different reasons to do this explained more fully in the above mentioned post but perhaps none are more troublesome than the fact that lower case should be reserved for the generic sense, i.e., we have three species of forester in the UK, one of which is the Forester (above). Without the species being correctly capitalised, there is no way to distinguish species from genus. And there are a many different ways this can go wrong, from Small Blue becoming small blue to Little Ringed Plover becoming little ringed plover. The excuse that "capitals look bad on the page" is not a valid excuse. If you are writing primarily about species, they should be written with capitals.
- Little Ringed Plover NOT little ringed plover
- Mediterranean Gull NOT Mediterranean gull
- Silver-washed Fritillary NOT silver washed fritillary
- Forester (or The Forester) NOT forester (or the forester)
The argument that species should be treated as 'proper names' is important. Yes, each species might be comprised of countless millions of individuals but by definition, they are distinct at the genetic level. There is (roughly speaking) one distinct set of code per species. It is this that should be treated as a proper noun/name. If we can be bothered to capitalise the names of man-made dog breeds and models of cars, we owe it to the natural world too."
Organisations, publications and projects that get it right.
- RSPB (changed with help from this campaign)
- BUBO
- IUCN Red List
- UK Species Inventory
- Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust
- Sussex Ornithological Society
- Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland
- The Species Recovery Trust
- Wild Ken Hill
- Buglife (changed due to this campaign)
- Pelagic Publishing (changed due to this campaign)
- Butterfly Conservation (BC)
- British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)
- Sussex Wildlife Trust (changed due to this campaign)
- British Wildlife
- NBN
- iRecord
- Recorder 6
- British Birds
- British Ornithologists' Union (BOU)
- State of Nature
- Back from the Brink
- Adastra (Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre annual publication)
- iNaturalist
1). Graeme Lyons Freelance entomologist and ecologist
2). Tony Davis Senior Ecologist, Butterfly Conservation
3). Michael Pannell
4). Graeme Davis Environmental Correspondent at Love Andover Observer
5). Simon Edwards Self employed
6). Daniel Blyton Amateur entomologist
7). Mark Whittaker Animal Welfare Assistant
8). Adrian Knowles Self-employed Ecologist
9). Martin Bell Amateur naturalist
10). Mark G. Telfer Entomological Consultant
11). Marilyn Abdulla Amateur naturalist & wildlife recorder
12). Malcom Storey Naturalist and wildlife recorder
13). Louis Parkerson Amateur naturalist
14). Julian Small Peatland Restoration Advisor
15). John Pilgrim Ecological Consultant
16). Su Reed Naturalist and wildlife recorder
17). Mike Wall County Moth Recorder for Hampshire
18). Terry Crow Amateur naturalist & wildlife recorder
19). Rachel Bicker Airport Biodiversity Consultant
20). Matthew Oates Field Naturalist and Nature Writer
21). Ralph Hobbs County Recorder for Orthoptera, Sussex
22). David Green Trustee of conservation organisation & Ecologist
23). Rich Billington Associate Professor of Biology and amateur naturalist, University of Plymouth
24). Darren Matthews Former wildlife ranger
25). John Lyden Biology teacher and amateur naturalist
26). Mariska Hattenburger Amateur wildlife recorder
27). Jim Ormerod Amateur birder & naturalist
28). Lloyd Davies Amateur wildlife recorder
29). Judy Staines Amateur naturalist & wildlife recorder
30). Neil Fletcher Environment Support Officer, Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Environmental Record Centre.
31). Andy Musgrove Ecological Consultant
32). Bill Urwin Naturalist, Marauder, Educationalist (retired)
33). Ai-Lin Kee Amateur Naturalist
34). Kevin Rylands Conservation Adviser Fair to Nature & RSPB
35). John Martin Retired National Vascular Plant Specialist at Natural England
36). Marcus Lawson Ex Dorset Bird Recorder & Dorset Bird Club Chairman
37). Mark Skevington Amateur naturalist, pan-species lister and Naturespot verifier
38). Roman Soroka Armchair naturalist
39). Natasha Clark Amateur naturalist & wildlife recorder
40). Paul French Senior Ornithologist, HiDef aerial surveying
41). Les Evans-Hill Butterfly Conservation Senior Data Officer
42). Dr Barry Yates Ecologist, land manager, studied Zoology at Imperial College in 1970s
43). Clive McKay Ecologist
44). Piers Vigus Management Consultant
45). Dave Gould Amateur naturalist and biological recorder
46). Marc Taylor County Recorder of Diptera, entomological field surveyor and trainer
47). Leon Truscott Cornwall County Moth Recorder
48). Dave Appleton Birder, entomologist, all-round naturalist and wildlife recorder. County recorder for Neuroptera and allies
49). Paul Griggs
50). Alastair Rae
51). Alan Miller Wildlife tour leader
52). Jon Dunn Nature write, wildlife photographer and tour leader
53). Iain Downie eBird Developer, Arachnologist
54). Liam Crowlie Postdoctoral researcher, University of Oxford
55). Edward Pollard Technical Director, the Biodiversity Consultancy
56). Steven Falk Associate Stickler
57). Chris Gibson Freelance naturalist, author, speaker and tour leader
58). Gino Brignoli FSC BioLinks Project Officer
59). Dave Smallshire Retired policy advisor with Defra/NE & retired Naturetrek tour leader
60). Steve Preddy Co-author, Ornithological Society of the Middle East regional bird list, County Dragonfly Recorder, Monmouthshire
61). James Emerson Amateur naturalist
62). Adrian Dutton Entomologist
63). Monty Larkin Writer, retired conservation adviser and founder of Sussex Pony Grazing & Conservation Trust
64). Sean Browne Amateur naturalist
65). Seth Gibson Amateur naturalist on a mission
66). Bill Sutherland Professor of Conservation Biology, University of Cambridge
67). Tristan Bantock Entomologist
68). Alex Prendergast Vascular Plants Senior Specialist, Natural England
69). Adam Rowe LERC Manager
70). Nigel Wheatley Author of books on birds
71). Carey Lodge Amateur recorder
72). Hawk Honey Visitor Officer, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, amateur Hymenopterist
73). Elizabeth Jude
74). Pete Holdaway
75). Vince Smith
76). Jeremy Dagley
77). Finley Hutchinson Amateur entomologist
78). Paul Tout Naturalist, translator
79). Dan Asaw BioLinks Courses
80). Ian Carter Naturalist and author
81). Graham White Ecologist
82). Dawn Balmer Ornithologist
83). Mike Hoit Ornithologist and field ecologist
84). Richard Mabbut Amateur botanist recording in VC55
85). Tim Inskipp Naturalist and author
86). Dawn Nelson Botanist
87). Alistair Shuttleworth Amateur naturalist
88). Hillary Melton-Butcher
89). Jeremy Lindsell Director of Science and Conservation, A Rocha International
90). Linda Robinson VC65 (Botanical) Recorder
91). Thomas Curculio Author and amateur entomologist
92). Audrey E. Turner Butterfly recorder for VC95/Moray
93). Sarah Whild Botanist and biological recorder
94). Alyson Freeman VC32 Botanical recorder
95). Peter Llewellyn Botanist
96). Richard Goldlfinch Amateur naturalist
97). Ian Bennallick BSBI recorder for East Cornwall
98). Mike Crewe Tour guide, environmentalist and editor
99). Chris Vincent Amateur naturalist and moth recorder
100). Jayne Chapman Estate and Conservation Manager, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
101). Rebecca Jones Marine Ornithologist, Natural England
102). Jason Steel Amateur wildlife photographer
103). Owen Beckett Entomologist
104). Sam Buckton Yorkshire Naturalists Union/British Plant Gall Society
105). Sam Stripp Amateur naturalist
106). Paul Hopkins Amateur naturalist
107). Mark Lawlor Guernsey bird recorder and naturalist
108). Steve Smith Dorset birder
109). Andy Butler Derbyshire birder
110). Kevin Clements Naturalist and Green Space Manager
111). Diana Spencer Bats in Churches
112). Neil Hulme Freelance ecologist and wildlife guide
113). Robin Knill-Jones Retired academic and Lepidoptera recorder
114). Paul Tinsley-Marshall Conservation Evidence Manager, Kent Wildlife Trust
115). Matt Phelps Conservationist and write
116). Savanna van Mesdag PhD student
117). Chris Glanfield Amateur naturalist
118). Denise Wawman Amateur naturalist, Hippobosciade recorder and bird ringer
119). Sam Bayley Consultant Ecologist/Ornithologist
120). Rob Grimmond
121). Tylan Berry County recorder for spiders in Cornwall
122). Ian Hartley Editor Bird Study, Senior Lecturer , Lancaster University
123). Paul Dolman Professor of Conservation Ecology at University of East Anglia
124). Mike Mullis Naturalist
125). Tom Simon Senior Countryside Officer, Epping Forest District Council
126). Liz Palmer Birdwatcher
127). Richard Moore
128). Steph Holt Ecologist
127). Bill Honeywell
128). Chris Raper Manager of the UK Species Inventory, The Natural History Museum
129). Andy Marquis Amateur naturalist
130). Rosemary Parslow BSBI Recorder, Isles of Scilly
131). Rob Large Field Ecologist
132). Steve Dudley COO, British Ornithologists' Union
133). George McGavin Zoologist, entomologist, broadcaster and President of Dorset Wildlife Trust
134). Jake Everitt Countryside and Ecology Manager
135). Robbie Still Digital Transformation Officer at Kent Wildlife Trust
136). Tom Gittings Ecological Consultant
137). Lee Dingain Naturalist, ecological consultant, nature writer, conservationist
138). Julian Hughes Editor of the Welsh Bird Report
139). Tim Thomas Environmental Consultant
140). Steve Elcoate
141). Tony Perry
142). Steve Lister Lifelong birder/naturalist, retired county bird recorder and & annual report write, eBird regional reviewer
143). David @the Hall of Einer Wildlife and nature blogger
144). Warren Maguire Marine Isopod Recording Scheme and linguist
145). Cath Hodsman Insect Artist
146). Libby Morris Amateur naturalist, student and wildlife artist
147). Joe Beale Naturalist
148). Josie Hewitt Amateur naturalist
149). Bob Vaughan
150). Kelly Thomas Senior Ecologist
151). Howard Vaughan All round naturalist, RSPB
152). Jane Thomas Amateur naturalist
153). Lee Hurell Lepidopterist and English teacher
154). Steve J. McWilliam
155). Tim Jonas Amateur naturalist and photographer
156). Philip Amies Retired estate land manager and ecological consultant
157). Dr Phil Saunders Ecologist/ornithologist
158). Ben Lewis Conservation warden, bird charity
159). Bob Foreman Biodiversity Data Lead, Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre
160). Mary Atkinson Field naturalist
161). Harry Hussey Consultant ornithologist
162). Sue Loader Amateur naturalist and recorder
163). Ian Lewis Retired Biochemical Scientist
164). Tom Derutter
165). Martin Roberts County Dragonfly Recorder and amateur naturalist
166). Dan Brown
167). James Lowen Naturalist and author
168). Mark Duffell Botanist, botanical lecturer and surveyor
169). Paul Doherty York birder and producer of wildlife videos
170). John Moon
171). Samantha Batty Horticulturalist and wildlife recorder
172). Brigit Strawbridge Amateur naturalist and author
173). Graham Madge
174). Shaun Pryor Ecological consultant
175). Robert Edgar Retired English Nature Conservation Officer
176). Tony Stones
177). Dan Chaney Birder
178). Ottavio Janner Birder and translator
179). Vanna Bartlett
180). Robin Harris Amateur naturalist
181). Penny Green Ecologist
182). Joshua Styles Botanical Specialist
183). Glenn Norris Ecologist, Sussex Wildlife Trust
184). Simon Hedges Conservationist
185). John Hancox
186). Andy Brown Principal Specialist, Species Conversation
187). James Lowther Molecular Biologist
188). Phil T Lifelong birder
189). Lee Walther National Trust Ranger
190). Dr Clive McKay Ecologist
191). Dr Roger Kendrick Director, C & R Wildlife, Hong Kong. Founder: Asian Lepidoptera Conservation Symposium series.
192). Chloe Edwards Director of Nature Recovery, Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust
193). John Burnham Amateur entomologist and photographer
194). Tim Dixon
195). Mariko Whyte Conservation Officer, Dorset Wildlife Trust
196). Ian Ellis Consultant Ecologist
197). Richard Lewington Wildlife Illustrator
198). Suzy White
199). James Langiewicz Amateur naturalist
200). Dawn Langiewicz Amateur naturalist
201). Liam Olds Entomologist and organiser of the National Oil Beetle Recording Scheme
202). Stephen Wadsworth Ornithologist and Naturalist
203). Brian Clews
204). Wil J. Heaney Ecologist/entomologist
205). Alastair Forsyth Retired ecology technician and teacher, now amateur entomologist
206). Alison Cobbing Amateur naturalist
207). Toby Collett Warden
208). Frances Abraham Sussex Botanical Recording Society
209). Mike Edwards Entomologist
210). John Boback American naturalist
211). Clare Blencowe Head of Sussex Biological Records Centre
212). Dom Price Director, the Species Recovery Trust
213). Stewart Sexton Amateur naturalist
214). Libby Ralph
215). Anne Donnelly Data Officer at ERIC NE
216). Nigel Jennings Volunteer Group Leader, Kent Wildlife Trust
217). Dr Gordon McGlone OBE Conservationist and campaigner
218). Ian Boyd Ecologist
219). Derek Crawley
220). Talya S. Davies
221). Keiron Derek Brown National recorder for earthworms
222). Stepehen Welch Lothian SOC bird recorder
223). Lindsay Morris Amateur naturalist
224). Rich Black Sussex based birder, Sussex Wildlife Trust
225). Dick Alder West Weald Fungi Recording Group
226). Max Barclay Curator of Coleoptera at NHM
227). Mike Prince Natural England, Biodiversity Data Engagement Lead
228).
100% agree. I write articles for the general public. I find capitalising the species makes a point of that being it’s name. After editing and making species lower case it does sound like I am referring to a genus or family and it looses the point and impact.