# Standardize Mammal and Bird Common Names? **URL:** \ **Category:** Curators\ **Created:** [October 22, 2025, 12:47pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/standardize-mammal-and-bird-common-names/71845 "2025-10-22T12:47:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DianaStuder](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/dianastuder/32/43358_2.png) [@DianaStuder](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/DianaStuder)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 6:21am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/standardize-mammal-and-bird-common-names/71845/21 "2025-10-23T06:21:04Z")
> [@birdwhisperer](#): > > I want to see if we can agree on a set of rules for English common names iNat recently changed to allow us to display up to 3 languages for common names. There is no longer an ‘English common’ name. It depends where you are observing, and / or what your home language preference is. [https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/you-can-now-choose-up-to-three-common-name-lexicons-to-view-at-once/46446](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/you-can-now-choose-up-to-three-common-name-lexicons-to-view-at-once/46446) ---
**Author:** ![raymie](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/raymie/32/12650_2.png) [@raymie](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/raymie)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 12:21pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/standardize-mammal-and-bird-common-names/71845/22 "2025-10-23T12:21:36Z")
What do you meant? Of course there’s still an English common name, and the vast majority of users view common names in only one lexicon. ---
**Author:** ![djringer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/djringer/32/7497_2.png) [@djringer](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/djringer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 12:42pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/standardize-mammal-and-bird-common-names/71845/23 "2025-10-23T12:42:39Z")
If I understand the iNaturalist system correctly, there is a global priority order for common names in each language, e.g., Bank Swallow is currently given priority over Sand Martin in English globally. And in addition to that, there is a priority order for regional names, too (where in theory, if not in practice, Northern Cardinal would be prioritized over Redbird in U.S. English). And to Diana’s point above, logged in users can now view up to three sets of names at once, though in practice I’d guess this is rare. So, is the core question in this thread about how to decide what the global priority English names should be? My overly simplistic preference would be that iNaturalist follow the English name from the chosen taxonomic reference, so Clements (for now!) for birds. I understand that Clements carries a heavy U.S. bias in spelling and other issues. iNaturalist’s language and regionalization features should make it easy for people to have their preferred common name experience regardless, as long as those regionalizations are well curated (maybe a good project for people looking to expend energy on this issue?). I would certainly not be in favor of iNaturalist curators developing their own set of globally or regionally prioritized English common names based on their own personal travel experiences or orthographical opinions. (Do I love “Northern Yellow Warbler”? No, but that’s OK.) ---
**Author:** ![DianaStuder](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/dianastuder/32/43358_2.png) [@DianaStuder](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/DianaStuder)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 2:03pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/standardize-mammal-and-bird-common-names/71845/24 "2025-10-23T14:03:58Z")
? Lots of us use multiple lexicons. That is **why** iNat gave us the recent option. On the linked post. 2.7K views - from people who prefer to use just one lexicon? I hugely doubt that. ---
**Author:** ![garrytre](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/garrytre/32/29385_2.png) [@garrytre](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/garrytre)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2025, 2:50am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/standardize-mammal-and-bird-common-names/71845/25 "2025-10-25T02:50:26Z")
Maybe there’s a rarified stratosphere of people for whom “common name” means something different from what ordinary people think. Previous posts on this thread indicate that there’s a single approved english name for things. But common names? Tiliqua rugosa are called shingleback, bobtail, blue tongue (but so is another common lizard), pine cone, and most commonly in South Australia, sleepy lizard. An attempt to select one of these as “the” common name is artificial and pointless, and seems to be trying to fullfill the purpose of the Linaean binomial name, ie to have a unique identifier. As an afterthought, some of iNat’s “common names” I’ve never heard before, and some do exist, being applied to other organisms. Please use uniquely identifying binomial names wherever possible, discourage the use of “common names”, and make it clear that when a “common name” is used, it is only common locally. ---
**Author:** ![jnstuart](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/jnstuart/32/1623_2.png) [@jnstuart](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jnstuart)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2025, 3:50pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/standardize-mammal-and-bird-common-names/71845/26 "2025-10-25T15:50:26Z")
The word common in English has many subtle differences in definition and they all can be applicable when it comes to common names. Maybe the names are in wide use or maybe very few use them. Maybe they are in the common vernacular of a particular region. Or maybe they are just meant to be familiar to the general population in a way that scientific names are not. Standardization is fine if someone wants to go down that road and produce a standard names checklist in whatever language that iNat can then reference. But the alternate names should still be included in the iNat taxonomy, whether they are very different names from the standard or just variations in spelling, use of hyphens, etc. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/7/7831452cf7f0d653ff1ffd34176334b7ef1b6a17.png) [@system](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2025, 3:51pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/standardize-mammal-and-bird-common-names/71845/27 "2025-12-24T15:51:04Z")
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