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a, B, c, d ... "B" Is for Bird
The highly attentive Coastlines reader may have noticed something strange
in the naming convention we are using for common species. For most animals
and plants, such as diamondback terrapin, moon snail, and salt marsh cordgrass,
we are not capitalizing the common name. As with most things in life,
however, there is one exception—birds. Ornithologists have adopted
a different naming convention than other disciplines, choosing to capitalize
common names. Consequently, Least Tern, Herring Gull, Piping Plover, and
all the rest of their feathered friends are capitalized in CZM publications.
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Boston, MA 02114