Common names for birds change occasionally. Louisiana Heron was changed to Tricolored Heron; Marsh Hawk is now Norther Harrier; Whimbrel was split into Hudsonian Whimbrel and Eurasian Whimbrel, and I could go on...

Change is good, in my opinion. Changes in bird common names are often done for clarity and well supported by science. Each year the American Ornithological Society's (AOS) Committee on Classification and Nomenclature of North and Middle American birds (for North America) reviews relevant science and proposals submitted by leading experts to determine if a species' name should be changed. The results are published in the AOS's supplement to the "Check-list of North American Birds."

This year's changes included a split in a common coastal shorebird. Willet was split into two species: Saltmarsh Willet and Prairie Willet. The change was based on differing vocalizations, morphology, ecology, annual cycle and genetics. The new names chosen for the these species reflect breeding habitat. Prairie Willet breeds in the freshwater wetlands of the Great Basin, as well as prairies in the northwestern US and southern Canada. Saltmarsh Willet breeds primarily in salt and brackish habitats along the Atlantic Coast, Gulf Coast, and Caribbean.

The new names can take time to catch on. I still slip up and say Marsh Hawk, for example, and I occasionally hear Louisiana Heron. But the new names will eventually catch on in the bird world and listers will have a new species to add to their life list.