'for short' species names question...

[PlaxMacaws]

Okay, so if Amazons are affectionately referred to as "zons", why are Macaws affectionately referred to as "macs" and not "caws"? Consistent parallel structure would be to either call Amazons "amas" and Macaws "macs", or to call Amazons "zons" and Macaws "caws". Right? :th_biggrin: ...Who decides these things anyway? ;)

[Debra]

You've got a point there. After all, cockatiels are 'tiels and cockatoos are 'toos.

[kendrafitz]

Lol. True. Although I prefer macs to caws (reminds me of a crow sound), so I'm not going to complain. :)

[PlaxMacaws]

Lol. True. Although I prefer macs to caws (reminds me of a crow sound), so I'm not going to complain. :)I take it you don't care for the sound of crows hollering? I'll take the yelling of crows over the yelling of Maynard any day! ;)

[kendrafitz]

Poor Maynard!

[Honesty]

This is a very good point :) Mind you, I think "zons" sounds much better than "amas" and "macs" sounds better than "caws" I often wonder who decides these things :)

Its very much like shortening human names, I get called "Wen" or "Wenz", Tiegan gets called "Tieg" or "Tiggy" :th_shocking:

[spiritbird]

And African Greys are CAGS or TAGS. I guess we could go all down the line of bird names and come up with short versions.

[PlaxMacaws]

And African Greys are CAGS or TAGS. I guess we could go all down the line of bird names and come up with short versions.Well, they get called "greys", too - which is the last portion of their full name and therefore consistent with "zons","tiels", and "toos". Off hand I can't think of any others who get referred to by the first portion of their full name. There may be a few, though... I'm not sure. Oh wait... Budgies! That's definitely the first part of the name "Budgerigars" ;). There we go :)

[Honesty]

Pi (Pionus) :)

[PlaxMacaws]

Pi (Pionus) :)Ah yeah, there's another one. There are a few I guess. I actually tell Zaf he's my "Hy-Caw" once in a while, though.

[Honesty]

I actually tell Zaf he's my "Hy-Caw" once in a while, though.lol... I like that one :)

[spiritbird]

People call parakeets keets sometime. You have my brain overdrive thinking now.

[Grey]

Senegals are "Sennies", Cape Parrots are "Capes", Alexandrines are "Alexes". Whatever works. we could always switch to the binomial nomenclature for clarity's sake