Nombres de las aves


¿Chiltote ó Chorcha?



Si tienen un par de minutos para ver las fotos que presentamos en este espacio, notarán que los nombres de las aves mostradas están en inglés. Para los conocedores del tema no es nada nuevo pero si usted está empezando a participar de la actividad de observar aves, déjeme explicarle.

Los nombres comunes de las aves varían de país a país, incluso de región a región en el mismo país. Durante mi infancia mi papá me enseñó el nombre común de algunas aves, por ejemplo, mientras visitabamos el oriente del país me dijo que un ave anaranjada de garganta negra, con alas negras y manchas blancas se llama Chorcha. Años después, viajando por la costa sur le pregunté a un administrador de una finca cafetalera si en el área se encontraban las Chorchas y me respondió que no. Al describirle el ave me dijo que Chorchas seguramente no, pero por la descripción lo que iba a encontrar eran Chiltotes. Al final es claro que se trata de la misma ave.

Por esta razón los científicos han utilizado un sistema de nomenclatura que llamamos Nombre Científico, para nombrar todos los seres que pueblan el mundo y para el caso se basan en un sistema en idioma latín que identifica el Género y la Especie de cada individuo. Esta forma impide que haya dos seres con el mismo nombre. Para el caso de las Chorchas del oriente de Guatemala o Chiltotes en la costa sur, el Nombre Científico de la especie es Icterus gularis.

Para muchas personas que no científicas y que disfrutan observando aves el uso del latín es un poco engorroso y tomando en cuenta que la mayor cantidad de observadores de aves provienen de países que hablan inglés, se estableció un sistema unificado que identifica los tipos de aves y sus características principales en un idioma que se conoce en todo el mundo. Así pues, el nombre en inglés para las Chorchas ó Chiltotes es Altamira Oriole.






Altamira Oriole (Icterus gularis)



Posted by Maynor Ovando

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