[Tweeters] Please decode your acronyms

[Stephen Elston via Tweeters]

Hi Alice,

If it is any consolation, I found the banding codes confusing when I first
started to get seriously interested in birding.

I have some other suggestions for resources.

   1. The Wikipedia <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_codes>article
   (among other places) has a good description of the rules used to determine
   these codes. It is helpful to understand the system. Alas, as Tom points
   out, changing common names breaks the system.
   2. I use the PEFA app on my phone to look up codes I don't remember.

Very happy birding!  Steve


On Thu, Feb 12, 2026 at 12:28 PM Jr Mikulec via Tweeters <
tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:


> To add to this, on all bird apps and I know of (Merlin, sibley, ebird)

> searching the 4 letter code will bring up the species along with its full

> name.

>

> On Feb 12, 2026, at 11:02 AM, Tom Benedict via Tweeters <

> tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:

>

> Hi Alice,

>

> Here’s a link to a document

> <https://www.birdpop.org/docs/misc/Alpha_codes_eng.pdf> which includes

> the codes for bird names. I find that these codes are a great shorthand,

> but agree that it could be more meaningful when posting in tweeters if at

> least the first reference were spelled out fully with the common name (and

> maybe scientific name too?). Or maybe in the subject line.

>

> One challenge with common names is that they change from time to time.

> Right now a significant change is underway around eponymous bird names

> <https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/aos-name-changes-faq/>. As far as I

> know, the 4 letter codes will not be changing. So using the code is

> unambiguous and a link to past common names.

>

> As far as including the previous message in replies, I kinda like to have

> them included so as to provide some context to better understand a reply. I

> know some email apps include a ’thread’ feature which automatically

> collects all the prior messages, so I can see how having to wade through

> those cluttered replies might become tedious. The tweeters admins may have

> some guidelines on posting etiquette.

>

> On Feb 11, 2026, at 18:05, Alice Rubin via Tweeters <

> tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:

>

> Not every person here is in the know of jargon and acronyms. Today's daily

> compiled newsletter is full of SEOW. It's not really helpful. I have no

> idea what that means.

>

> While I am at it I kindly request you not include the previous message

> when replying. It is so frustrating when reading the daily summary

> newsletter to scroll through the same thing  in an email chain. It can also

> take up so much space in the daily summary.

>

>

> HTH,

>

> Tom Benedict

> Seahurst, WA

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