"Names carry weight and meaning, often encapsulating more than just a word or title—they embody identity, significance, and sometimes even history or aspirations."
― C. George P. Thomas
Opening soon in Middleton just down the road from where I live — Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant. I wanted to know more about them so I did a little searching around on the Internet looking for the origin of the establishments avian moniker:
"The choice of the Cooper's Hawk bird as the namesake is often referenced in their branding and promotional material as a symbol of precision, agility, and excellence, which aligns with their approach to winemaking and dining experiences."
So, when the woke birding institutions rename Cooper's Hawk to Meanie Songbird-eater Hawk, will the owner of the winery follow suit and rename his establishment? I mean, William Cooper was a white guy who lived during that horrific colonialistic period from the 1700s to 1800s when nothing good happened, so will non-whites feel welcome at this winery-restaurant?
So, who was William Cooper, anyway? According to the Birdwatcher's Companion (written prior to the age of woke), he was independently wealthy, taken with natural history from boyhood, and schooled in zoology in Europe. Cooper was a founder of the New York Lyceum of Natural History and a man of substantial reputation in the scientific community of his day. He was a student of paleontology, malacology, botany, and herpetology, as well as ornithology.
Thomas Nuttall initially christened this species in honor of Cooper. Despite their contributions to ornithology and natural history, both figures could have been deeply entrenched in racist ideologies. Recent articles proposing name changes for birds associated with controversial figures raise questions about their past actions, like North American Birds Named After Bad People Will Get a New Name. Bad people! Nevertheless, the Latin name, Accipiter cooperii, will endure, allowing birders to maintain their admiration and endearing references, often exclaiming "Coop!" with affection upon spotting them in the wild.
Photo © 2023 Mike McDowell