User talk:MeegsC/Archive 4

Talk:Briar Creek (Susquehanna River)/GA1
Any progress on the GA review? --Jakob (talk)  13:14, 10 January 2015 (UTC)

DYK for Yellow-browed sparrow
Harrias talk 15:34, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

Elsevier
Hi. I wanted to update you on the status of your Elsevier account. I sent the first list to Elsevier on 12 January. Elsevier reports that they will be e-mailing applicants next week with an access code, which will start your use of the resource. I appreciate your patience with this process. Feel free to contact me with any feedback or questions you have about Elsevier access. Chris Troutman ( talk ) 19:53, 23 January 2015 (UTC)

Disambiguation link notification for January 25
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WP:PERM request
Hi MeegsC, I just wanted to let you know that I have [//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=rights&user=&page=User%3A added] the autopatrolled right to your account, as you have created numerous, valid articles. This feature will have no effect on your editing, and is simply intended to reduce the workload on new page patrollers. For more information on the patroller right, see Autopatrolled. Feel free to leave me a message if you have any questions. Happy editing! — xaosflux  Talk 18:54, 28 January 2015 (UTC)
 * Thanks Xaoflux! MeegsC (talk) 19:32, 28 January 2015 (UTC)

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DYK for Ammodytes americanus
Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 12:01, 4 February 2015 (UTC)

Template:Did you know nominations/The Battle of Palmdale
Hi MeegsC (talk). Thanks for fixing references and checking the article for DYK. I'm confused. Wouldn't the current edit of the article be used? The current is 10,226 B long. Also the names of the people in the "Aftermath" section were removed a while ago. Samf4u (talk) 22:50, 17 February 2015 (UTC)

DYK for Mountain trogon
Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 00:01, 22 February 2015 (UTC)

DYK for Fasciated tiger heron
— Crisco 1492 (talk) 12:02, 22 February 2015 (UTC)

WikiCup 2015 March newsletter
That's it, the first round is done, sign-ups are closed and we're into round 2. 64 competitors made it into this round, and are now broken into eight groups of eight. The top two of each group will go through to round 3, and then the top scoring 16 "wildcards" across all groups. Round 1 saw some interesting work on some very important articles, with the round leader owing most of his 622 points scored to a Featured Article on the 2001 film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within which qualified for a times-two multiplier. This is a higher score than in previous years, as had 500 points in 2014 at the end of round 1, and our very own judge,  led round 1 with 601 points in 2013.

In addition to Freikorp's work, some other important articles and pictures were improved during round one, here's a snapshot of a few of them:
 * took Bumblebee, a level-4 vital article, to Good Article;
 * worked-up the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 article, also to Good Article status;
 * developed an extremely timely article to Good Article, taking Magna Carta there some 800 years after it was first sealed;
 * And last but not least, worked up a number of Featured Pictures during round 1, including the 1948 one Deutsche Mark (pictured right), receiving the maximum bonus due to the number of Wikis that the related article appears in.

You may also wish to know that The Core Contest is running through the month of March. Head there for further details - they even have actual prizes!

If you are concerned that your nomination—whether it is at good article candidates, a featured process, or anywhere else—will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on WikiCup/Reviews. Questions are welcome on Wikipedia talk:WikiCup, and the judges are reachable on their talk pages or by email. Good luck! If you wish to start or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. , and

Thanks for your assistance! Miyagawa (talk) on behalf of Wikipedia:WikiCup.

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Template:Did you know nominations/The Battle of Palmdale
MeegsC, have the issues been addressed on this nomination? I see you had a discussion on the nominator's talk page; a follow-up on the actual nomination template would be very helpful. Many thanks. BlueMoonset (talk) 20:11, 3 March 2015 (UTC)

GA assistance
Hi, could you help check Carolina wren, currently a GA candidate, for factual correctness? I see some problems, but being familiar with the bird helps I suppose. Shyamal (talk) 14:52, 18 March 2015 (UTC)

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Happy Easter!

 * Thanks Wilhelmina Will! Same to you... MeegsC (talk) 04:47, 6 April 2015 (UTC)

TWL HighBeam check-in
Hello Wikipedia Library Users,

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DYK for Rufescent tiger heron
— HJ Mitchell &#124;  Penny for your thoughts?  23:21, 19 April 2015 (UTC)

WikiCup 2015 May newsletter
The second round one has all wrapped up, and round three has now begun! Congratulations to the 34 contestants who have made it through, but well done and thank you to all contestants who took part in our second round. Leading the way overall was in Group B with a total of 777 points for a variety of contributions including Good Articles on Corona Borealis and Microscopium - both of which received the maximum bonus. Special credit must be given to a number of high importance articles improved during the second round.
 * was one of several users who worked on improving Ulysses S. Grant. Remember, you do not need to work on an article on your own - as long as each person has completed significant work on the article during 2015, multiple competitors can claim the same article.
 * took Dragonfly to Good Article for a 3x bonus - and if that wasn't enough, they also took Damselfly there as well for a 2x bonus.
 * worked up Alexander Hamilton to Good Article for the maximum bonus. Hamilton was one of the founding fathers of the United States and is a level 4 vital article.

The points varied across groups, with the lowest score required to gain automatic qualification was 68 in Group A - meanwhile the second place score in Group H was 404, which would have been high enough to win all but one of the other Groups! As well as the top two of each group automatically going through to the third round, a minimum score of 55 was required for a wildcard competitor to go through. We had a three-way tie at 55 points and all three have qualified for the next round, in the spirit of fairness. The third round ends on June 28, with the top two in each group progressing automatically while the remaining 16 highest scorers across all four groups go through as wildcards. Good luck to all competitors for the third round! , and  16:56, 4 May 2015 (UTC)

Alexander Williams (artist)
More details can be found here http://www.collinspress.ie/alexander-williams-the-documentary.html on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Williams_(artist) — Preceding unsigned comment added by NilssonDenver (talk • contribs) 21:30, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

The Newsletter
Thanks for the efforts at reviving this nice idea! I have been toying for a long time with the idea of keeping track of traffic spikes on articles in the bird project (not just absolute traffic but spikes in relation to the average visitation rate). I sometimes look at my pet articles and find some spikes traceable to news events but sometimes it is quite mysterious but definitely something that might trigger some timely attention to articles that appear to be of interest. Not sure how this can be technically be achieved though.Shyamal (talk) 12:47, 2 July 2015 (UTC)

Precious again
  bird images

Thank you, birder and biologist who enjoys writing, for quality articles such as Flight feather and Red Warbler, for DYK proposals and copy-editing, for uploading images such as the lead picture of the Copper-rumped Hummingbird, - you are an awesome Wikipedian!

--Gerda Arendt (talk) 11:15, 31 May 2014 (UTC) A year ago, you were the 872nd recipient of my Pumpkin Sky Prize, --Gerda Arendt (talk) 06:44, 31 May 2015 (UTC)

Today's featured article/requests/Cley Marshes --Gerda Arendt (talk) 21:32, 5 July 2015 (UTC)

The Wikipedia Library needs you!
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Hi Meegs
Yesterday, I was looking for help at Wikipedia talk:Did you know for improving C.J. Grisham and you pointed me towards WikiProject Military history. I realize this isn't your problem but the folks at the Military History Wikiproject aren't very friendly to new contributors. No one really answered my questions and they've pretty much cut me out of the conversation. One guy actually wants to delete the article.

I was asking for advice even before it was approved by AFC and I think they're out of line to accuse me of writing a "puff piece". I'm not the greatest writer but I was genuinely interested in writing a better article. I'm not criticizing all Wikipedians but this kind of behavior turns people away from signing up for an account. 72.74.203.154 (talk) 10:42, 12 July 2015 (UTC)
 * Yikes! I'm sorry about that — sometimes people get carried away with their comments and "forget" there are other people (with feelings) involved too! Looking this morning, I see a few people have been working on the article. I know it must be really frustrating to see so much of your hard work cut away, but it looks like what they're doing is removing anything sourced to a blog; Wikipedia doesn't consider blogs to be reliable sources, because there's no way to fact check what they say. (If all you're doing is saying "this person writes this blog", then you can surely link to the blog, but anything other than that probably won't be accepted.) Try reaching out to the editors (Nick-D and GregJackP) who've been working most on this; they appear to believe the article merits inclusion, and are doing what they can to help you save it. Let me know if you need further help! MeegsC (talk) 13:07, 12 July 2015 (UTC)

August 2015
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 * ]''), a plant which contains a toxic glucoside, and was an invasive pest in southern farms and fields.

WikiCup 2015 September newsletter
The finals for the 2015 Wikicup has now begun! Congrats to the 8 contestants who have survived to the finals, and well done and thanks to everyone who took part in rounds 3 and 4.

In round 3, we had a three-way tie for qualification among the wildcard contestants, so we had 34 competitors. The leader was by far in Group B, who earned 1496 points. Although 913 of these points were bonus points, he submitted 15 articles in the DYK category. Second place overall was at 864 points, who although submitted just 2 FAs for 400 points, earned double that amount for those articles in bonus points. Everyone who moved forward to Round 4 earned at least 100 points.

The scores required to move onto the semifinals were impressive; the lowest scorer to move onto the finals was 407, making this year's Wikicup as competitive as it's always been. Our finalists, ordered by round 4 score, are:


 * , who is competing in his sixth consecutive Wikicup final, again finished the round in first place, with an impressive 1666 points in Pool B. Casliber writes about the natural sciences, including ornithology, botany and astronomy.  A large bulk of his points this round were bonus points.
 * , second place both in Pool B and overall, earned the bulk of his points with FPs, mostly depicting currency.
 * , first in Pool A, came in third. His specialty is natural science articles; in Round 4, he mostly submitted articles about insects and botany.  Five out of the six of the GAs he submitted were level-4 vital articles.
 * , second in Pool A, took fourth overall. He tends to focus on articles about cricket and military history, specifically the 1640s First English Civil War.
 * , from Pool A, was our highest-scoring wildcard. West Virginia tends to focus on articles about the history of (what for it!) the U.S. state of West Virginia.
 * , from Pool A, likes to work on articles about British geography and places. Most of his points this round were earned from two impressive accomplishments: a GT about Scheduled monuments in Somerset and a FT about English Heritage properties in Somerset.
 * , from Pool B, came in seventh overall. RO earned the majority of her points from GARs and PRs, many of which were earned in the final hours of the round.
 * , also from Pool B, who was competing with RO for the final two spots in the final hours, takes the race for most GARs and PRs—48.

The intense competition between RO and Calvin999 will continue into the finals. They're both eligible for the Newcomers Trophy, given for the first time in the Wikicup; whoever makes the most points will win it.

Good luck to the finalists; the judges are sure that the competition will be fierce!

, and  11:48, 2 September 2015 (UTC)

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WikiCup 2015: The results
WikiCup 2015 is now in the books! Congrats to our finalists and winners, and to everyone who took part in this year's competition.

This year's results were an exact replica of last year's competition. For the second year in a row, the 2015 WikiCup champion is. All of his points were earned for an impressive 253 featured pictures and their associated bonus points (5060 and 1695, respectively). His entries constituted scans of currency from all over the world and scans of medallions awarded to participants of the U.S. Space program. came in second place; she earned by far the most bonus points (4082), for 4 featured articles, 15 good articles, and 147 DYKs, mostly about in her field of expertise, natural science. , a finalist every year since 2010, came in third, with 2379 points.

Our newcomer award, presented to the best-performing new competitor in the WikiCup, goes to. Everyone should be very proud of the work they accomplished. We will announce our other award winners soon.

A full list of our award winners are:


 * wins the prize for first place and the FP prize for 330 featured pictures in the final round.
 * wins the prize for second place and the DYK prize for 160 did you knows in the final round (310 in all rounds).
 * wins the prize for third place and the FA prize for 26 featured articles in all rounds.
 * wins the prize for fourth place
 * wins a final 8 prize.
 * wins a final 8 prize.
 * wins a final 8 prize and the FL prize for 11 featured lists.
 * wins the most prizes: a final 8 prize, the GA prize for 41 good articles, and the topic prize for a 13-article good topic and an 8-article featured topic, both in round 3.
 * wins the news prize for the most news articles in round 3.

We warmly invite all of you to sign up for next year's competition. Discussions and polls concerning potential rules changes are also open, and all are welcome to participate. The WikiCup judges will be back in touch over the coming months, and we hope to see you all in the 2016 competition. Until then, it only remains to once again congratulate our worthy winners, and thank all participants for their involvement! If you wish to start or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from WikiCup/Newsletter/Send.

, and  18:39, 8 November 2015 (UTC)

November 2015
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 * Aquila nipalensis |website=globalraptors.org | publisher = Global Raptor Information Network }}

ArbCom elections are now open!
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December 2015
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 * most ancestral kestrels. They seem to have radiated in the Gelasian Late Pliocene, roughly 2.5–2 [[
 * * {{cite web |website=mangoverde.com | publisher = Mangoverde World Bird Guide (MWBG) {{red|&#93;}} |year=2009 |url=http://www.mangoverde.com/birdsound/spec/spec32-27.html |title=Eurasian Kestrel ''

WikiCup 2016 is just around the corner...
Hello everyone, and we would like to wish you all a happy holiday season. As you will probably already know, the 2016 WikiCup begins in the new year; there is still time to sign up. There are some changes we'd like to announce before the competition begins.

After two years of serving as WikiCup judge, User:Miyagawa has stepped down as judge. He deserves great thanks and recognition for his dedication and hard work, and for providing necessary transition for a new group of judges in last year's Cup. Joining Christine (User:Figureskatingfan) and Jason (User:Sturmvogel 66) is Andrew (User:Godot13), a very successful WikiCup competitor and expert in Featured Pictures; he won the two previous competitions. This is a strong judging team, and we anticipate lots of enjoyment and good work coming from our 2016 competitors.

We would also like to announce one change in how this year's WikiCup will be run. In the spirit of sportsmanship, Godot13 and Cwmhiraeth have chosen to limit their participation. See here for the announcement and a complete explanation of why. They and the judges feel that it will make for a more exciting, enjoyable, and productive competition.

The discussions/polls concerning the next competition's rules will be closed soon, and rules changes will be made clear on WikiCup/Scoring and talk pages. The judges are committed to not repeating the confusion that occurred last year and to ensuring that the new rules are both fair and in the best interests of the competition, which is, first and foremost, about improving Wikipedia.

If you have any questions or concerns, the judges can be reached on Wikipedia talk:WikiCup, on their talk pages, or by email. We hope you will all join us in trying to make the 2015 WikiCup the most productive and enjoyable yet. You are receiving this message because you are listed on WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. Sturmvogel 66 (talk), Figureskatingfan (talk), and Godot13 (talk).--MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 06:46, 22 December 2015 (UTC)

Passenger pigeon
Hello, MeegsC! Happy New Year! I have just started to read the article on the Passenger pigeon in response to a request for a copy-edit at WP:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Requests, and I wonder if you could help me with something. The last sentence in the first paragraph in the lead is:


 * The physically similar mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) was long thought to be its closest relative, and the two were at times confused, but genetic analysis has instead showed this to be the pigeons in the Patagioenas genus.

To me, the sentence doesn't sound right, particularly the last part: "but genetic analysis has instead showed this to be the pigeions in the Patagioenas genus. I don't think it's clear what "this" refers to, and I don't think "showed this to be the pigeons" is especially elegant writing. Can you suggest an alternate wording?

Also, I wonder about the translation of "passager" as "passing by"; I've asked a French speaking editor about the etymology or source of "passenger" in the name of the bird, at User talk:Coldcreation, in case you're interested. Corinne (talk) 02:55, 7 January 2016 (UTC)
 * Hi — Happy New Year to you too! I'll have a look at the article when I get the chance. I do think the "passager" bit is correct; one of the meanings of the French passager is "passing", which is certainly more appropriate than passenger! I don't have access to the book FunkMunk used, but have no reason to assume it was written in error. I'll check out the lede soon. MeegsC (talk) 15:45, 7 January 2016 (UTC)


 * Thanks, MeegsC - I just want to add that later in the article, passager is translated as "to pass by". It can't be both "passing by" and "to pass by". I think one ought to be selected and used consistently. Corinne (talk) 16:49, 7 January 2016 (UTC)
 * It's actually translated as a whole bunch of things — and as nouns, adjectives, etc. But I get your point. In my dictionary (Larousse's French-English, English-French Dictionery), it says passager, when used as an adjective, means transitory, fleeting, momentary or migratory and also designates a passenger or passer-by. I'd guess "migratory" or "passer-by" would be the most appropriate connotations here. Let me know if you need the dictionary details for an appropriate reference citation. MeegsC (talk) 17:21, 7 January 2016 (UTC)
 * Maybe we should ask the editor who requested the copy-edit, FunkMonk, to make that selection. Also, I don't know how to create or add a reference (I only copy-edit, but I know I should learn that). What about that sentence that I copied, above, that needs a little work? (When you have time.) Corinne (talk) 18:19, 7 January 2016 (UTC)
 * Hi, well, instead of making an arbitrary selection, I'd think it best to include all possible meanings that have been proposed in the literature? FunkMonk (talk) 18:30, 7 January 2016 (UTC)
 * , do you have access to the original reference? What does it say there? MeegsC (talk) 18:59, 7 January 2016 (UTC)
 * It is free online (so far, seems like a violation, I own the book): This link was also formerly used in the article: FunkMonk (talk) 19:03, 7 January 2016 (UTC)
 * Well, that clears it up for me, anyway. The translation in the on-line etymological dictionary says it means "passer-by", which is a noun: a passer-by, not "passing by" and not "to pass by". I didn't read the other one. Corinne (talk) 01:37, 8 January 2016 (UTC)
 * , you might want to check the other reference as well. That's the book that actually discusses the etymology of the passenger pigeon's scientific and common names, rather than the online dictionary that you checked — and thus might be more appropriate as a reference for this article! MeegsC (talk) 02:10, 8 January 2016 (UTC)
 * Yes. You're right. On the page headed "The Bird", it says that passager means "to pass fleetingly". Corinne (talk) 17:51, 8 January 2016 (UTC)

Corvus (genus)
Hello, MeegsC -- I was just skimming the article on Corvus (genus), and when I read the "Description" section, I paused at the first sentence:


 * Corvus species are all black or black with little white or grey plumage.

The way it is written, "little" sounds like it means "not much" -- not much white or grey plumage. However, I think that is an unusual way to describe the coloring of a bird's plumage. It's really a negative statement. I think it would be clearer it if were expressed in a positive sense, something like:


 * Corvus species are all black or black with a little white or grey plumage.

or:


 * Corvus species are all black or black with some white or grey plumage.

I would also add "either" before "all black". "All black or black" can throw the reader off.


 * Corvus species are either all black or black with...

Besides that, I noticed in the image of the Hooded crow that the bird has quite a bit of gray plumage, so perhaps "a little" is not accurate; perhaps "some" or "varying amounts of" would be better. But you're the bird expert, so you decide.

Also, don't you think just a little bit more could be said to describe the crow's appearance? How about the color of the eyes, the color and shape of the beak, and the color of the legs and feet? Corinne (talk) 18:05, 22 January 2016 (UTC)
 * Hi . Yes, I'd agree that the word "either" should be added — and that it should say something along the lines of "Corvus species have plumages which, depending on the species, are either all black or black with some smaller amount of white or grey." Right now, it sounds like any species can either be black or black and white/grey, and that's not true. As to whether you can say more about the group as a whole, you can't. For example, while most members of the genus have dark eyes, some have red or pale eyes. While most have black bills, some have bills with significant white sections. Bill shapes vary dramatically across the genus — and indeed is how you tell some of the species apart. I guess you could add that they all have black legs and feet! :) MeegsC (talk) 02:58, 23 January 2016 (UTC)


 * Oh. Thanks! I'll work on it tomorrow. (Hope I remember.) Corinne (talk) 03:01, 23 January 2016 (UTC)

Near passerine
Hello, MeegsC -- I just stumbled across the article on Near passerines. I have a question; in the phrase "higher landbirds", what does "higher" mean? Higher in what sense? Also, I thought you might like to know that the article has quite a few "citation needed" tags. Corinne (talk) 19:07, 8 February 2016 (UTC)

Hallo, I have had a message from you relating to "one or more of your recent contributions to Eurasian blue tit". I have absolutely no idea what this is about. I have no interest in ornithology, have never heard of the Eurasian blue tit, and so of course have made no such contributions. I haven't time to look at the page now, but it looks like you're mixing me up with someone else. 86.162.99.122 (talk) 09:57, 18 May 2016 (UTC)

Precious anniversary
--Gerda Arendt (talk) 13:48, 31 May 2016 (UTC)
 * Thanks Gerda! This means a lot to me... :) MeegsC (talk) 15:55, 31 May 2016 (UTC)

Contests
User:Dr. Blofeld has created WikiProject Africa/Contests. The idea is to run a series of contests/editathons focusing on each region of Africa. He has spoken to Wikimedia about it and $1000-1500 is possible for prize money. As someone who has previously expressed interest in African topics, would you be interested in contributing to one or assisting draw up core article/missing article lists? He says he's thinking of North Africa for an inaugural one in October. If interested please sign up in the participants section of the Contest page, thanks.♦ -- Ser Amantio di Nicolao Che dicono a Signa?Lo dicono a Signa. 01:32, 21 July 2016 (UTC)

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WikiProject Africa/The 10,000 Challenge
Hello. I've revamped the contest page into this, based on the new British model. Long term goal, but I've added entries since the beginning of July to give it some initial life. Please add anything you've done then this then too! I hope it proves productive long term. The contests are still planned, but will be more tools towards increasing bulk output in overall goal. It's a permanent goal now, and open! I would be grateful if you could keep a record of all your articles you do there, as I really think seeing the combined efforts will encourage others to create more content too! Please spread the word to the others, cheers!♦ Dr. Blofeld  09:17, 3 September 2016 (UTC)

Shy albatross on List of birds of Madagascar page
Hey Meegsc! so I've been moving along slowly with the state/country list updating from the species pages. Admittedly some of the albatrosses have been a little tough to figure out (both taxonomically and range wise) but I think I got it pretty close to correct. I've been using the IUCN and ebird mapping features to try and place the birds properly......In the case of Shy and Salvins, both are just out of the IUCN main ranges, but I know albatrosses range widely. I also looked at Avibase which places Salvins in Madagascar, but does not list Shy. If you think Shy should also be listed for Madagascar, I would have no problem with that.......Pvmoutside (talk) 01:01, 7 September 2016 (UTC)
 * Okay thanks for that! I'll check with Pete Morris (who wrote the Mad field guide) to see which he thinks is appropriate. Both range widely, so the answer may be both of them! ;) MeegsC (talk) 07:47, 7 September 2016 (UTC)
 * Well, Pete says Shy is probably the more likely of the two, though both could occur, so we'll need to add Salvin's back in. And just to complicate things, he says White-capped (another split from Shy) is also possible, so that one should get added too! MeegsC (talk) 09:40, 7 September 2016 (UTC)
 * Sounds good regarding Shy. I'll add it next time I'm in the list unless you get there before me.......White-capped is a bit of a mess right now. From the tax sources I use, IOC uses Shy as the English name for cauda, and treats white-capped as a subspecies, IUCN calls it a species separate from Shy,  Clements (Ebird, Avibase) calls white-capped cauda instead of Shy, and don't use Shy as an English name for any species. Zoonomen doesn't use English names, but hasn't split them yet. ITIS does not have a listing for white-capped. My preference for white-capped is to not split it until there are some changes from someone other than the IUCN. My preference is also to continue using Shy as the English name for cauda aligning us with the IOC, until we decide to split.....Pvmoutside (talk) 15:39, 7 September 2016 (UTC)

Loon FAC
That looks pretty well FA standard as it stands. I tend to separate predators and parasites as a separate section, but that's clearly a matter of taste. The only thing that might be useful is a section in Cocker's Birds and People which discusses the role of this and black-throated as shamanic spirit guides, also mentions award-winning film, The Loon's Necklace. Obviously not essential, but if want to see the text, email me and I'll scan it for you. Whether or not you use it, let me know when you are ready and I'll do a pre-FAC nitpick. I also have HBW on-line, which I can also send if you think it might help Jimfbleak - talk to me?  12:03, 7 December 2016 (UTC)
 * I've got Mark's book, as well as HBW (online and print), so I'll check those over. Will let you know when I'm ready for a nitpick. Thanks Jim! MeegsC (talk) 12:12, 7 December 2016 (UTC)

I'm back?
Don't tell anyone! anyway, it's amazing what throwing your back out and having to lie around for a week does to someone. :) Sabine's Sunbird  talk  05:51, 11 February 2017 (UTC)

Verreaux's eagle
Sorry, but what on Earth did you do to Verreaux's eagle on Nov. 1? It looks like vandalism to me. WolfmanSF (talk) 17:51, 5 March 2017 (UTC)
 * OK, thanks for the explanation on my talk page. WolfmanSF (talk) 16:45, 6 March 2017 (UTC)

Loons
Hello! Since you have promoted the red-throated loon recently, would you like to maybe collaborate on the black-throated loon? I have been considering doing it, and some help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! RileyBugz Yell at me &#124; Edits  01:38, 12 April 2017 (UTC)
 * Do you want to start now, since you seem to be back? RileyBugz 会話 投稿記録  01:44, 25 May 2017 (UTC)

Precious three years!
--Gerda Arendt (talk) 12:12, 31 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Thanks again, Gerda! MeegsC (talk) 17:25, 31 May 2017 (UTC)

Knob-billed duck/Comb duck
MeegsC, just a heads up......Your Madagascar birds list uses Clements as the standard, which has not split the ducks yet. Craigthebirder uses a more conservative(?) approach to the lists he maintains. He prefers his Kenya and Tanzania lists still link to comb duck even with the South American text. He prefers the common/scientific names match the regional bird lists rather than the linked text. There is a caveat for both birds being lumped by Clements to help avoid confusion. No real good answers but I thought you may want to know......Pvmoutside (talk) 15:00, 1 June 2017 (UTC)
 * Yeah, I'm in the process of switching it over to being IOC based — that's what we're using as the project standard, after all. And there's no reason to use the largely US-driven Clements list (which tends to be miles behind the rest of the world) for Madagascar! MeegsC (talk) 15:02, 2 June 2017 (UTC)

Co-nom
I think that I'm about to nominate the black-throated loon to FAC—do you want to be a co-nom? RileyBugz 会話 投稿記録 17:35, 28 July 2017 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the invite, but you did virtually all of the work; I only added a bit to one tiny section. I think you should nominate it all on your own. Sorry I wasn't more help! MeegsC (talk) 05:19, 29 July 2017 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of Physcia caesia
Hi there, I'm pleased to inform you that I've begun reviewing the article Physcia caesia you nominated for GA-status according to the criteria. This process may take up to 7 days. Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you might have during this period. Hi, a real human here. The article is fine, I have made a few small suggestions but nothing at all major. Chiswick Chap -- Chiswick Chap (talk) 13:41, 25 August 2017 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of Physcia caesia
The article Physcia caesia you nominated as a good article has passed ; see Talk:Physcia caesia for comments about the article. Well done! If the article has not already been on the main page as an "In the news" or "Did you know" item, you can nominate it to appear in Did you know. Message delivered by Legobot, on behalf of Chiswick Chap -- Chiswick Chap (talk) 22:02, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

WikiProject Women in Red/The World Contest
Hi. Thankyou for your participation in the challenge series or/and contests. In November The Women in Red World Contest is being held to try to produce new articles for as many countries worldwide and occupations as possible. There will be over $4000 in prizes to win, including Amazon vouchers and paid subscriptions. If this would appeal to you and you think you'd be interested in contributing new articles on women during this month for your region or wherever please sign up in the participants section. The articles done may also count towards the ongoing challenge. If you're not interested in prize money yourself but are willing to participate and raise money to buy books about women for others to use, this is also fine. Help would also be appreciated in drawing up the lists of missing articles. If you think of any missing articles please add them to the sub lists by continent at Missing articles. Thankyou, and if taking part, good luck!♦ Dr. Blofeld  17:14, 4 October 2017 (UTC)

WP:Birds cleanup listing
Hello MeegsC, on a recent post you mentioned a weekly cleanup listing on WP:Birds. I have not come across this before, could you tell me where on the project pages it is located? Thanks, Loopy30 (talk) 12:58, 5 October 2017 (UTC)
 * Hi Loopy: It's on the Tools tab (on the project's main page). Here's the direct link: https://tools.wmflabs.org/bambots/cwb/alpha/Birds.html I usually use the category sort (at the top of the listing itself), as it shows me the current additions and resolved articles first. I try to do as many new articles a week as I can, then pick a category and start working my way through. There's certainly plenty of work to keep me/us occupied for many years! MeegsC (talk) 14:02, 5 October 2017 (UTC)
 * Indeed there is lots to choose from. Perfect for more gnomish wiki-gardening edits. Thanks, Loopy30 (talk) 14:43, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

Submissions for The 10,000 Challenge (Canada)
The 10,000 Challenge of WikiProject Canada is approaching its first anniversary. We'd love to have more featured content submitted, such as your article Red-throated loon, or any other well-sourced Canada-related articles you have created or expanded since November 2016.

You can use this link to submit articles to the challenge. Thank-you, and please spread the word to those you know who might be interested in joining this effort to improve the quality of Canada-related articles. – Reidgreg (talk) 22:20, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

Sustainability Initiative
Hi, MeegsC, thank you for supporting of the Sustainability Initiative with a userbox! Do you also want to add your name to the list of supporters on Meta? Thanks, --Gnom (talk) 07:10, 9 October 2017 (UTC)

Common loon
Hi MeegsC, could you please look at common loon at FAC. I think it could do with some eyes that are familiar with the species. Shyamal (talk) 09:48, 11 October 2017 (UTC)

Thank you for supporting the Sustainability Initiative!
Hi MeegsC,

Thank you for supporting the Sustainability Initiative, which aims at reducing the environmental impact of the Wikimedia movement. There are currently over 350 supporters from all over the world – please encourage other community members to sign the page as well! You can also read an update from the Sustainability Initiative in the most recent edition of the Wikipedia Signpost.

Thank you, and kind regards, --Gnom (talk) 12:03, 22 October 2017 (UTC)

Resplendent quetzal
Hello, MeegsC – Just wondered what you thought of  to Resplendent quetzal. – Corinne (talk) 15:17, 24 October 2017 (UTC)
 * Hi . I think it's fine; the same information is displayed. They're using the automated taxobox generation, referenced here. MeegsC (talk) 15:40, 24 October 2017 (UTC)
 * Oh, O.K. Thanks. – Corinne (talk) 15:51, 24 October 2017 (UTC)

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Rookery
Good-faith edits are the lifeblood of Wikipedia. Thank you for catching my goof-up. I have no ego when it comes to such things. As corny as it sounds, the integrity of the content is what's important. You seem like a very approachable and experienced editor... someone I may seek out as I try to improve my wiki skillset. Yestertempest (talk) 06:11, 1 May 2018 (UTC)

Spanó
Hi, MeegsC. You invited me to contact you with questions. This article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Róbert_R._Spanó reads like a self-serving resumé. I don't have the confidence or know-how to overhaul it. Besides, any attempts to edit or trim the article in any meaningful way are quickly reverted.

Different topic: I've observed a behavior from the parents of my newborn parakeets: They both eat the creamy, white fecal matter that oozes from the vents of their three babies. I only saw them doing this in the first few days, not after the droppings became more solid and dark. This is Finny and Jean-Claude's first brood. (I have a small aviary with only 21 birds). What do you suppose is the reason for this behavior? Is it a way of recycling nutrients or perhaps an attempt to conceal the babies so they are less likely to be detected by predators? Birds are fascinating creatures!Yestertempest (talk) 04:42, 11 May 2018 (UTC)

Fecal sac
Thank you for the link. I was thrilled to find out more the behavior I observed. Never heard of a fecal sac! I'm also feeling good about myself for coming up with my own theories about the reason for this behavior: to help deter predators and as a nutritional benefit. I keep my nesting area tidy and gently clean the toes of my little ones regularly. I've heard that fecal matter can get stuck between toes, etc and create deformities.

No hurry on the other matter. I'm just happy for someone else's assistance. Yestertempest (talk) 03:48, 12 May 2018 (UTC)

Red warbler
In the interests of punting this one over the FA-line, can you think of anything else that is missing. Wanna do a last buff before throwing it to the wolves? Happy to co-nominate....Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 12:08, 25 April 2018 (UTC)
 * Just finishing up a tour in Bhutan; should be able to help in the next few days. Will check in when I have better internet connections! MeegsC (talk) 15:42, 25 April 2018 (UTC)
 * Bhutan?! I hope you took some cool photos....just reading about this person....Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 21:39, 25 April 2018 (UTC)
 * I did! And got some nice recordings too. Not as many as I wanted to, of course, but that's life. I'll be back next year, so can hopefully get some more. Documented one of the few Greater Painted Snipes for the country this year! MeegsC (talk) 10:10, 26 April 2018 (UTC)
 * Wow sounds cool. looking forward to some cool photos....Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 13:14, 26 April 2018 (UTC)

Ok, everything is pretty much answered in the FAC, but I can't answer the question about "the interior and adjacent slopes" - so if you could take a look that's be great. cheers, Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 09:25, 18 May 2018 (UTC)
 * Hi I get home from my Greece tour late tomorrow night; I'll check the (hard copy) reference material on Sunday and make clarifications based on what I find. Yes, it's a crazy time of year! MeegsC (talk) 11:32, 18 May 2018 (UTC)

Precious four years!
--Gerda Arendt (talk) 06:47, 31 May 2018 (UTC)
 * thanks so much! It's always nice to be recognized for working quietly in the background. :) MeegsC (talk) 08:47, 31 May 2018 (UTC)

birds
Bonaparte's gull appeals more to me but I can see that chimney swift is probably much closer to FA striking distance. I suspect giving that a shove is prudent. Any other birds you're keen on? I've been urged to buff crested auklet (which interests me) and tufted tit-tyrant (which doesn't really). Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 04:14, 6 June 2018 (UTC)

Birds of the Madrean Sky Islands, north region Sierra Madre Occidental
Birds of the Madrean Sky Islands. I have lived in Arizona, different parts, 7 years at Tucson for college, in part of the Sky Islands. I have no references for it.
 * This was all done after the creation of Wikipedia, years ago.
 * (( You probably understand this local sky island region lies at the northern terminus of the Sierra Madre Occidentals ))Mmcannis (talk) 20:58, 25 June 2018 (UTC)

Chimney swift
Aargh, I do find it hard to get enthusiastic about swifts but this is in pretty good shape. Can you see anything else missing in terms of research etc.? Giving it a bit of a once-over and I reckon this could be punted to FAC soon. Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 02:36, 10 August 2018 (UTC)
 * I'll try to have a quick look this week, but I'm crazy busy IRL at the moment. At a minimum, it needs a bit more in the habitat and range section, I think. And I'd cut out the last bit (or shorten it considerably and add it to another section); she's certainly not the researcher who's done the most work on the species, though she may have been one of the earliest. That was a driveby add that I just haven't had the time (or inclination) to source properly. MeegsC (talk) 09:04, 11 August 2018 (UTC)

Bed bug
This seems to have arisen from the discussion at Talk:Bed bug, which I wasn't part of, but resulted in 100+ links being changed to Bed bug (disambiguation) which I was trying to help resolve.&mdash; Rod talk 22:03, 20 October 2018 (UTC)
 * Do you think the redirects are damaging the user experience? If they click on the link it will take them to Bed bug, even if the link is to Bed bug (insect), without them seeing any difference to what was there before. The additional resource on the server to process the redirect will be minute (there are millions of these redirects on wp), so I don't really see any problem with leaving them but can go and spend an hour or two changing them if you think this is vital?&mdash; Rod talk 16:37, 22 October 2018 (UTC)

Austral season's greetings

 * Thanks Cas! Sending a bunch of virtual Christmas cookies back your way — I spent the last few days baking 8 different kinds! Hope your holidays are full of fun. MeegsC (talk) 00:33, 26 December 2018 (UTC)

Red-throated loon scheduled for TFA
This is to let you know that the Red-throated loon article has been scheduled as today's featured article for July 29, 2019. Please check the article needs no amendments. If you're interested in editing the main page text, you're welcome to do so at Today's featured article/July 29, 2019, but note that a coordinator will trim the lead to around 1000 characters anyway, so you aren't obliged to do so.

We also suggest that you watchlist Main Page/Errors up to the day of this TFA. Thanks! Jimfbleak - talk to me?  06:28, 21 June 2019 (UTC)

Primary sources more relevant to an encyclopaedia than secondary
The contents of Pseudodoxia Epidemica (N.B. note correct spelling of the word 'Pseudodoxia') most certainly do say about Browne having a bittern ! All other sources are what is known technically by academics as secondary sources, that is, deriving from this primary statement which can be found in Pseudodoxia Epidemica Book 3 chapter 27.

'That a Bittor maketh that mugient noise, or as we term it Bumping, by putting its bill into a reed as most believe, or as Bellonius and Aldrovandus conceive, by putting the same in water or mud, and after a while retaining the air by suddenly excluding it again, is not so easily made out. For my own part, though after diligent enquiry, I could never behold them in this motion; Notwithstanding by others whose observations we have expressly requested, we are informed, that some have beheld them making this noise on the shore, their bils being far enough removed from reed or water; that is, first strongly attracting the air, and unto a manifest distention of the neck, and presently after with great contention and violence excluding the same again. As for what Authors affirm of putting their bill in water or mud, it is also hard to make out. For what may be observed from any that walketh the Fens, there is little intermission, nor any observable pawse, between the drawing in and sending forth of their breath. And the expiration or breathing forth doth not only produce a noise, but the inspiration or hailing in of the air, affordeth a sound that may be heard almost a flight-shot.

Now the reason of this strange and peculiar noise, is deduced from the conformation of the wind-pipe, which in this bird is different from other volatiles. For at the upper extream it hath no fit Larinx, or throttle to qualify the sound, and at the other end, by two branches deriveth it self into the lungs. Which division consisteth only of Semicircular fibers, and such as attain but half way round the part; By which formation they are dilatable into larger capacities, and are able to contain a fuller proportion of air; which being with violence sent up the weazon, and finding no resistance by the Larinx, it issueth forth in a sound like that from caverns, and such as sometimes subterraneous eruptions, from hollow rocks afford.[19] As Aristotle observeth in a Problem, and is observable in pitchers, bottles, and that instrument which Aponensis upon that Problem describeth, wherewith in Aristotles time Gardiners affrighted birds.

Whether the large perforations of the extremities of the weazon, in the abdomen, admitting large quantity of ayr within the cavity of its membrans, as it doth in Frogs; may not much assist this mugiency or boation, may also be considered. For such as have beheld them making this noise out of the water, observe a large distention in their bodies; and their ordinary note is but like that of a Raven.

It is therefore totally unnecessary to cite W.G. Sebald, who personally stated to me that he is an unreliable source on matters relating to Browne. Norwikian (talk) 09:39, 24 June 2019 (UTC)

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List of birds of Madagascar
MeegsC….I know you've spent a lot of time in the Madagascar list. I know the new Clements should be out soon. I'll be making changes accordingly when that happens A question for you....I know a while ago you sent me a note regarding the list, but i don't remember what it was....i was thinking long term i may change the format to better match the other lists, namely change it to a family based list rather than an alphabetical one. i didn't know if you would be agreeable to that.....Pvmoutside (talk) 20:23, 12 August 2019 (UTC)
 * the list appears it hasn't been updated in a while, so I'll try to bring it up to Clements 2019 thru avibase. I'll keep most of the info intact, but I'll split the orders and families, and remove the order sequence number.  I'll do waterfowl first.  Let me know if you want something different....Pvmoutside (talk) 15:12, 24 January 2020 (UTC)
 * I kinda wish you wouldn't. For one thing, the list should definitely not be in Clements order, since we're using the IOC list as our standard. To be honest, I'm not convinced our "standard" way of making country lists is useful to most readers. This list is sortable in a variety of ways: taxonomically (which is the default), alphabetically by common name or scientific name, by IUCN code, etc. That gives the reader a lot more choice over how they see the information than our standard lists do. But if conformity is more important, then I guess I won't put up a fuss. MeegsC (talk) 15:21, 24 January 2020 (UTC)
 * so conformity is not an issue. I see you have sortables on the appropriate columns, which would be lost somewhat if i was to break it up by orders and families.  But having it broken up should make it easier to maintain, and give info on orders and families. Regarding Clements vs IOC, I can change to IOC if you prefer, would need to reorder some and change the heading....Craigthebirder has kept Clements for those lists referencing it as an FYI, but India and Europe will be IOC, I can make Madagascar that way if you prefer...i also changed waterfowl now to give it the new look.  Confirm to me again what you'd like to do on both issues....Pvmoutside (talk) 15:37, 24 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Like I said, I won't put up a fuss. Personally, I don't know why we need to break things out into various families, but that seems to be the adopted "standard". MeegsC (talk) 15:41, 24 January 2020 (UTC)
 * I'm done with the list....thought I'd let you know....Pvmoutside (talk) 18:28, 29 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Thanks for letting me know! MeegsC (talk) 20:18, 29 January 2020 (UTC)

Precious anniversary
Thanks Gerda! MeegsC (talk) 07:03, 31 May 2019 (UTC)


 * Today, thank you for the red-throated loon, "the world's smallest loon, found throughout the northern hemisphere. Since this bird breeds primarily in the High Arctic, most of our readers won't have encountered it in all its breeding plumage glory, but it's pretty common along populated coastlines (and major inland waterways) further south in the winter"! --Gerda Arendt (talk) 09:41, 29 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Thanks again, Gerda! :) MeegsC (talk) 14:18, 29 July 2019 (UTC)
 * ... six years now --Gerda Arendt (talk) 09:06, 31 May 2020 (UTC)

Ergaticus
Hi MeegsC, Hope you are well! I was wondering if you had any ideas on what could be done when genera are sunk in synonymy, I almost added a redirect to Cardellina until I checked the history... Shyamal (talk) 10:20, 3 July 2020 (UTC)

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Dragonfly
Actually, the NOTE IN THE TEXT WAS:

structural coloration< ! -- both UK and US -- >

So, I spelt them all that way. Why are you being such a JERK? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2603:8080:B200:2E3A:3C7E:C3AF:CB30:C4F1 (talk) 13:52, 2 November 2020 (UTC)

The Months of African Cinema Contest Continues in November!
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DYK nomination of black-cowled oriole
Hello! Your submission of black-cowled oriole at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and some issues with it may need to be clarified. Please review the comment(s) at your nomination's entry and respond there as soon as possible. Thank you for contributing to Did You Know! Yoninah (talk) 16:16, 14 November 2020 (UTC)

DYK for Black-cowled oriole
&mdash; Amakuru (talk) 00:01, 23 November 2020 (UTC)

Kagu
Many thanks, that did the trick.--Quisqualis (talk) 22:55, 27 November 2020 (UTC)

Disambiguation link notification for December 6
An automated process has detected that when you recently edited Preening (bird), you added links pointing to the disambiguation pages Rhea and Kiwi.

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chestnut-bellied sandgrouse
Thank you MeegsC for helping with my student's questions and article and for reaching out to let me know you're there. A couple of our students worked on bird-related articles this semester and I'm sure more will in the future. I really appreciate knowing who to ping in future! --Fransplace (talk) 20:21, 7 December 2020 (UTC)