Hello OhioBirders I have seen this same basic thread on other listserves over the years. A common practice seems to use the full name the first time the species is mentioned in the posting with banding codes for subsequent mentions. This also serves as a learning opportunity for people not so familiar with the banding codes. Sorry for throwing my two cents in from several hundred miles away! Dave Magpi0ng Bellmawr, NJ In a message dated 10/7/2009 8:47:59 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: Those 4 letter codes are very annoying. They have a purpose for banders, but in written in reports they're like a secret code that I feel like I have to decipher. I certainly have no qualms about people abbreviating bird names as long as it is apparent what you're talking about with a quick glance. My 2 cents. Bob Royse Robert Royse [log in to unmask] www.roysephotos.com __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4488 (20091007) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]