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ONE OF THE numerous pleasures of birds is an enjoyment of their names. And the fact that many birds have two – one scientific and another vernacular – doubles the fun. “Latin names”, people say, but many aren’t Latin, more cod-Greek. Take “zosterops”, for instance (the white-eye, and the subject of Bill Lowe’s article on page 14). Most people might know that the “ops” bit means “eye”, but not so many that “zoster” is Greek for “a belt or girdle”. Which is spot on, since a white-eye’s white “eye” is actually a band or ring of white around the eye, not the eye itself. And fanciers, being folk who like to get things right, tend to favour the more precise name and call their birds zosterops. (I was delighted the first time I read a fancier refer to one of her birds as a “zosterop” – no “s”.) My authority on “zosterops”, by the way, is James Jobling’s Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names, a superb work now in its lavish second edition. Jobling is a writer after my own heart – a real all-round birdman who can make everything interesting. Talking of all-round birdmen, we feature a couple in this week’s issue. On page 16, we meet Roger Tippett, Norwich canary kingpin of the West Country, a breeder of beautiful mules and also a lover of wild wetland birds: he’s a regular helper at the WWT centre at Slimbridge. Then on page 18, eminent avian surgeon Kevin Eatwell describes his return, after a gap of two decades, to the breeding of his favourite bulbuls. Two hugely experienced birdmen who, in their different ways, still experience the excitement of the bird world and know how to share it. Credit to both. ■ A seasonal heads-up: your next Cage & Aviary Birds will be on sale a day early, on Christmas Eve. Perfect reading matter if festive conversation starts to flag the following day. On that note, have a great week!