Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/Blackbird

The following is an archived discussion of a featured article nomination. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the article's talk page or in Wikipedia talk:Featured article candidates. No further edits should be made to this page.

The article was promoted 22:39, 7 January 2008.

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Blackbird

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I'm nominating this article for featured article because it has been expanded and improved since GA. Jimfbleak (talk) 07:12, 31 December 2007 (UTC)

• Comments – I have some points on which the article might be improved:
  • The English names of species, such as "blackbird", shouldn't be written with a capital letter, according to naming conventions Wikipedia:Naming conventions#Animals, plants, and other organisms. - Probably done, but I'm afraid I may have missed some - Nousernamesleft^{talk and matrix?} 21:11, 31 December 2007 (UTC)
    • See item 3 of that link and Wikipedia:WikiProject Birds
      • Undone; see the references above for bird capitalization. Sorry (and will review later) Rufous-crowned Sparrow (talk) 21:34, 31 December 2007 (UTC)
  • The lead says "but a few", I don't think the word "but" is appropriate here. Done
  • Avoid the use of words like "noisy" (lead). Done
  • Split the sentence about singing and nests (lead).{{done}
  • Try to group information about location in the lead.{{done}
  • Avoid the use of "is most likely to be confused" and (Similar species). Done

– Ilse@ 10:17, 31 December 2007 (UTC)

• Support Nearly nearly there - couple of things that have just come to mind on comprehensiveness: cheers, Casliber (talk · contribs) 13:25, 31 December 2007 (UTC)

Is there anything on phylogenetics/evolution - what are its closest relatives within Turdus, also just a little on what lies in Turdidae may be good, but not a deal-breaker.

 Done for genus (that's 65 sp alone)Jimfbleak (talk) 16:54, 31 December 2007 (UTC)

I am about 98% sure the introduction to Oz and NZ was by the Acclimatisation society but I don't have a ref. Their 19th century antics are interesting and this is an absolute key article to link to them. I'll see what I can find but can't promise I can prioritise this highly.

I'm sure you're right, they are the usual suspects, but I can't find a definitive confirmation -thanks for the dates, I couldn't get those myself. Jimfbleak (talk) 16:54, 31 December 2007 (UTC)

Overall very good - maybe ask Sabines Sunbird for some help with research papers.

Yikes! a cite tag in Natural threats cheers, Casliber (talk · contribs) 12:50, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

 Done - was actually referenced by the Gregoire cite, but another ref in the middle of the sentence meant that wasn't clear, so repeated ref. Jimfbleak (talk) 13:13, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

Support Comments: Overall this article looks good. It is well-written and well-cited and has both good and geographically varied pictures of the bird. I gave the article a few tweaks and have just a few suggestions I would like addressed before I support.

• I would consider moving Taxonomy to becoming the first section per other bird FAs and so that the reader would have some reference before hitting the subspecies references in Description. Done
• Under distribution, what elevation do the birds go up to?  Done
• Why was the Newfoundland bird accepted as wild while the Quebec one wasn’t?

Not known, should I remove Quebec ref?

No, leave it in, no reason to cut it though elaboration would have been nice Rufous-crowned Sparrow (talk) 07:01, 5 January 2008 (UTC)

• In Taxonomy’s second paragraph, could you clarify what “but not to one or other common black European birds,” means? Maybe rephrase? Done
• Could you provide scientific names for all species in Taxonomy’s third paragraph? Done
• When you refer to subspecies in Behavior, maybe you should include genus and species along with the subspecific name (looks weird by itself), ie F.a. rufousus Done

Other than these, I think that the article looks pretty good. Thanks. Rufous-crowned Sparrow (talk) 04:49, 5 January 2008 (UTC)

Looks good now. I supported above. Rufous-crowned Sparrow (talk) 19:22, 5 January 2008 (UTC)

• Comments
  • "There are about 65 species of medium to large thrushes in the genus Turdus, characterised by rounded heads..." should it say "genus Turdus, which are characterised by..."
  • "Young birds vary in the shade of brown, with darker birds presumably males." the phrasing is a bit awkward. maybe say "Young birds are varying shades of brown; the darker birds are presumably male."?

-heyjude. 00:02, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

• Support - Full disclosure, I am a member of WP:BIRD but have had no part in working on this article. Sabine's Sunbird talk 01:21, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

The above discussion is preserved as an archive. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the article's talk page or in Wikipedia talk:Featured article candidates. No further edits should be made to this page.