Eclecticology wrote:

... The fact that a certain cohort has currently been concentrating its attentions on the bird articles does not imply that it has any rights to insist on its own peculiar format. We do have Wikipedia rules which, at least in this case, tend to be consistent with the usage of grammarians. The burden of proof falls on the shoulders of those who seek to institute an exception to those rules. I don't think that they have carried that burden, and their approach is "for the birds". ;-) ...

Perhaps this exception can be only for the bird articles themselves... I await what other people have to say. I for one have /never/ used capitals for the common names of species but then again I haven't taken any courses in ornithology.

--mav