{"id":10780,"date":"2017-07-01T09:06:58","date_gmt":"2017-07-01T16:06:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/birdaz.com\/blog\/?p=10780"},"modified":"2018-06-23T07:48:12","modified_gmt":"2018-06-23T14:48:12","slug":"the-fifty-eighth-supplement-to-the-aou-check-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/birdaz.com\/blog\/2017\/07\/01\/the-fifty-eighth-supplement-to-the-aou-check-list\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fifty-Eighth Supplement to the AOU Check-list"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a title=\"Northern Shrike\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/rickwright\/11651002685\/in\/photolist-8UGqqR-8R29az-iKyrbD-7RuGPR-7RuLzc-7zNNt9-7zFeWg-7zFeR6-7zNYXH-7zFeJP\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5537\/11651002685_ee34d20f70.jpg\" alt=\"Northern Shrike\" width=\"500\" height=\"277\" \/><\/a><script src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s Christmas in July for most birders with the appearance of the now-annual Supplement to the AOU\u00a0<em>Check-list<\/em>. This year, as always, Santa Claus giveth and Santa Claus taketh away. On balance, those who care about numbers will find their lists increasing. For the rest of us &#8212; for most of us &#8212; the yearly update is a chance to look into the workings of taxonomists and ornithologists as they toil to decipher the relationships among our birds.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"thayer's gull 6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/rickwright\/5500854188\/in\/photolist-9o2TBn-9o2TXF-9o3gcx-9o6jm1-9o2TtZ-9o3gka-9o2S6a-9o5V6d-9o2T3H-9o2SvH-9o5Vws-9o6jiA-9o3ggz-9o5Vem-9o2SVK-9o2Tbg-9o6jdY-9o5Wa7-9o5Ujy-9o5TxU-9o5TrG-9o5UPN-9o2R8c-9o2RBF-9o2Rfk-9o2QSa-9o5Uzb-9o5UcE-9o5UGJ-9o2R1F-9o6jrY-93c4Cz-93faMo-93c49K-93faEf-93c4w2-93f9Xh-93c3UM-93c4pt-93c3Mi-93c57k-93c4Zi-93c3gP-93fbg9-93f9zL-93f9t3-93c5dx-93c4hc-93f9mb-8GKUJZ\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5212\/5500854188_1db8715ed3.jpg\" alt=\"thayer's gull 6\" width=\"434\" height=\"267\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The greatest loss for listers is certainly that handsome gull &#8220;kind&#8221; known over the past 45 years as the <strong>Thayer gull<\/strong>. Jon Dunn and Van Remsen argued cogently, even devastatingly, that the research supporting full species status for the bird was thoroughly flawed, and that the &#8220;burden of proof&#8221; should be on those asserting its distinctness from the Iceland gull. To my memory, Dunn and Remsen&#8217;s is the only taxonomic proposal ever considered by the AOS committee to use the phrases &#8220;scientific misconduct.&#8221; The authors encourage further research into the taxonomy of the large herring-like gulls, but meanwhile, <em>thayeri\u00a0<\/em>is reduced to a mere synonym.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Eastern Willet\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/rickwright\/14339157996\/in\/photolist-nR6W71-nT1CrW-nSRrPv-nAEHC8-nAEc3U-nT4SYY-nSRrgr-nUVSSP-nUVSr8-nR73XL-nAEHae-nR73iu-nT1C8j-nADDQT-nAEc57-nADLQV-nAEbnW-nSRjXp-nT9qFt-nADWms-nT9pjR-nT4RPy-nSRquX-nT1AW1-nT4S1q-nR72wE-nADKuD-nT4RLC-nT4RTb-nADPBL-nSRqhT-nT4RD3-nR725C-nR72yU-nUVR5k-nT9poi-nT4RDU-nUVReD-nUVRsK-cMWnnw-cMWnAQ-cMWnqf-cMWnrY-cMWnu1-cMWnvJ-cMWnyu-csbjkY-csbjvo-csbjnS-csbjsY\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5531\/14339157996_da5f49990f.jpg\" alt=\"Eastern Willet\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Some birders will probably be disappointed, too, by the committee&#8217;s having declined to accept a number of proposed splits and re-splits, some involving some of the most familiar birds on the continent. The\u00a0<strong>willet<\/strong> remains a single species, as does the\u00a0<strong>yellow-rumped warbler<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Myrtle Warbler\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/rickwright\/5655822399\/in\/photolist-hoEoqm-hoEoxq-hoEsES-9BMyXi-9BQuUo-9BKZNF-9BMyFR-9BKZxx-9BNVFS-9BMyUp-9BNXdh-9BMyNe-9BMz16-e2pHba-9BNWX5-9BNWvE-9BMyRD\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5269\/5655822399_35f3349a7e.jpg\" alt=\"Myrtle Warbler\" width=\"500\" height=\"468\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\nThe eastern and western populations of the <strong>brown creeper,\u00a0<\/strong>the\u00a0<strong>Nashville warbler,\u00a0<\/strong>and the\u00a0<strong>Bell vireo\u00a0<\/strong>were also sentenced\u00a0to continued cohabitation.<\/p>\n<p>But there are splits aplenty, too.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Baird's junco\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/rickwright\/31840231060\/in\/photolist-PReEDv-PReEUv-QRGxaE-PReouB-PRd9RB-PRep4x-PRew7R-QvBvp3-QUmjN6-QRGmcs-QvD3GG-QvCVmQ-QRGkG9-PRerjz-QRGoeo-R2ttRf-R5QM76-PReyVX-QRGrfo-R2tzXo-PReAKi-R2tAyo-R2tv5s-QvD44o-QvD8Qs-gTbg1S-9FLWFz-PReBkM-QvD8k9-PNunmd-PNuojW-PReBSi-PNupXW-PNuo2m-QvBvTj\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/637\/31840231060_a55a45e9fd.jpg\" alt=\"Baird's junco\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The gorgeous little\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biodiversitylibrary.org\/item\/53527#page\/169\/mode\/1up\">Baird junco<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>gets its own box on the ticklist\u00a0again, and the\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biodiversitylibrary.org\/item\/54331#page\/492\/mode\/1up\">Talamanca hummingbird<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>of Costa Rica and Panama is once again treated as distinct from the northerly <strong>Rivoli\u00a0hummingbir<\/strong>d.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"magnificent hummingbird\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/rickwright\/16833055116\/in\/photolist-LhdLV5-qJLp8f-rnq4Gc-rpcGmm-rDtNQd-rnq1Bp-onGFXc-oDYE3C-onGsNh-onGXXD-onGZ72-oEaQEf-oDYVoN-oFXnVg-oFXkRM-oDYVWS-oEaQ2b-oEaPwJ-6p74yW-fERW3D-6p72wE-6p2TeX-6itNZV-6izMQR-6ixXsb-dm81KW-64bP6j-64bA2U\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8587\/16833055116_ef60b319e2.jpg\" alt=\"magnificent hummingbird\" width=\"500\" height=\"318\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>To my surprise, we also have a new crossbill species in North America. The <strong>Cassia crossbill<\/strong> (the English name commemorates the type locality, and is far better than the cutesy scientific name\u00a0<em>sinesciuris<\/em>) breeds in the South Hills and Albion Mountains of Idaho. It is apparently sedentary, making identification perhaps a bit easier; the bird is said to be larger than other sympatric crossbills, and to have different calls and songs.<\/p>\n<p>My surprise has nothing to do with the quality of the research establishing this as a distinct species: all this genetics stuff is way beyond me. But I did not expect any real movement in crossbill classification to be inspired by one taxon; I&#8217;d thought the committee might wait for a universal solution to these difficult problems. In any case, Burley had better be ready for an ornitho-influx.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"great gray shrike\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/rickwright\/30739156586\/in\/photolist-NQjdjo-NTxTxZ-MVJ1b3-MpyTa3-MJg98x-MpyTch\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5340\/30739156586_549336b7fd.jpg\" alt=\"great gray shrike\" width=\"500\" height=\"368\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>We also get a split in the &#8220;gray&#8221; shrike complex. The North American <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.e-rara.ch\/nev_r\/oiseaux\/content\/pageview\/1882522\">northern shrike<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>is now considered specifically distinct from its Old World counterparts; its species epithet is once again\u00a0<em>borealis<\/em>, the name given it by Vieillot in 1808.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Northern Harrier\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/rickwright\/8427945906\/in\/photolist-QUkymF-jRv6yU-jRv6yo-jKQqkt-dQDQyi-dQDQy8-dQKqGb-dQDQwg-dQKqGN-dQDQzt-dQKqHb-dQKqJE-dQKqJu-dQEc5g-dQKqJC-dQDQwM-8BjjsA-8Bgdpe-8Bjjnu-8BjjgG-7UcuSp-7Ug78Q-7jdkev-7jdkrn-7jdkT2-7jhePs\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8187\/8427945906_95b98e996b.jpg\" alt=\"Northern Harrier\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Our\u00a0<strong>northern harrier\u00a0<\/strong>is also split from the hen harrier of Europe, under the Linnaean\u00a0name\u00a0<em>Circus hudsonius<\/em>. The name honors the employer of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biographi.ca\/en\/bio\/isham_james_3E.html\">James Isham<\/a>, who sent the first specimens to George <a href=\"http:\/\/digicoll.library.wisc.edu\/cgi-bin\/DLDecArts\/DLDecArts-idx?type=article&amp;did=DLDecArts.NatHistEd03.i0006&amp;id=DLDecArts.NatHistEd03&amp;isize=M\">Edwards<\/a> in the 1740s.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Common Redpoll darkish\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/rickwright\/2403120743\/in\/photolist-dKxiXm-dKrQqg-dKxiXS-dKxiHm-dKxiXL-dKrQFr-dJvHaX-dJvHcp-dJvSsV-dJBa3N-dJBa4L-dJvHa8-dJvHan-dJvHdg-4EmC5g-4EmBYr\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm4.staticflickr.com\/3279\/2403120743_e4568066ca.jpg\" alt=\"Common Redpoll darkish\" width=\"450\" height=\"308\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The number of birders dreading the lump of the redpolls was almost as great as that of those devoutly wishing its\u00a0consummation. The resolution (for now)\u00a0leaves us with\u00a0three<em>\u00a0<\/em>species in the United States and Canada, the\u00a0<strong>hoary, common<\/strong>, and\u00a0<strong>lesser redpolls<\/strong><em>, <\/em>that last listed as accidental. The\u00a0<em>Acanthis<\/em>\u00a0debate is certain to outlive us all.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em>Familiar<em>\u00a0<\/em>at least as a target bird to observers in Middle America, the old Prevost ground sparrow is no more. In its place, we have the\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biodiversitylibrary.org\/item\/91104#page\/407\/mode\/1up\">white-faced ground sparrow<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and the\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biodiversitylibrary.org\/item\/91104#page\/406\/mode\/1up\">Cabanis\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biodiversitylibrary.org\/item\/91104#page\/406\/mode\/1up\"><strong>ground sparrow<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0the former occupying a range from southern Mexico to Honduras and the latter restricted to Costa Rica&#8217;s Central and Turrialba Valleys. The\u00a0two species differ conspicuously in head and breast pattern &#8212; conspicuously, that is, if you&#8217;re fortunate enough to get a good look at these often sneaky sparrows.<\/p>\n<p>And speaking, inevitably, of sparrows, the American birds going under that slippery English label are now assigned to a family of their own, <a href=\"http:\/\/checklist.aou.org\/taxa\/12431\">Passerellidae<\/a><em>.\u00a0<\/em>In this, the AOS follows the recent practice of nearly all ornithologists over the past five years. It seems likely that the name will be replaced in the near future by <a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=i65TAAAAcAAJ&amp;pg=PA153#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false\">Arremonidae<\/a>, which if valid has nomenclatural priority.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Yellow-breasted Chat\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/rickwright\/5865256584\/in\/photolist-ogzGxg-ogv8Dq-nYXZnm-ogrmKB-nYY6GH-oicKui-9WdU9i-9WgJFs-9WhYmj-9WhYoA-9WhYrw-9WgK1s-9WgKaQ\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm3.staticflickr.com\/2756\/5865256584_d6c339bbb4.jpg\" alt=\"Yellow-breasted Chat\" width=\"500\" height=\"363\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The nine-primaried oscines &#8212; the &#8220;songbirds&#8221; at the back of the bird books &#8212; have also been rearranged, giving us all a new sequence to memorize. (I understand that the new sequence will be used in the seventh edition of the National Geographic guide, coming in a few weeks.) The most notable taxonomic change here is certainly the elevation of the <strong>yellow-breasted chat<\/strong> to its own family, Icteriidae, occupying a position in the linear sequence just before the orioles and blackbirds, Icteridae. This is just the latest stage on a <a href=\"http:\/\/birdaz.com\/blog\/2014\/07\/11\/who-made-that-bird-a-warbler-anyhow\/\">classificatory journey sure to continue for a long, long time<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>There will be more to say, no doubt, when the complete text of the supplement is readily available on line. Meanwhile, much to ponder.<\/p>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s Christmas in July for most birders with the appearance of the now-annual Supplement to the AOU\u00a0Check-list. This year, as always, Santa Claus giveth and Santa Claus taketh away. On balance, those who care about numbers will find their lists increasing. For the rest of us &#8212; for most of us &#8212; the yearly update &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"http:\/\/birdaz.com\/blog\/2017\/07\/01\/the-fifty-eighth-supplement-to-the-aou-check-list\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;The Fifty-Eighth Supplement to the AOU Check-list&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[676,36,1,66],"tags":[516,641,643,87,88,642,228],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/birdaz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10780"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/birdaz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/birdaz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/birdaz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/birdaz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10780"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/birdaz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10780\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10782,"href":"http:\/\/birdaz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10780\/revisions\/10782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/birdaz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/birdaz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/birdaz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}