Canada Geese Split

[Richard D]

Any views on the new split?

Richard

[Docmartin]

17 June 2005

A Press Release from the

BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION
RECORDS COMMITTEE

Taxonomic changes to the British List

The following recommendations relating to the taxonomy of birds on the British List will take effect from the publication of the BOURC Taxonomic Subcommittee’s (BOURC-TSC) next report in Ibis.

Canada Goose Branta canadensis
Canada Goose is currently treated as a single polytypic species. Molecular, ecological and behavioural evidence suggest that populations of ‘large-bodied’ and ‘small-bodied’ taxa are best treated as separate species.

§ Greater Canada Goose B. canadensis (polytypic, with subspecies canadensis, fulva, interior, maxima, moffitti, occidentalis and parvipes)
§ Lesser Canada Goose B. hutchinsii (polytypic, with subspecies hutchinsii, leucopareia, minima and taverneri).

Note that B. c. parvipes, often referred to as a ‘lesser’ Canada Goose, is placed within the Greater Canada Goose group.

Greater Canada Goose is on Category C of the British List on the basis of the established naturalised population. No vagrant ‘Canada Goose’ had, prior to this recommendation, been assigned to subspecific level. Records will now be reviewed to determine whether any individuals can be assigned to either group.

The British List remains on 568 species
(Category A = 547; Category B = 12; Category C = 9).

END

[Andrew Whitehouse]

The good thing about this is that it should boost birding tourism to Islay, where most 'Lesser' Canada Geese turn up. It will also mean a lot of nonsense being talked about the identification of geese there, but this is probably worth putting up with for a small boost in the island's economy.

[Tim Allwood]

should make for some interesting id threads
yawn

and one more split for the listers to go for. More traffic and more CO2.

still, as Fifey says they'll all be up in Islay rather than Norfolk

Tim