BOU List Updates (1 Viewer)

AlanR · Apr 2, 2008

I've only been into birding for just over a year but the BOU list is starting to confuse me.
I started with its list at the beginning of 2007 and created my own Excel spreadsheet, generating my own numbers (which I assumed would not change). The next time I looked at the BOU website one bird had been added, so I put this into my spreadsheet - completing messing up my numbering system.
I looked again today and another four new birds have appeared. I tried to compare the old and new lists to find them but the order of some birds has also changed. They even seem to have changed some Scientific Names. (BH Gulls are no longer Larus ridibundus, but Chroicocephalus ridibundus. Birdforum database seems not to recognise this change.)
Is there an easy way to monitor what changes the BOU makes to its list?
How often is this likely to happen?
Alan

Richard Klim · Apr 2, 2008

Alan,

The updated British List on the BOU website has contained a number of errors in recent months, which have been corrected in the past few days (see the 'BOU checklist' thread on the Rare Bird Information forum).

All official changes to the list are published in the regular (approximately twice/year in recent years) BOURC Reports, which can be accessed at http://www.bou.org.uk/recreps.html.

Richard

AlanR · Apr 2, 2008

Richard Klim said:
Alan,

The updated British List on the BOU website has contained a number of errors in recent months, which have been corrected in the past few days (see the 'BOU checklist' thread on the Rare Bird Information forum).

All official changes to the list are published in the regular (approximately twice/year in recent years) BOURC Reports, which can be accessed at http://www.bou.org.uk/recreps.html.

Richard

Thanks for that. It certainly makes thing easier.
Are the changes to BH Gull et al now accepted?
Alan

Richard Klim · Apr 2, 2008

AlanR said:
Are the changes to BH Gull et al now accepted?
Alan

Yes, with effect from the BOURC 36th Report (Nov 2007) all members of the Larus "masked" group are now placed in genus Chroicocephalus. Doesn't slip off the tongue quite as easily, and increases wear on the keyboard!

Richard

AlanR · Apr 3, 2008

Richard Klim said:
Yes, with effect from the BOURC 36th Report (Nov 2007) all members of the Larus "masked" group are now placed in genus Chroicocephalus. Doesn't slip off the tongue quite as easily, and increases wear on the keyboard!

Richard

OK. Many thanks for speedy responses.
Alan

Gentoo · Apr 4, 2008

Here are some more of the recent changes as far as gulls go:

Chroicocephalus serranus Andean Gull 6a
Chroicocephalus maculipennis Brown-hooded Gull 6a, 6b
Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus Gray-hooded Gull 6, 6a
Chroicocephalus ridibundus Black-headed Gull (V) 6aa, 6aaa
Hydrocoloeus minutus Little Gull (V) 7, 7a
Leucophaeus scoresbii Dolphin Gull 1a
Leucophaeus modestus Gray Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla Laughing Gull 6a
Leucophaeus pipixcan Franklin's Gull (NB) 6a
Leucophaeus fuliginosus Lava Gull 6c, 6d

This is from the AUO South American Committee. Oddly the main North American branch does not reflect these changes yet.

Kratter · Apr 4, 2008

gull genera splits

Check out the pending porposals for the North American Check-list Committee at
http://www.aou.org/committees/nacc/proposals/pending.php3

They have passed the the proposal to similarly split what was Larus among four genera. It's not official, however, until published (in this year's July Auk).

Andy Kratter
member, NACC

Gentoo said:
Here are some more of the recent changes as far as gulls go:
Oddly the main North American branch does not reflect these changes yet.

Gentoo · Apr 5, 2008

I've seen this one before as well. I find it odd that Heermann's is missing from this list. In another I saw it maintained Heermann's in Larus which struck me as rather odd. Surely it has more in common with Gray and even Laughing Gulls than it does with Thayer's Gull.

Richard Klim · Apr 5, 2008

Gentoo said:
I find it odd that Heermann's is missing from this list. In another I saw it maintained Heermann's in Larus which struck me as rather odd. Surely it has more in common with Gray and even Laughing Gulls than it does with Thayer's Gull.

Here's a summary of the original Pons et al taxonomic revision (including L. heermanni):

http://americanbirding.org/birding/v38n5p23w1.pdf

Richard

Gentoo · Apr 6, 2008

Richard Klim said:
Here's a summary of the original Pons et al taxonomic revision (including L. heermanni):

http://americanbirding.org/birding/v38n5p23w1.pdf

Richard

That's what I was saying. Anyone know where I can find a paper or whatever that states why Heermann's is maintained in Larus when the species that seem like it would be closer to are in a new genus?

njlarsen · Apr 6, 2008

If you followed the reference given in the PDF, it will take you to http://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...serid=10&md5=b07afa6bd23b40bb7036130a0b02aeec. I don't know if you will have access to the full text version (I do not), but I assume the data are in there.

Niels

Gentoo · Apr 6, 2008

Yeah I don't have access to that either. Oh well, I'll keep looking for that info.

njlarsen · Apr 6, 2008

If you have a main university within reasonable distance, you should have a possibility by visiting their library. They normally charge for printing, but not for onlive viewing.

Niels

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