[jurek]

Originally Posted by RaMa

It's not the purpose of these lists to literally predict extinctions, but to assess the extinction risks for those species, in order to develop effective conservation measures. Sort of a self-inhibiting prophecy, if it works! This effect must be taken into consideration.

Yes, I mean improving assessing extinction risk!

It is not so nice, that every bird species at risk receives help and as a result, the prediction becomes untrue! It would be very happy world if conservation was so effective.

There are many birds whose conservation, despite best efforts, fails or stays on paper, and they don't so often become extinct. Good example are birds living in politically unstable areas. In sad contrast other species suddenly decline and become extinct. For example ones threatened by introduced predators and diseases.

[lewis20126]

I agree with Jurek - The VU/NT cats have become close to meaningless IMO. If data are so poor then they are DD. The recent use of CR (PE) is welcome but you could add another 20 species to that list. The politics of "declaring" final extinctions should also not be underestimated!

cheers, alan

[Ilya Maclean]

Originally Posted by lewis20126

I agree with Jurek - The VU/NT cats have become close to meaningless IMO. If data are so poor then they are DD. cheers, alan

Its worth bearing in mind that birds are only one of the taxonomic groups for which IUCN Red Listing is performed and it seems logical to maintain consistency across groups. If data quality critera were stricter, it's possible that too many spp. in less studied groups would be classed as DD, potentially undermining the value of the list.

Also it's not just about individual species - the total proportion of species assessed so far that are threatened delivers a pretty poweful message of relevance to e.g. the CBD 2020 Aichi Biodiversity Targets (see particularly target 12). Lumping VU/NT cats could undermine this.

[gusasp]

On another note, what I find the most bewildering with BirdLife is their taxonomic approach. By and large extremely conservative, omitting hundreds of splits recognized by nearly every other authority, plus a few odd or very recent splits not widely accepted by others. You'd think that when conservation work for some reason almost always is species-based, it would be in BirdLife's interest to be split-friendly, up there with the Dutch.

[Melanie]

The updated IUCN Redlist 2012 will be published on 19th June.

[Richard Klim]

Originally Posted by Richard Klim

Final decisions for the 2012 Red List. [21 Feb 2012]

Birdwatch news: Is Edward's Pheasant no more?

WPA news: The critical moment: saving a species on the brink of extinction.

BirdLife:

• Species factsheet.
  
• Request for information.

[Richard Klim]

Originally Posted by Melanie

The updated IUCN Redlist 2012 will be published on 19th June.

BirdLife:

• Recently recategorised species.
• Threat to the Amazon’s birds greater than ever, Red List update reveals.

The updated BirdLife Checklist (presumably v5) hasn't been posted yet.

[locustella]

IUCN 2012 update - 4 species extinct "2 rediscovered" Food security waning
Wildlife Extra News

and:
http://www.iucnredlist.org/

Birds - comparison of two versions:
2011.2 downloaded 2012-06-04
2012.1 downloaded 2012-06-19

41 not listed previously species

Species ID   Common name                 scientific name    Red List status
ANSERIFORMES - ANATIDAE:
160031681  American Scoter               Melanitta americana      NT
160032254  American White-winged Scoter  Melanitta deglandi       LC
139471541  Velvet Scoter                 Melanitta fusca          EN
139494910  Black Scoter                  Melanitta nigra          LC
139471543  Asian White-winged Scoter     Melanitta stejnegeri     LC
APODIFORMES - APODIDAE:
139540930  Horus Swift                   Apus horus               LC
GALLIFORMES - PHASIANIDAE:
139541085  Great Argus                   Argusianus argus         NT
PICIFORMES - PICIDAE    
139541226  Iberian Green Woodpecker      Picus sharpei            LC
139541304  Eurasian Green Woodpecker     Picus viridis            LC
PSITTACIFORMES - PSITTACIDAE    
139462673  Grey Parrot                   Psittacus erithacus      VU
160032708  Timneh Parrot                 Psittacus timneh         VU

PASSERIFORMES
CISTICOLIDAE:
160031240  Buff-throated Apalis          Apalis rufogularis       LC
CORVIDAE    
139538538  Transvolcanic Jay             Aphelocoma ultramarina   LC
139538584  Mexican Jay                   Aphelocoma wollweberi    LC
139467014  Bornean Green Magpie          Cissa jefferyi           LC
139467000  Javan Green Magpie            Cissa thalassina         CR
COTINGIDAE    
139410085  Palkachupa Cotinga            Phibalura boliviana      EN
139410077  Swallow-tailed Cotinga        Phibalura flavirostris   NT
FORMICARIIDAE    
160032701  Sucre Antpitta                Grallaricula cumanensis  VU
139540174  Slaty-crowned Antpitta        Grallaricula nana        LC
FRINGILLIDAE    
139545398  Common Redpoll, Redpoll       Carduelis flammea        LC
160032308  African Crimson-winged Finch  Rhodopechys alienus      LC
139546827  Asian Crimson-winged Finch    Rhodopechys sanguineus   LC
160031317  Black-throated Canary         Serinus atrogularis      LC
106008777  Kenya Yellow-rumped Seedeater Serinus reichenowi       LC
160031321  Streaky Seedeater             Serinus striolatus       LC
MUSCICAPIDAE    
160031220  Botta's Wheatear              Oenanthe bottae          LC
106006711  Heuglin's Wheatear            Oenanthe heuglini        LC
PARULIDAE    
139461180  Yellow-throated Warbler       Dendroica dominica       LC
139461225  Bahama Warbler                Dendroica flavescens     NT
PASSERIDAE    
160032621  African Desert Sparrow        Passer simplex           LC
160032622  Asian Desert Sparrow          Passer zarudnyi          LC
PLATYSTEIRIDAE    
160032235  Western Black-headed Batis    Batis erlangeri          LC
139554980  Black-headed Batis            Batis minor              LC
THAMNOPHILIDAE    
139484939  Dull-mantled Antbird          Myrmeciza laemosticta    LC
139484941  Magdalena Antbird             Myrmeciza palliata       NT
139535965  Common Scale-backed Antbird   Willisornis poecilinotus LC
139536084  Xingu Scale-backed Antbird    Willisornis vidua        LC
TURDIDAE    
106006458  Fire-crested Alethe           Alethe castanea          LC
160031216  White-tailed Alethe           Alethe diademata         LC
160031211  Abyssinian Ground-thrush      Zoothera piaggiae        LC

They have changed latin names some of species:
Catharacta antarctica --> Stercorarius antarcticus (Brown Skua)
Catharacta chilensis --> Stercorarius chilensis (Chilean Skua)
Catharacta lonnbergi --> Stercorarius lonnbergi (Brown Skua)
Catharacta maccormicki --> Stercorarius maccormicki (South Polar Skua)
Catharacta skua --> Stercorarius skua (Great Skua)
Claravis godefrida --> Claravis geoffroyi (Purple-barred Ground-dove)
Grus paradisea --> Anthropoides paradiseus (Blue Crane)
Grus virgo --> Anthropoides virgo (Demoiselle Crane)
Grus carunculatus --> Bugeranus carunculatus (Wattled Crane)
Grus leucogeranus --> Leucogeranus leucogeranus (Siberian Crane)
Aramides cajanea --> Aramides cajaneus (Gray-necked Wood-Rail)
Porphyrio martinica --> Porphyrio martinicus (American Purple Gallinule)
Amazona mercenaria --> Amazona mercenarius (Scaly-naped Amazon)
Mimizuku gurneyi --> Otus gurneyi (Giant Scops-owl)
PASSERIFORMES:
Xenops milleri --> Microxenops milleri (Rufous-tailed Xenops)
Premnornis guttuligera --> Premnornis guttuliger (Rusty-winged Barbtail)
Myrmecocichla semirufa --> Monticola semirufus (White-winged Cliff-chat)
Myrmecocichla cinnamomeiventris --> Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris (Mocking Chat)
Colluricincla tenebrosa --> Pachycephala tenebrosa (Morningbird)
Frederickena unduligera --> Frederickena unduliger (Undulated Antshrike)

They also changed Red List status of 181 species

132 upgraded:
103 from LC to VU, NT or even to EN in 3 cases
20 from VU to EN, NT and CR in one case
3 from CR to EN
4 from NT to EN or CR in one case
2 from DD to NT or VU

48 downgraded:
14 from EN to CR, NT or VU
33 from NT to LC or VU
1 from VU to LC

Ua Pou Monarch Pomarea mira (PASSERIFORMES - MONARCHIDAE)
from EX to CR !!
("rediscovered" species)
Two other rediscovered ones, but not birds, also changed from EX to CR are:
Hula Painted Frog Discoglossus nigriventer
Wicker Ancylid Rhodacmea filosa (GASTROPODA - HYGROPHILA - PLANORBIDAE)

No one bird species extinct ...
Extinct only
Ovate Clubshell Pleurobema perovatum (BIVALVIA - UNIONOIDA - UNIONIDAE)

[Richard Klim]

Originally Posted by locustella

41 not listed previously species

This list reflects the 18 newly split species and 6 deleted species (5 lumped, 1 no longer recognised), as listed by BirdLife on 7 June (Recently recategorised species).

The total of 41 includes the original parent species for the taxonomic changes concerned.

PS. Particularly interesting is the lump of Hoary (Arctic) Redpoll Carduelis (Acanthis) hornemanni into Redpoll C flammea. Will other authorities follow...?

[madpitta]

Still no update on the grassland birds of north-east India. The Black-breasted Parrotbill & Marsh Babbler have less than 1500 sq kms of suitable habitat left across their entire range. Even within areas of suitable habitat, they are mostly absent and highly localized. One of their only three viable populations (Dibru Saikhowa area) is severely threatened by grass collecters and illegal grazing. Yet they are rated only as VU.

[dnsallen]

Originally Posted by madpitta

Still no update on the grassland birds of north-east India. The Black-breasted Parrotbill & Marsh Babbler have less than 1500 sq kms of suitable habitat left across their entire range. Even within areas of suitable habitat, they are mostly absent and highly localized. One of their only three viable populations (Dibru Saikhowa area) is severely threatened by grass collecters and illegal grazing. Yet they are rated only as VU.

and Dibru-Saikhowa was created fairly recently by an earthquake that dropped the ground level. One wonders whether another earthquake would necessarily be as helpful.

[dnsallen]

and someone deserves congratulations IMO for the name Transvolcanic Jay. Highly memorable.

[Richard Klim]

Originally Posted by dnsallen

and someone deserves congratulations IMO for the name Transvolcanic Jay. Highly memorable.

Although AOU's names (reassigning the name Mexican Jay from Aphelocoma ultramarina to the newly split A wollweberi, and renaming A ultramarina as Transvolcanic Jay) predictably result in a degree of confusion. eg, BirdLife has listed A ultramarina (but not A wollweberi) as a newly split species, previously not recognised (NR).

PS. And anyway both species are 'Mexican' (A ultramarina, the ex-Mexican Jay, is endemic to Mexico!) - but AOU probably wanted to avoid changing the English name of the US birds.

[madpitta]

Originally Posted by dnsallen

and Dibru-Saikhowa was created fairly recently by an earthquake that dropped the ground level. One wonders whether another earthquake would necessarily be as helpful.

Kaziranga NP which is the last stronghold for several charismatic species of birds & mammals, is at equal risk from a major earthquake since it is cradled by a scary looking curve of the Brahmaputra river. In a region that has seen two 8+ earthquakes in 100 years that is a very real possibility.

[birdboybowley]

Catharacta skuas now merged into as Stercorarius....really??!?? Well, they are very confusable with Poms and Arctics...oh wait a minute, no they're not....odd

[MJB]

Originally Posted by birdboybowley

Catharacta skuas now merged into as Stercorarius....really??!?? Well, they are very confusable with Poms and Arctics...oh wait a minute, no they're not....odd

Well, I suppose it depends a little on your internal definition of 'recent' as it might apply to 'now merged'. This 'change' came in 1997, in:
COHEN, BL, AJ BAKER, K BLECHSCHMIDT, DL DITTMANN, RW FURNESS, JA GERWIN, AJ HELBIG, J DE KORTE, HD MARSHALL, RL PALMA, H-U PETER, R RAMLI, I SIEBOLD, MS WILLCOX, RH WILSON AND RM ZINK. 1997. Enigmatic phylogeny of skuas (Aves Stercorariidae). Proc R Soc Lond B 264: 181-190.

I attach some additional info produced in the preparation of a paper on skuas' movements I co-authored with Vladimir Arkhipov in 2008.
MJB
PS You were very young in 1997, though...

[jurek]

Originally Posted by locustella

They have changed latin names some of species:
Catharacta antarctica --> Stercorarius antarcticus (Brown Skua)
Catharacta chilensis --> Stercorarius chilensis (Chilean Skua)
Catharacta lonnbergi --> Stercorarius lonnbergi (Brown Skua)
Catharacta maccormicki --> Stercorarius maccormicki (South Polar Skua)
Catharacta skua --> Stercorarius skua (Great Skua)

Grus paradisea --> Anthropoides paradiseus (Blue Crane)
Grus virgo --> Anthropoides virgo (Demoiselle Crane)
Grus carunculatus --> Bugeranus carunculatus (Wattled Crane)
Grus leucogeranus --> Leucogeranus leucogeranus (Siberian Crane)

I always welcome changes coming from substantial new discoveries, but this is essentially a whim of opinion.

How many times Catharacta changed to Stercorarius and back already? I think an average Great Skua during its lifetime changed its name 3 or 4 times.

I think there is an urgent need an Official List of Taxa on a Borderline between split and lump, and an Official Moratorium on more flipping them back and forth.

[locustella]

Originally Posted by Richard Klim

This list reflects the 18 newly split species and 6 deleted species (5 lumped, 1 no longer recognised), as listed by BirdLife on 7 June (Recently recategorised species).

The total of 41 includes the original parent species for the taxonomic changes concerned. (..)

Yes, many of those 41 species were listed, but under different Species IDs (as parent species of new species). Like Melanitta fusca which has been split into M. fusca, M. deglandi and M. stejnegeri. Old M. fusca was listed under ID 100600493, new one under 139471541. Exactly 23 species changed IDs. What reduces the number 41 to 18. However those 23 are not the same species like previously, but only bear the same names ...
And 6 dissappeared (5 lumped and 1 not recognized any more, like in BirdLife's webpage). I didn't notice that on Tuesday comparing fast only IDs, not names.
For example Carduelis hornemanni dissappeared at all because of lumping with something (?).

[James Lowther]

Originally Posted by jurek

I always welcome changes coming from substantial new discoveries, but this is essentially a whim of opinion.

How many times Catharacta changed to Stercorarius and back already? I think an average Great Skua during its lifetime changed its name 3 or 4 times.

I think there is an urgent need an Official List of Taxa on a Borderline between split and lump, and an Official Moratorium on more flipping them back and forth.

????....

in recent times (since 1957??) each authority has made a maximum of one generic change to great skua, basically subsuming catharacta within stercorarius - zero changes in the opposite direction have been made

http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.j...041C6E5DB73FC7

birdlife just seem to have lagged behind the rest by a few years

i appreciate you're always keen to put the boot in to taxonomists but you need to pick your targets a bit better

cheers,
james

[locustella]

Both IUCN and BirdLife don't recognise separated Saxicola torquatus and rubicola ...
According to Wikipedia S. torquatus is only European one, not including African populations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Stonechat
And what to do with that ?

[Richard Klim]

Originally Posted by locustella

Both IUCN and BirdLife don't recognise separated Saxicola torquatus and rubicola ...

European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola (and Siberian Stonechat S maurus) are split from African Stonechat S torquatus by (eg) Urquhart & Bowley 2002 (Stonechats), IOC, AERC, BOURC, CSNA, OSME;
but not by BirdLife/IUCN ('under review'), H&M3, Cornell (Clements/eBird), HBW, African Bird Club, OBC, AOU (which treat S torquatus as wide-ranging Common Stonechat).

Originally Posted by locustella

According to Wikipedia S. torquatus is only European one, not including African populations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Stonechat

? According to that Wikipedia page, S torquatus is African Stonechat, not including European populations.

[MJB]

Originally Posted by Richard Klim

European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola (and Siberian Stonechat S maurus) are split from African Stonechat S torquatus by (eg) Urquhart & Bowley 2002 (Stonechats), IOC, AERC, BOURC, CSNA, OSME; but not by BirdLife/IUCN ('under review'), H&M3, Cornell (Clements/eBird), HBW, African Bird Club, OBC, AOU (which treat S torquatus as wide-ranging Common Stonechat). ? According to that Wikipedia page, S torquatus is African Stonechat, not including European populations.

Just as you might think that all is now settling into stabilised orderliness, it's possible that deeper analysis of Palearctic eastern taxa and review of name histories may establish that the priority superspecies name is maurus...
MJB

[Richard Klim]

Originally Posted by MJB

Just as you might think that all is now settling into stabilised orderliness, it's possible that deeper analysis of Palearctic eastern taxa and review of name histories may establish that the priority superspecies name is maurus...

I just checked H&M3, and almost had a heart attack!

Torquatus is dated 1776 - ie, junior to rubicola (1766), variegatus (1774), maurus (1773), sibilla (1766).

But, corrected to 1766 in Corrigenda 2.1...

[locustella]

Originally Posted by Richard Klim

? According to that Wikipedia page, S torquatus is African Stonechat, not including European populations.

But included:

In the past S. torquatus usually referred to the entire "Common Stonechat" superspecies

[Richard Klim]

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

In the past S. torquatus usually referred to the entire "Common Stonechat" superspecies

Yes. Saxicola torquatus sensu lato (still unsplit by many authorities) includes African, European and Asian populations.