Plan D done
All these proposals so far have (in my view) failed to strike an appropriate middle ground between what is often the molecular biologist's preference of delimiting genera where they see a node with very strong bootstrap support versus the "field biologist who is used to current treatments" approach, which may involve uber-splitting of genera. I think in birds we tend to over-split many genera in a way that entomologists, palaentologists and others finds perplexing. The proposed middle ground, as adopted in the 2011 Spanish language version of the recent Colombia field guide was as follows:
REF: Donegan, TM, Salaman P, Quevedo A & McMullan M. 2011. Revision of the status of bird species occurring or reported in Colombia 2011. Conservacion Colombiana 15: 4-21.
http://www.proaves.org/IMG/pdf/CC15/Conservacion_Colombiana_15_4-21.pdf
"AOU–SACC Proposal 465 was to transfer Uropsalis,
Eleothreptus, Nyctidromus, Macropsalis, Nyctiprogne,
Lurocalis, and certain Caprimulgus spp. (cayennensis,
maculicaudus, longirostris, whitelyi, parvulus, anthonyi and
nigrescens) to the genus Hydropsalis ... It did not
pass but most committee members were in favour of some
changes. We adopt a middle–ground route of provisionally
placing members of the following genera occurring in
Colombia into Hydropsalis: Uropsalis, Nyctidromus and
most Caprimulgus. We retain the other genera occurring in
Colombia (Lurocalis and Nyctiprogne) as they were resolved
as monophyletic. We retain carolinensis in Caprimulgus for
the time being, pending action by the AOU’s North
American committee."
