Rare Birds of North America (1 Viewer)

[Richard Klim]

Howell, Lewington & Russell 2014. Rare Birds of North America. PUP.

The following is a list of suggested/potential/possible splits (wrt IOC World Bird List v4.1) mentioned in the species accounts – most have been well-discussed elsewhere.
(A few of the common names are of my invention and could probably be improved!)

Melanitta [deglandi] stejnegeri – Stejneger's (White-winged) Scoter
Diomedea [antipodensis] gibsoni – Gibson's (Antipodean) Albatross
Thalassarche [cauta] steadi – Auckland Shy Albatross
Pterodroma [macroptera] gouldi – Grey-faced (Great-winged) Petrel
Hydrobates (pelagicus) melitensis – Mediterranean (European) Storm Petrel
Halocyptena (Oceanodroma) [tethys] kelsalli – Peruvian (Wedge-rumped) Storm Petrel
Oceanodroma [leucorhoa] socorroensis – Townsend's (Leach's) Storm Petrel
Mesophoyx (Egretta) (intermedia) brachyrhyncha – Yellow-billed (Intermediate) Egret
Mesophoyx (Egretta) (intermedia) plumifera – Plumed (Intermediate) Egret
Milvus [migrans] lineatus – Black-eared (Black) Kite
Vanellus [chilensis] cayennensis – Cayenne (Southern) Lapwing
Charadrius [mongolus] atrifrons – Lesser Sand Plover
Larus [fuscus] heuglini – Heuglin's (Lesser Black-backed) Gull
Tachornis (phoenicobia) iradii – Cuban (Antillean) Palm Swift
Colibri (thalassinus) cyanotus – Lesser (Green) Violetear
Saucerottia (Amazilia) (beryllina) devillei – Deville's (Berylline) Hummingbird
Calothorax (Calliphlox) (evelynae) lyura – Inagua (Bahama) Woodstar
Myiopagis (viridicata) minima – West Mexican Greenish Elaenia
Myiopagis (viridicata) placens – Middle American Greenish Elaenia
Elaenia (albiceps) modesta – Peruvian (White-crested) Elaenia
Mitrephanes [phaeocercus] aurantiiventris – Middle American (Northern) Tufted Flycatcher
Myiozetetes [similis] texensis – Vermilion-crowned (Social) Flycatcher
Tyrannus (savana) monachus – Northern Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Tyrannus [caudifasciatus] taylori – Puerto Rican Loggerhead Kingbird
Tyrannus [caudifasciatus] gabbii – Hispaniolan Loggerhead Kingbird
Myiarchus (nuttingi) flavidior – Ridgway's (Nutting's) Flycatcher
Alauda (arvensis) pekinensis – Asian (Eurasian) Skylark
Progne [tapera] fusca – Brown-banded (Brown-chested) Martin
Delichon (urbicum) lagopodum – Eastern (Common) House Martin
Turdus (merula) mandarinus – Chinese (Common) Blackbird
Turdus (rufopalliatus) graysoni – Grayson's (Rufous-backed) Thrush
Turdus (plumbeus) ardosiaceus – Eastern Red-legged Thrush
Ficedula (narcissina) owstoni – Ryukyu (Narcissus) Flycatcher
Anthus (gustavi) menzbieri – Menzbier's (Pechora) Pipit
Euphonia [affinis] godmani – Godman's (Scrub) Euphonia
Basileuterus [rufifrons] delattrii – Chestnut-capped (Rufous-capped) Warbler
Basileuterus (culicivorus) cabanisi – Cabanis's (Golden-crowned) Warbler
Basileuterus (culicivorus) auricapilla – Golden-crowned Warbler
Sporophila [torqueola] morelleti – White-collared Seedeater
Cyanocompsa (parellina) indigotica – Western Blue Bunting

Reviews: Books etc forum.

 

[Fred Ruhe]

Richard wrote: (A few of the common names are of my invention and could probably be improved!)
Don't worry, they are improved since 1758 by a guy called Carl von Linné or Carolus Linnaeus, he gives animals a name that is universal, not only understandable for english speking people but also for people who don't see why a Robin in America is different from a Robin in England or a Robin in Australia and all the discussion on english names is just a awfull waist of time. If you want to discuss birds on an international level, use the normal latin names, don't try to make English the international language for naming animals (or plants), they have a valid name.

Fred

 

[Mysticete]

99% of all communication with english speaking birders and the wider not birding community uses common names. So yeah, if you split them it's good to have some sort of common name.

 

[Papuan birder]

Richard wrote: (A few of the common names are of my invention and could probably be improved!)
Don't worry, they are improved since 1758 by a guy called Carl von Linné or Carolus Linnaeus, he gives animals a name that is universal, not only understandable for english speking people but also for people who don't see why a Robin in America is different from a Robin in England or a Robin in Australia and all the discussion on english names is just a awfull waist of time. If you want to discuss birds on an international level, use the normal latin names, don't try to make English the international language for naming animals (or plants), they have a valid name.

Fred

I fail to understand the logic of your reasoning, but good luck trying to convince people to start using latin names instead of common English ones whilst discussing birds on an international level.

 

[Richard Klim]

I agree with Fred that the 'primary key' when referring to taxa should be the scientific name. However, given that BirdForum is an international but English-language (and largely non-scientific) forum, I think that using English names (in addition to, not instead of scientific names) helps to make the taxonomy forum a little more accessible to BF members who would otherwise be deterred by a largely Latin/Greek discourse.

And whilst the regular contributors are probably aware of generic and specific names, I suspect that few of us are familiar with all subspecific names. So I just thought it would help to give some context to possible splits by giving a tentative, if clumsy (eg, geographically-based), English name.

 

[MJB]

I suspect that few of us are familiar with all subspecific names. So I just thought it would help to give some context to possible splits by giving a tentative, if clumsy (eg, geographically-based), English name.

Richard,
I think it is particularly helpful to provide or invent an informal English name to identify a population or group of populations by means of a reasoned process, provided that the informal nature of the name is emphasised at each use.

Doing so helps keep that population or group constantly in mind - it prevents it being overlooked: the status of any such name used in this way indicates that these populations or groups essentially require further investigation, and whether new data or existing data re-examined in greater depth will show these names to be ephemeral or worth considering for formal adoption is understood from the start.

A possible example is 'Taimyr' Gull following the work of van Dijk 2011.
MJB
van Dijk, K, S Kharitonov, H Vonk and B Ebbinge. 2011. Taimyr Gulls: evidence for Pacific winter range, with notes on morphology and breeding. Dutch Birding 33: 9-21.