Species in Florida (2 Viewers)

[Owene]

Gearing up for a florida trip in a few weeks by looking at ebird lists. i did visit as a kid and a few photos show that I saw a few species but basically everything is going to be new to me.

Am I right in saying that Great White and Cattle Egrets, Glossy Ibis, Barn Swallow, Caspian Tern and Osprey are exactly the same species as we get in UK. Are there any subspecies to make note of?

And that
Coot, Moorhen, Purple Gallinule are totally seperate species.

 

[Butty]

Look at the scientific names (genus and species), then you know what's what. Forget about subspecies.

 

[Owene]

Yeah I did go from scientific names. That’s how I got those lists in my post but lumps and splits are very up in the air right now and I do try to see subspecies in a new country but ebird didn’t seem to have any for those

 

[Butty]

Well... from your two lists I'd say that American and European moorhens are obviously the same species, while conversely American and European barn swallows are a potential (and bizarrely-ignored) split - the two being obviously different at just a glance. Then of course we could get into exactly what you mean by 'exactly the same species' - and I'm not sure I'd want to debate that one!

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

At least some of the lists split American Moorhen; although it appears similar it is vocally quite different.

 

[raymie]

Gearing up for a florida trip in a few weeks by looking at ebird lists. i did visit as a kid and a few photos show that I saw a few species but basically everything is going to be new to me.

Am I right in saying that Great White and Cattle Egrets, Glossy Ibis, Barn Swallow, Caspian Tern and Osprey are exactly the same species as we get in UK. Are there any subspecies to make note of?

And that
Coot, Moorhen, Purple Gallinule are totally seperate species.

Some of these depend on the taxonomy you are using. If we go by the Clements taxonomy (the one used by eBird), then yes, you are correct on all accounts.

Although to be clear, there are no species called moorhens in Florida - as they are called Common Gallinules in America.

Our Purple Gallinule is different from yours, but Florida does also have what you would call a Purple Gallinule (although we call it a swamphen).

 

[Owene]

Thanks a lot. That clarifies it a lot. It did say moorhen on the Florida lists but it could be that I have U.K. names in my settings.

 

[raymie]

Thanks a lot. That clarifies it a lot. It did say moorhen on the Florida lists but it could be that I have U.K. names in my settings.

Well eBird splits Gallinula galeata, so unless you have your eBird set to the IOC language setting they should be listed as Common Gallinule.