Subspecies groups and future splits (1 Viewer)

[Mysticete]

Hey folks,

I am in the process, while working on my own checklist project, of trying to compile a better and more consistent list of future splits using the subspecies group concept.

So far I have made it through Sandgrouse in my project, but that is a bit to cover so below I will just include Paleognathes below. Groups are initially based on the subspecies groups presented in All the Birds of the World and the Clements Checklist (which are NOT the same, although they do have similarities). I've also included other groups based on papers I am aware of, while also discarding some groups that don't seem likely to represent future splits. Species taxonomy follows IOC as far as what is or isn't recognized at that level.

Anyway, here is my preliminary list. Hopefully people find it useful, and if you have additional suggestions (missed groups, different common names, etc) I would be more than likely to hear them!

Paleognaths

Lesser Rhea
Darwin's Rhea - Rhea [pennata] pennata
Puna Rhea - Rhea [pennata] tarapacensis

Southern Brown Kiwi
South Island Brown Kiwi - Apteryx [australis] australis
Stewart Island Brown Kiwi - Apteryx [australis] lawryi

Highland Tinamou
Southern Highland Tinamou - Nothocercus [bonapartei] bonapartei
Costa Rican Highland Tinamou - Nothocercus [bonapartei] frantzii

Black Tinamou
Osgood's Tinamou - Tinamus [osgoodi] osgoodi
Hershkovititz's Tinamou - Tinamus [osgoodi] hershkovititzi

Brown Tinamou
Brazilian Brown Tinamou - Crypturellus [obsoletus] obsoletus
Andean Brown Tinamou - Crypturellus [obsoletus] castaneus
Gray-bellied Tinamou - Crypturellus [obsoletus] griseiventris

Red-legged Tinamou
Red-legged Tinamou - Crypturellus [erythropus] erythropus
Colombian Tinamou - Crypturellus [erythropus] columbianus
Santa Marta Tinamou - Crypturellus [erythropus] idoneus
Magdalena Tinamou - Crypturellus [erythropus] saltuarius

Yellow-legged Tinamou
Southern Yellow-legged Tinamou - Crypturellus [noctivagus] noctivagus
Northern Yellow-legged Tinamou - Crypturellus [noctivagus] zabele

Black-capped Tinamou
Black-capped Tinamou - Crypturellus [atrocapillus] atrocapillus
Garlepp's Tinamou - Crypturellus [atrocapillus] garleppi

Thicket Tinamou
Eastern Thicket Tinamou - Crypturellus [cinnamomeus] cinnamomeus
Western Thicket Tinamou - Crypturellus [cinnamomeus] occidentalis

 

[Xenospiza]

You've misspelt hershkovitzi (and Hershkovitz's).

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

I already recognise griseiventris as species

 

[Peter Boesman]

Your project could be extended to a pre-assessment by adding 3 columns (morphology, genetics, voice) in which a -, +,++,+++ is placed resp. for zero, minor, medium or major differences and a '?' if unknown or not investigated (I remember having seen something like this for future ABA splits).
(And obviously it could be further expanded with a column for citing available research papers etc.)

The final result would allow to see quickly which are first candidates for splitting, where info is lacking and more research is needed etc.

 

[THE_FERN]

Your project could be extended to a pre-assessment by adding 3 columns (morphology, genetics, voice) in which a -, +,++,+++ is placed resp. for zero, minor, medium or major differences and a '?' if unknown or not investigated (I remember having seen something like this for future ABA splits).
(And obviously it could be further expanded with a column for citing available research papers etc.)

The final result would allow to see quickly which are first candidates for splitting, where info is lacking and more research is needed etc.

And then you should upload it to opus...

Edit: or give it to me and I'll sort it out for you

 

[Mysticete]

Your project could be extended to a pre-assessment by adding 3 columns (morphology, genetics, voice) in which a -, +,++,+++ is placed resp. for zero, minor, medium or major differences and a '?' if unknown or not investigated (I remember having seen something like this for future ABA splits).
(And obviously it could be further expanded with a column for citing available research papers etc.)

The final result would allow to see quickly which are first candidates for splitting, where info is lacking and more research is needed etc.

I actually had a project going that was literally this for ABA area birds, but then my computer crashed and I lost a chunk of work, and couldn't bring myself to get back to it

I'll see about putting something together in this format once I get through Columbiformes

 

[Cadu Agne]

Brown Tinamou
Brazilian Brown Tinamou - Crypturellus [obsoletus] obsoletus
Andean Brown Tinamou - Crypturellus [obsoletus] castaneus
Gray-bellied Tinamou - Crypturellus [obsoletus] griseiventris

"Peruvian Brown Tinamou" - Crypturellus [obsoletus] ochraceiventris (Stolzmann, 1926)

 

[Mysticete]

"Peruvian Brown Tinamou" - Crypturellus [obsoletus] ochraceiventris (Stolzmann, 1926)

Is this an additional future split or replacing Andean for Brown Tinamou

 

[Cadu Agne]

Undulated Tinamou
Crypturellus [undulatus] yapura
Crypturellus [undulatus] undulutus

 

[Cadu Agne]

Is this an additional future split or replacing Andean for Brown Tinamou

Additional future split

 

[Cadu Agne]

Great Tinamou
Tinamus [major] major
Tinamus [major] serratus

Amazonian races peruvianus and serratus previously treated as a separate species (IOC and SACC).

 

[Daniel Philippe]

I might play this game too.

Crypturellus (noctivagus) zabele - Zabele Tinamou

 

[THE_FERN]

I should note that I'm updating Opus entries with alternative taxonomies as I find them. For example, just done:

Thick-billed Flowerpecker - BirdForum Opus

www.birdforum.net

Of course, great that you're all doing your own thing—very much encourage this—but would be really valuable if Opus could capture the info too. None of the other big websites like Avibase, ebird etc have this information in a ready form, so it could be an Opus USP.

...It would be great to integrate material from this forum (in particular) as it appears. I did this for the recent Azure-hooded Jays paper, but the way threads are set up on this sub-forum—one big thread under a family or group name—defeats our tagging system. We can tag threads but not individual posts. Tagging the entire Corvidae thread as "OpusTax" [="of interest: add to Opus taxonomy"] doesn't really work. (In contrast tagging the ID forum does for points of ID interest to transfer does—Eurasian Collared Doves, for example.)

I'd also encourage people to add subspecies descriptions. Most are pay-walled in Birds of the World, or locked in "paper" databases (e.g. Biodiversity Heritage Library). Detailed sspp descriptions often surface in papers proposing taxonomic changes (e.g. the jays), and it would be good to capture this in as taxonomically agnostic way as possible. That's to say in absolute terms, and without reference to the "nominate"—as that could change with a split ! (Of course not always possible to get this.)

 

[Mysticete]

It would also be great if you suggest a potential new split if you could mention the source, whether it be a field guide, checklist, book, or paper. I started with Tinamous first because I am going in branching order of the tree. However I've only ever seen one species and only one time, and don't have the exhaustive knowledge of neotropical birds that some of you folks do. Trying to restrict the list to potential splits that have been mentioned in other sources, to reduce the element of subjectivity

 

[Mysticete]

I should note that I'm updating Opus entries with alternative taxonomies as I find them. For example, just done:

Thick-billed Flowerpecker - BirdForum Opus

www.birdforum.net

Of course, great that you're all doing your own thing—very much encourage this—but would be really valuable if Opus could capture the info too. None of the other big websites like Avibase, ebird etc have this information in a ready form, so it could be an Opus USP.

...It would be great to integrate material from this forum (in particular) as it appears. I did this for the recent Azure-hooded Jays paper, but the way threads are set up on this sub-forum—one big thread under a family or group name—defeats our tagging system. We can tag threads but not individual posts. Tagging the entire Corvidae thread as "OpusTax" [="of interest: add to Opus taxonomy"] doesn't really work. (In contrast tagging the ID forum does for points of ID interest to transfer does—Eurasian Collared Doves, for example.)

I'd also encourage people to add subspecies descriptions. Most are pay-walled in Birds of the World, or locked in "paper" databases (e.g. Biodiversity Heritage Library). Detailed sspp descriptions often surface in papers proposing taxonomic changes (e.g. the jays), and it would be good to capture this in as taxonomically agnostic way as possible. That's to say in absolute terms, and without reference to the "nominate"—as that could change with a split ! (Of course not always possible to get this.)

I'd be happy to help if I can. how does one edit Opus?

 

[Andy Adcock]

This is no small undertaking and illustrates why I only use one, World list!

 

[Mysticete]

I vividly remember typing up lists of North American animals in taxonomic order on my mom's typewriter when I was in SECOND GRADE, before I was even a birder. So I am a weirdo

 

[THE_FERN]

I'd be happy to help if I can. how does one edit Opus?

Anyone can. You should see an edit button at the top of each section/page.

There's lots of quirks for formatting (for example italic is like this: ''italic'' with single quotes). The software is Wikimedia, same as Wikipedia.

Mostly we can just filch approaches from existing pages but there's a forum for more specific Qs.

Some things like tables can be quite involved. Best to ask me about that...

 

[THE_FERN]

This is no small undertaking and illustrates why I only use one, World list!

Indeed. There's a group of editors that do things like try to keep in sync with the latest Clements.

I've been asking for months now for programmatic access: when I have this, some things can be automated.

In particular, I'd like to create maps for more or less every species using xeno canto's material, annotated to show roughly where each subspecies occurs (latter based on the range descriptions Clements gives). Most of the map creation can be automated too...

... See the empid maps for a general idea of how these might look

 

[Andy Adcock]

In particular, I'd like to create maps for more or less every species using xeno canto's material, annotated to show roughly where each subspecies occurs (latter based on the range descriptions Clements gives). Most of the map creation can be automated too...

... See the empid maps for a general idea of how these might look

Scythebill provide maps but they are fairly basic.