AOU-NACC Proposals 2016 (1 Viewer)

[MichaelRetter]

As long as we are talking common names, I am hoping if redpolls are lumped we just get "Redpoll" as the new common name. there is no need for a modifier if there is only one "redpoll".

Amen to that. "Common" as a modifier is really a waste of space and breath which conveys no useful information, anyway, whether it's a raven or a redpoll.

 

[Snapdragyn]

I'm with Michael on the 'Inland' vs. 'Woodhouse's' name, but would actually prefer to drop the 'Scrub' (with or without hyphen) entirely.

 

[Nutcracker]

I'm with Michael on the 'Inland' vs. 'Woodhouse's' name, but would actually prefer to drop the 'Scrub' (with or without hyphen) entirely.

Good point, actually - if the names are to be phylogenetically useful, either all the Aphelocoma should have 'scrub' in their name, or none

 

[MichaelRetter]

Good point, actually - if the names are to be phylogenetically useful, either all the Aphelocoma should have 'scrub' in their name, or none

Not necessarily: they only need to be monophyletic. But bring on Cloudforest Scrub-Jay (A. unicolor). ;-)

 

[Richard Klim]

Not necessarily: they only need to be monophyletic.

But AOU-SACC has conceded that hyphenated group names can be used for non-monophyletic groups within a single genus (eg, a mix of 'Tyrants' and 'Black-Tyrants' within Knipolegus).

All-in-all, a potentially confusing mess (eg, 'Water Tyrant' Ochthornis vs 'Water-Tyrant' Fluvicola, 'Palm-Swift' Tachornis vs 'Palm Swift' Cypsiurus)...

 

[Nutcracker]

Not necessarily: they only need to be monophyletic. But bring on Cloudforest Scrub-Jay (A. unicolor). ;-)

But that would still imply that e.g. [Mexican Jay + Blue Jay] was monophyletic with respect to scrub-jays 8-P

All-in-all, a potentially confusing mess (eg, 'Water Tyrant' Ochthornis vs 'Water-Tyrant' Fluvicola, 'Palm-Swift' Tachornis vs 'Palm Swift' Cypsiurus)...

Eeew!

 

[Richard Klim]

Proposals 2016-B

checklist.aou.org/nacc/proposals/current_proposals.html

Proposals 2016-B (PDF)

• 2016-B-1a: Move Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio from the Appendix to the Main List
• 2016-B-1b: Split P. porphyrio into six species, thereby removing P. porphyrio from the Main List and adding Gray-headed Swamphen P. poliocephalus
• 2016-B-2: Revise the subfamilies of Scolopacidae: (a) Eliminate Phalaropodinae, and (b) Restructure the family into five subfamilies
• 2016-B-3: Split Emerald Toucanet Aulacorhynchus prasinus into seven species
• 2016-B-4: Transfer Yellow-breasted Crake Porzana flaviventer to Hapalocrex, and transfer Laysan Rail P. palmeri and Hawaiian Rail P. sandwichensis to Zapornia
• 2016-B-5: Recognize new subfamilies of tanagers
• 2016-B-6: Split Costa Rican Warbler Basileuterus melanotis and Tacarcuna Warbler B. tacarcunae from Three-striped Warbler B. tristriatus
• 2016-B-7: Transfer White-thighed Swallow Neochelidon tibialis and Black-capped Swallow Notiochelidon pileata to Atticora
• 2016-B-8: Revise the generic classification of 3 species of Hylophilus: (a) Resurrect Pachysylvia and (b) Recognize Tunchiornis (SACC 656)
• 2016-B-9: Revise the linear sequence of Vireonidae (SACC # 661)
• 2016-B-10: Revise the classification of the Apodiformes
• 2016-B-11: Recognize Psittacara maugei as a separate species from Hispaniolan Parakeet P. chloropterus
• 2016-A-12: Split Sirystes albogriseus from S. sibilator (SACC # 610-A)

(With thanks to Marshall Iliff & Tom Schulenberg. :t

 

[thomasdonegan]

•2016-B-3: Split Emerald Toucanet Aulacorhynchus prasinus into seven species

Omits to mention this review of Emerald Toucanet taxonomy, which comes to a different conclusion in relation to the significance of the differentiation that has been found:

http://www.proaves.org/wp-content/u...-y-Splits-Conservacion-Colombiana-23-3-48.pdf

pp.27-33

 

[lewis20126]

I find it puzzling that AOU chooses only recognise the East / West Sirystes split and not the now widely accepted four-way split defined in Thomas's paper. I admire their restraint in not overstepping their geographic remit (contra the defunct BOU-TSC and their inputs on New Zealand Albatross taxonomy), but are we left to conclude that AOU genuinely believe that Sirystes comprises (just) two species?

cheers, alan

 

[Richard Klim]

Proposal 2016-B-12

I find it puzzling that AOU chooses only recognise the East / West Sirystes split and not the now widely accepted four-way split defined in Thomas's paper. I admire their restraint in not overstepping their geographic remit (contra the defunct BOU-TSC and their inputs on New Zealand Albatross taxonomy), but are we left to conclude that AOU genuinely believe that Sirystes comprises (just) two species?

Thomas's proposal is to align with AOU-SACC, which has adopted the four-way split – but only Chocó Sirystes Sirystes [sibilator] albogriseus occurs in the NACC area.

 

[thomasdonegan]

I find it puzzling that AOU chooses only recognise the East / West Sirystes split and not the now widely accepted four-way split defined in Thomas's paper. I admire their restraint in not overstepping their geographic remit (contra the defunct BOU-TSC and their inputs on New Zealand Albatross taxonomy), but are we left to conclude that AOU genuinely believe that Sirystes comprises (just) two species?

cheers, alan

As author of the proposal ... one only form "Western/Choco" Sirystes S. albogriseus occurs in the AOU NACC area (in southernmost Panama). As a result, the only impact of my paper on the AOU NACC list is a change in the scientific and vernacular name of this single species. Moreover, it is not necessary to consider the three-way splits of Eastern taxa (which SACC also accepted but which have no relevance to the AOU NACC list). AOU currently recognised just 1 Sirystes species from Brazil to Panama, so this needs fixing. The contrasts with the old BOU's views on New Zealand Albatross taxonomy and the splitting of Ostriches are indeed striking!
Thomas

 

[lewis20126]

The proposal is to align with AOU-SACC, which has adopted the four-way split – but only Chocó Sirystes Sirystes [sibilator] albogriseus occurs in the NACC area.

OK thanks Richard, the AOU link doesn't work for me and was relying on the bullet list summary.

cheers, alan

 

[lewis20126]

As author of the proposal ... one only form "Western/Choco" Sirystes S. albogriseus occurs in the AOU NACC area (in southernmost Panama). As a result, the only impact of my paper on the AOU NACC list is a change in the scientific and vernacular name of this single species. Moreover, it is not necessary to consider the three-way splits of Eastern taxa (which SACC also accepted but which have no relevance to the AOU NACC list). AOU currently recognised just 1 Sirystes species from Brazil to Panama, so this needs fixing. The contrasts with the old BOU's views on New Zealand Albatross taxonomy and the splitting of Ostriches are indeed striking!
Thomas

Thomas

Thanks for the clarification. I think I agree that AOU does not need to have a view on the solely South American taxa!

cheers, alan

 

[Nutcracker]

The contrasts with the old BOU's views on New Zealand Albatross taxonomy and the splitting of Ostriches are indeed striking!
Thomas

Presumably the BOU thought their remit still included the Colonies :-O

 

[l_raty]

I think I agree that AOU does not need to have a view on the solely South American taxa!

But wouldn't BOU disagree...?
Surely this continued existence of regional committees, each understandably feeling an obligation to retain control of the taxonomy used for their own regional lists, cannot be in the best interests of ornithology, and must be a barrier preventing the establishment of a unified taxonomy...

 

[lewis20126]

But wouldn't BOU disagree...?
Surely this continued existence of regional committees, each understandably feeling an obligation to retain control of the taxonomy used for their own regional lists, cannot be in the best interests of ornithology, and must be a barrier preventing the establishment of a unified taxonomy...

Well BOU TSC is extinct and BOU have yet to reveal what taxonomy they will follow. In the Americas I think SACC and AOU are fairly well aligned. There may be other examples, such as the Sirystes one, where there is an apparent or theoretical inconsistency, but this only arising through geographic remit.

Away from the Americas, it is more or less a free for all.

cheers, alan

 

[thomasdonegan]

Surely this continued existence of regional committees, each understandably feeling an obligation to retain control of the taxonomy used for their own regional lists, cannot be in the best interests of ornithology, and must be a barrier preventing the establishment of a unified taxonomy...

Historically, AOU-SACC was established precisely to deal with situations like Sirystes (and Basileuterus in this set of proposals), where a species edges into the NACC area and required revision on the AOU list, but most of the answers are found in S America.

(Little did they realise it would turn principally into a sounding board for bonkers proposals on hyphens for vernacular names with a secondary focus on linear orders and higher level taxonomy - not what it was principally set up to do!)

IOC is around these days to harmonise.

 

[Richard Klim]

Proposal 2016-B-1

If Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio is split, presumably the Oct–Nov 2009 Bermuda record of African Swamphen P (p) madagascariensis is considered to have been ship-assisted and therefore not a candidate for the Main List...?

• Dobson 2009. Purple Swamphen – New to Bermuda.
• Bermuda Audubon Society 2015. Bermuda Bird List. (P porphyrio = VR: very rare)
• Pranty 2013. Introducing the Purple Swamphen: Management, Taxonomy, and Natural History. (Includes an additional photo)

 

[Nutcracker]

If Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio is split, presumably the Oct–Nov 2009 Bermuda record of African Swamphen P (p) madagascariensis is considered to have been ship-assisted and therefore not a candidate for the Main List...?

• Dobson 2009. Purple Swamphen – New to Bermuda.
• Bermuda Audubon Society 2015. Bermuda Bird List. (P porphyrio = VR: very rare)
• Pranty 2013. Introducing the Purple Swamphen: Management, Taxonomy, and Natural History. (Includes an additional photo)

Is Bermuda inside the AOU-NACC area?

 

[Richard Klim]

Is Bermuda inside the AOU-NACC area?

Yes: AOU Checklist of North and Middle American Birds (7th Edition and Supplements)...

The geographic area covered includes: North and Middle America from the North Pole to the boundary of Panama and Colombia, including the adjacent islands under the jurisdiction of the included nations; the Hawaiian Islands; Clipperton Island; Bermuda; The West Indies, including the Bahama Islands, the Greater Antilles, Leeward and Windward Islands in the Lesser Antilles (ending with Grenada); and Swan, Providencia, and San Andrés Islands in the Gulf of Mexico. Greenland is not included...

PS. Technically, does that exclude St-Pierre-et-Miquelon...?