Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Oh, that was done back at the end of January - I've had two more releases out since then.
Great stuff, I look forward to catching up when I get home.
Oh, that was done back at the end of January - I've had two more releases out since then.
Accordingly, a lot of the eBird friction I've seen is around cases where people really do want their list - with totals neither increased incorrectly by escapees nor decreased with unaccepted and unacceptable records omitted. (I've certainly got a few records in my past that would not and should not ever pass snuff with a records committee, but I'd certainly like to remember them!)
I sent an email to Eliot Miller at the Cornell Lab on Sunday to ask him about the taxonomy that will be used by eBird following the import of IBC & HBW Alive material and it seems, for the time being, eBird will continue to follow Clements.
His reply:
In short, we've been working to carefully map the two taxonomies together. So, the import should work well, and taxonomic concepts from HBW should map to their correct one in eBird (e.g., if HBW Species x is a subspecies in eBird in many cases it will come in as Species y x). Additionally, we might some day be able to display things in different taxonomies, like you suggest, but the species pages and your lists themselves will be displayed and calculated with eBird taxonomy.
He also directed me to a new info page on Macaulay Library website, which he says he hasn't sent out yet, so I won't link to it directly here, but in the FAQ section it states:
Will taxonomy change?
The IBC follows the taxonomy in the Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) and BirdLife International Checklist of the Birds of the World. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology follows Clements. During the transition, we will apply the Clements taxonomy to your observations, which will result in some name changes, but we have painstakingly matched species from the two taxonomies so your observations won’t be lost. Every “species” in HBW will have a corresponding taxonomic entity in the Clements.
So, it seems Clements it is, like it or lump it (if you'll excuse the pun)!
Cheers,
Jono
In HBW I can assign them each to the particular sub-species I want. In eBird...not the case apparently: Jackdaw is only available at the species level; my Parus major major Great Tit has to go in as Great Tit (major group) and the Greenfinch also stops at the species binomial.
What use is that? All I see is dumbing down. Wouldn't mind so much if I couldn't follow links from eBird to the inferior Clements (I favour IOC) where all it's recognised sub-species are shown!
As others have mentioned, there is a subspecies "mode" that you can click on such that the field-identifiable subspecies show up in the checklist entry.
It is very important to understand that the mission of eBird is not to provide checklisting tools for everyone, despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of people use it that way. It is a database for data collected via citizen science, meaning people of variable skill level. Speaking as a reviewer, the inclusion of every subspecies of Song Sparrow, for example, would be a complete nightmare. Its easy enough for laypersons to note that it is an "eastern type" or "pacific type" but if even the researchers haven't nailed down where atlantica and melodia start, stop, and intergrade, then we don't have a chance, nor realistically does the lister who is so certain based on their geographic location. If someone has taken the time to do the bill and primary measurements on a Song Sparrow, then certainly those comments are welcome in the details section and very far from unnecessary!
I can't speak much regarding the so-called "merger" as I never used HBW except to glance at the occasional website - however based on some of the reactions here it seems that some expect eBird to be a replacement for it, and perhaps it isn't that. However, eBird has worked well for a great many people for a lot of years and continuously works hard to improve its accuracy. But again - its goals are to be a data collection system and that is important to understanding how it operates.
It seems that my original suspicion was right then, Amertican nomenclature, despite being labelled 'anti American' when I made the suggestion.
Expect one global taxonomy eventually, with the big players all in talks at the moment. Then you can be anti-globalisation too...
It seems that my original suspicion was right then, Amertican nomenclature
RSPB to veto Scottish Crossbill lump again? Might struggle trying to convince Cornell as easily as they managed to convince Birdlife!
cheers, a
That's one where I'd support anyone who lumps this fraud taxon :brains:RSPB to veto Scottish Crossbill lump again? Might struggle trying to convince Cornell as easily as they managed to convince Birdlife!
cheers, a
I sent an email to Eliot Miller at the Cornell Lab on Sunday to ask him about the taxonomy that will be used by eBird following the import of IBC & HBW Alive material and it seems, for the time being, eBird will continue to follow Clements.
Additionally, we might some day be able to display things in different taxonomies, like you suggest, but the species pages and your lists themselves will be displayed and calculated with eBird taxonomy.
Expect one global taxonomy eventually, with the big players all in talks at the moment. Then you can be anti-globalisation too...
I think you are misunderstanding Andy. Taxonomy is different from nomenclature. eBird allows you to choose either British or American nomenclature for common names, e.g. "Grey Plover" or "Black-bellied Plover". But it doesn't allow you to choose a different taxonomy; I think he is just saying that in some instances taxonomic difference will require using different names than in other taxonomies.
In any event, there is no such thing as "American" taxonomy. Both Clements and one of the founders of the IOC, Frank Gill, are Americans.
RSPB to veto Scottish Crossbill lump again? Might struggle trying to convince Cornell as easily as they managed to convince Birdlife!
cheers, a
I have no issue with a global taxonomy as long as it's not totally America centric but there's little doubt it will be.
How do they have a veto?
It's always been a question as to whether there is a 'Scottish' Crossbill, it's range isn't well understood and AFAIK, there's no protection work being done and it's only threatened by being derecognised.
I presume the IBWO account in HBW will now be updated to reflect its confirmed presence from Texas to Florida.
cheers, a
If you want funds to do conservation then having an endemic species threatened with global extinction is helpful. That said there are a million other reasons why Caledonian pinewoods deserve urgent conservation action. But flagship species matter.
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/conservation/wildbirds/threatened/l/loxia_scotica_en.htm
Acid test is what is accepted in eBird, check date range.
https://ebird.org/map/ivbwoo?neg=tr...=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=range&byr=1940&eyr=2019