Red-backed Junco Seperate Species (1 Viewer)

Hey every one! I'm dying to add the Red-backed Junco to my Life List, but unlike some other birds that I've gone ahead to seperate for my Life List, I want votes on this one. I know many birders probably don't wait for official splits, and go ahead to do it themselves, because it's their personal list. So who thinks I should do this?
1)- Red-backed Junco looks like a Yellow-eyed Junco but with black eyes
2)- Sings and calls like a Yellow-eyed.
Thanks.:eat:B

Genetic evidence (Friis et al. 2016. Rapid postglacial diversification and long-term stasis within the songbird genus Junco: phylogeographic and phylogenomic evidence. Molecular Ecology 25: 6175–6195) gives some strong (but not full) support to RBJU being more closely related to YEJU than to other dark-eyed subspecies. Worth getting a copy of this and reading it - possible that the various official lists may eventually take this up, tho' it's likely more research will be needed.

There's a thread or two on Juncos in the Bird Taxonomy forum here that you might want to look at too, put 'Junco' into the search box.

I personally wouldn't list them as separate on my lifelist. I think for consistency sake it's better to just find a checklist you like and follow that

Agree with using a checklist rather than making your own personal criteria, but it is your list, so we won't judge you (much ).

Silverwolf said:

Agree with using a checklist rather than making your own personal criteria, but it is your list, so we won't judge you (much ).

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In general I agree, with the exception of people who fully understand the latest taxonomic research and are better placed to make their own decisions.