British Birds in Voos Order. (1 Viewer)

But the list is in text format and won't paste into their own fields in a spreadsheet will they?


I have been offered a solution by a klind BF member.

Hi folks

No-one out there favour Sibley and Monroe order? Don’t know of a Brit list that follows it but there’s an excellent website for the world list complete with updates, splits, incipient species etc.
I switched to this upon publication (‘90 and ‘93) so it’s now second nature. The classification uses DNA-DNA hybridisation techniques (I’m sure Mr Frankis could give a birders’ ‘blaggers’ guide to this if needed....although I get the feeling you’re a Vouus fan Michael? ) and represents evolutionary relationships more closely than other lists, putting new world vultures with herons and not with old world vultures etc. It’s actually very intersting when you get into it.
So why more publications and birders etc don’t follow it is a little surprising.....I thought it would catch on. Having said that, several Oriental region guides now follow S & M (Inskipp et al for Indian subcontinent, and Robson et al. for whole of South East Asia) and BOU are beginning the what must be wholesale change to the Vouus order. This is the way for the future surely........

Get on board – ‘the times they are a changin’ to qoute Bob Dylan – anathaema to me as a child of the punk generation :C but hey we can all change........!

Michael Frankis said:

Hi again . . yes, these are doubtfuls (D) and escapes (E)

Click to expand...

I thought it was "D" for dustbin.

Jason

Hi Tim,

The Sibley-Monroe order has a lot going for it; the problem is that so far, it has not been fully independently tested, and there could easily be errors in it. So the main listing committees are holding fire on introducing it, until the bugs in their order have been removed. They think it better to stay with the old system, rather than bring in the new and find they have to keep on making minor amendments every few months.

Same reason as why the BOU haven't done anything with the Herring Gull mess yet - they want it properly sorted, before they make any changes.

-----

Hi Jason,

Or 'D' for dodgy

Michael

Tim Allwood said:

No-one out there favour Sibley and Monroe order? Don’t know of a Brit list that follows it but there’s an excellent website for the world list complete with updates, splits, incipient species etc.

Click to expand...

I use a modified S&M list for the GGBC and although I think I have found most S&M websites can you post the address.

Thanks,

Andrew

You could have, say three number columns on the side of your spreadsheet - one for each order i.e. alpha, voous and "new" order. That way a simple A-Z command on the appropriate column can reorder them backwards and forwards at will!

The changing names of birds e.g. from wren to winter wren and from oystercatcher to eurasioan oystercatcher means that alpha lists suddenly become very unfamiliar. At least with Voous if a scarce sandpiper or warbler turns up you know which area to start searching!

James

James,

Good idea and a lot more work!! I favour incorporating a BOU order into the list too as it would not take much time with a few species being moved to the top of the list.

Robin,

here's the link to Rolf de Bys's S & M website - it's the proverbial dog's!
http://www.ornitaxa.com/SM/TaxChanges.html

Thanks, Tim. I had found that one. The main problem with it is the odd splits in the 2003 update e.g. brent goose. I may take another look to see if I can still use it.