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AOU-NACC proposals 2013 (1 Viewer)

Richard Klim

Richard Klim

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At last, the first batch of proposals for 2012/2013...
www.aou.org/committees/nacc/proposals/2013-A.pdf
  • 2013-A-1: Make seven nomenclatural revisions based on Gregory and Dickinson (2012)
  • 2013-A-2: Split Guatemalan Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium cobanense from Northern Pygmy-Owl G. gnoma
  • 2013-A-3: Recognize Cabot's Tern Thalasseus acuflavidus as distinct from Sandwich Tern T. sandvicensis
  • 2013-A-4: Change the scientific name of the Common Bush-Tanager from Chlorospingus ophthalmicus to C. flavopectus (SACC #521)
  • 2013-A-5: Move the Hawaiian honeycreepers (Drepanidinae) to subfamily Carduelinae
  • 2013-A-6: Split Barolo Shearwater Puffinus baroli
  • 2013-A-7: Revise the classification of sandpipers and turnstones
  • 2013-A-8: Split Sage Sparrow Artemisiospiza belli into two species
  • 2013-A-9: Make changes to generic allocation and linear sequence in family Pipridae
  • 2013-A-10: Change the generic placement of Otus flammeolus
  • 2013-A-11: Recognize a new generic name for Gymnoglaux lawrencii
  • 2013-A-12: Split Melanerpes santacruzi from M. aurifrons
  • 2013-A-13: Recognize Hanson's new species of White-cheeked Geese, Branta spp.
 
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Proposal 2013-A-13

Recognize Hanson's new species of White-cheeked Geese, Branta spp. (Banks, Jan 2013).

I couldn't believe this one! :eek!: Then I realised that a NO vote is recommended... ;)
 
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From the description of proposal A-11:
The two species of Antillean “screech” owls (Bare-legged Owl of Cuba, Gymnoglaux lawrencii; Puerto Rican Screech-owl, Megascops nudipes) are distinctive in that they have unfeathered tarsi and lack erectile “ear” tufts.
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I believe photos have shown that Puerto Rican Screech Owls do have ear tufts even if they are small.

Niels

Edit: of course, this has no bearing on the actual proposal ;)
 
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And once again we have proposed common names for a split that sound like subspecies. Great Basin Sage Sparrow? California Sage Sparrow? Was there something wrong w/ Great Basin Sparrow (or Sagebrush Sparrow if you wanted to maintain some link to the former/current name); or for the other taxon California Sparrow, or Bell's Sparrow, or perhaps Chaparral Sparrow? Now if we refer to subspecies of the polytypic form, we'll be stuck with mouthfuls like San Clemente California Sage Sparrow - all it needs is a zipcode! *sigh*
 
Bell's Sparrow historically was used for the coastal California taxon...using it for a larger group that includes canescens may not be wise, especially if further splits occur down the line.
 
Although novel names would be better, in which I would use Chaparral and Great Basin Sparrow

Of the proposed splits, I would say this and the Barolo Shearwater have the best odds of passing
 
I did say this in the Sage Sparrow thread we had a while back, but I will repeat: I would thoroughly dislike "Sage Sparrow" without modifiers being used for a part of the split species should the split go through.

Niels
 
Maybe that was a typo, but the new Calidris list sequence looks no better with some species pairs and groups widely separated.

Did they do anything other than take the species tree from the most "complete" molecular study and list the species from top down? Many of those short branches are doubtful and some of the sequences make little sense to me.
 
Not quite on thread.
I have just noticed, that Northe American Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis is treated like separete species, not subspecies of common on European wet meadows Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava. Not only in ABA and AOU checklists and IUCN Red List (from several years !), but also Wikipedia. However this taxon is still not recognized by the BirdLife
ABA checklist contains strange taxon called "Galapagos/Hawaiian Petrel Pterodroma phaeopygia/sandwichensis", split in two species by AOU.
ABA and AOU contain Stonechat Saxicola torquatus. But this species is old Common stonechat Saxicola torquatus (before split), new African Stonechat Saxicola torquatus or European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola split from torquatus ?

One of the things drawing the attention of all the splits of species based i.e. on DNA analysis is that scientists do not pay attention to whether those species can interbreed and make fertile offspring. So definition of species is getting more and more abstract, even it was never precise.
 
"Which "species pairs" are widely separated?"
I noticed Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Pectoral Sandpiper, but I remember reading something how they really are not that closely related?
 
AOU/ABA Checklists

locustella said:
I have just noticed, that Northe American Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis is treated like separete species, not subspecies of common on European wet meadows Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava. Not only in ABA and AOU checklists and IUCN Red List (from several years !), but also Wikipedia. However this taxon is still not recognized by the BirdLife
ABA checklist contains strange taxon called "Galapagos/Hawaiian Petrel Pterodroma phaeopygia/sandwichensis", split in two species by AOU.
ABA and AOU contain Stonechat Saxicola torquatus. But this species is old Common stonechat Saxicola torquatus (before split), new African Stonechat Saxicola torquatus or European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola split from torquatus ?
Click to expand...
There are many differences in the species recognised by various authorities!

Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla (flava) tschutschensis is recognised as a distinct species by (eg) IOC, Clements, AOU/ABA, and CSNA; but not by BirdLife, AERC or BOU.

ABA follows AOU in recognising Hawaiian Petrel Pterodroma (phaeopygia) sandwichensis as a distinct species, but the CA records of Dark-rumped Petrel are listed as P phaeopygia/sandwichensis because their identification to species has not yet been accepted by ABA (although CBRC formally accepted P sandwichensis onto the CA list in 2010/2011!).

North American stonechat records are of the maurus group, with the AK records acknowledged as stejnegeri.
Siberian Stonechat Saxicola (torquatus) maurus is recognised as a distinct species by (eg) IOC, Clements, AERC, BOU and CSNA; but not by BirdLife or AOU/ABA. Stejneger's Stonechat S (m) stejnegeri is further split by IOC and Dutch Birding.
 
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Richard Klim said:
Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla (flava) tschutschensis is recognised as a distinct species by (eg) IOC, Clements, AOU/ABA, and CSNA; but not by BirdLife, AERC or BOU.

North American stonechat records are of the maurus group, with the AK records acknowledged as stejnegeri.
Siberian Stonechat Saxicola (torquatus) maurus is recognised as a distinct species by (eg) IOC, Clements, AERC, BOU and CSNA; but not by BirdLife or AOU/ABA. Stejneger's Stonechat S (m) stejnegeri is further split by IOC and Dutch Birding.
Click to expand...

Admirable clarity as usual, Richard, in detailing the 'vagueness limits' as they are at present understood!

I'd only add that much has yet to be teased out on the relationships between 'eastern' yellow/citrine wagtail taxa, and that as I stated in another thread the other day, maurus and stejnegeri are not each other's closest relatives (Parkin, DT and AG Knox. 2010. The Status of Birds in Britain and Ireland. Helm, A&C Black. London, UK.), but other related Asian stonechat taxa remain poorly known. I would speculate that populations grouped under przewalskii will require further revision of a part of the maurus-stejnegeri assemblage.
MJB
 
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Richard Klim said:
North American stonechat records are of the maurus group, with the AK records acknowledged as stejnegeri
Click to expand...
So this is not European Stonechat Saxicola (torquatus) rubicola or African Stonechat Saxicola torquatus at all, but Siberian Stonechat Saxicola (torquatus) maurus. Finally this mistery (for me) has been solved.
 
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I don't want create a new thread.
There is Ficedula parva in the National Geographic Guide. Do they mean Red-throated Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla ?
Avibase lists Common Buzzard Buteo buteo in North America. Do they mean it literally or a different species ?
 

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