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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Richard Klim" data-source="post: 1891746" data-attributes="member: 773">International English namesI realise that English names are not the focus of AERC-TAC, but three very minor observations:<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">AERC-TAC (also BLI and Dutch Birding) have adopted the English names Black Scoter and American Scoter for Melanitta nigra and M americana respectively (presumably following the scientific names).  This is contra IOC, BOURC and AOU, which use the traditional European and North American names Common Scoter and Black Scoter.  As discussed recently in the context of the 51st Supplement to the AOU Check-list: irrespective of the scientific name, American Scoter would be a questionable name for a species breeding widely in Siberia; M perspicillata Surf Scoter is surely the only truly American scoter species.  [And yes, I know that M americana isn't the only black scoter species either. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />] </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Cyanopica cyanus is named Blue Magpie in the recommendations, and Iberian Magpie in the associated WP list.  But Blue Magpie is often used for Urocissa erythroryncha (eg, BLI, Clements, Monroe & Sibley 1993, Beaman 1994); and Iberian Magpie is appropriate only for Cyanopica (cyanus) cooki, which isn't recognised as a species by AERC-TAC. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Oenanthe xanthoprymna is named Kurdish Wheatear (as BLI, Svensson et al 2009) in the recommendations, but Kurdistan Wheatear (as IOC, OSME, Dutch Birding) in the associated WP list.</li> </ol>RichardPS: It's a pity that AERC TAC's Taxonomic Recommendations (Dec 2003) has been removed from the AERC website.  Although its conclusions are summarised in the 2010 document, the 2003 version contained much useful background information and discussion.  Same for the WP Checklist (Draft 15, 2004), which contained useful distributional notes on subspecies [although still accessible <a href="http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of%20_the_WP15.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>].</blockquote>

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