BOU TSC disbanded (1 Viewer)

[Kirk Roth]

There have been no recent appearances of Lesser Redpoll (all records are from Greenland IIRC). It's more that the recent proposal by the AOU/AOS to lump all the redpolls together (which mostly focused on Common and Hoary) failed. So no change was made in Clements.

IOC certainly doesn't follow AOU guidelines...for instance IOC splits Fox Sparrow and Yellow-rumped Warbler, both of which have wide distributions in North America, which certainly are not split by the AOU/AOS.

The Fox Sparrow and Yellow-rumped Warbler (and N. Pygmy Owl and Mallard) splits were made before IOC put forth its announcement that it would attempt to unify its world bird list (in its bid to be the choice list of BOU) and IOC was ahead on the western scrub-jays, etc. Since that time however, I can think of exactly zero instances that IOC has contradicted a species decision from AOU/AOS. The redpoll situation seems to me clear evidence that IOC's new normal is following suit from the AOS.

 

[pbjosh]

From an American perspective I think it would be wonderful, though fully unlikely, if the NACC were swayed by IOC a bit. I personally think it's kind of laughable that we haven't split N Pygmy-Owl yet, and I also grimace every time a US species is reviewed but clearly distinct Mexican and Central American subsp get glazed over (Goldman's YR Warbler, Sumichrast's Jay most notably of late).

 

[Mysticete]

The Fox Sparrow and Yellow-rumped Warbler (and N. Pygmy Owl and Mallard) splits were made before IOC put forth its announcement that it would attempt to unify its world bird list (in its bid to be the choice list of BOU) and IOC was ahead on the western scrub-jays, etc. Since that time however, I can think of exactly zero instances that IOC has contradicted a species decision from AOU/AOS. The redpoll situation seems to me clear evidence that IOC's new normal is following suit from the AOS.

They haven't though made any attempts to "relump" those species either, and they could have used the last set of proposals as justification for the YR Warbler.

While I don't want completely alien taxonomies between IOC and NACC, I do still thing that in hotly contested areas, they should make there own decision. Especially in borderline cases where I feel that the final decision is less about the science and more about the subjective view on how to look at species.

 

[Kirk Roth]

They haven't though made any attempts to "relump" those species either, and they could have used the last set of proposals as justification for the YR Warbler.

While I don't want completely alien taxonomies between IOC and NACC, I do still thing that in hotly contested areas, they should make there own decision. Especially in borderline cases where I feel that the final decision is less about the science and more about the subjective view on how to look at species.

Very good point, Morgan.

I agree with the last statement too, as in that's how they should operate. But as far as reality, I find it difficult to believe that both committees independently reached the same conclusion about the redpoll split, or even the willets last year.

 

[Acrocephalus]

Viewpoint (free now):

Collar, N. J. 2018. Taxonomy as tyranny. Ibis 160: 481–484. doi:10.1111/ibi.12569