Clements 2023 Checklist Update (1 Viewer)

[njlarsen]

A note posted for the ebird reviewer says they are really close to completion of the update. It sounds like the full article detailing the update should be coming within another 24 hours. Cross my fingers they are correct.
Niels

 

[pbjosh]

I just noticed that Clements / eBird have gone with "Northern, Choco, Amazonian, and Atlantic" Black-throated Trogon for that split. I am still not clear how much they are following NACC/SACC on English names issues and whether or not it was a case of timing or of independent decision making.

 

[Mysticete]

I just noticed that Clements / eBird have gone with "Northern, Choco, Amazonian, and Atlantic" Black-throated Trogon for that split. I am still not clear how much they are following NACC/SACC on English names issues and whether or not it was a case of timing or of independent decision making.

I thought SACC was going with "Kerr's Black-throated Trogon" for the Choco form? If so apparently they are not. Although it may matter little as I believe the WGAC checklist will "allow" multiple common names, IIRC

 

[pbjosh]

I thought SACC was going with "Kerr's Black-throated Trogon" for the Choco form? If so apparently they are not. Although it may matter little as I believe the WGAC checklist will "allow" multiple common names, IIRC

Indeed SACC had voted for Kerr's, Graceful, Atlantic, and either Amazonian/Amazon - I think that part is not yet resolved, but the other names were settled a few weeks ago. At some point though, having regional committees decide names that are then not used by IOC and/or Clements is a bit of an interesting occurrence. Regional names in Africa have unfortunately been changed or ignored a lot of the time by "Western" taxonomy / authorities. Things like Neddicky vs Piping Cisticola. Parasitic Weaver vs Cuckoo Finch. And many many more. But there is not a strong African committee behind those names, rather just some guide books, tradition, and national organizations (at least in S Africa and presumably a couple more countries). Still though, it seems unnecessary for so many of them to have changed. On the flip side, SACC and NACC which are strong / established / authoritative are sort of getting sidelined by WGAC and the Clements / eBird / IOC convergence. It's a bit of the tail wagging the dog where now things are happening at WGAC or some decisions are made by eBird and then regional committees end up re-voting on them to either concur or draw their line in the sand that they don't concur. But if the major taxonomies drift away from following the regional committees, those committees will lose a lot of relevance / authority.

 

[Surreybirder]

I seem to have gained an intermediate egret but my life-list is unchanged, ....
Edited: Probably because my Royal Albatross has become a spuh (if that's the right term). When I saw one in 1987 I was unaware of any potential splits.

 

[Nightjar61]

I’m still waiting for the chaffinch split to show up on my list. I think all the other splits, lumps, and taxonomic changes that will affect my list have been implemented, but I’m not sure. Without a summary, there may be some forthcoming changes that I’m not aware of yet.

Dave

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

I seem to have gained an intermediate egret but my life-list is unchanged, ....
Edited: Probably because my Royal Albatross has become a spuh (if that's the right term). When I saw one in 1987 I was unaware of any potential splits.

I had a couple of those, too. Once they say they've finished the update, I intend to correct them. But TBH, one of the albatross sightings was recent, so I did know which one it was.

 

[recbirds]

Clements Checklist website now has 2023 updates & corrections here with excel spreadsheet downloadable from here.

Shaun

 

[Mysticete]

Looks like the new Howell and Dyer authored field guides have led to the addition of a bunch of new subspecies groups.

Some interesting stuff in there that I only skimmed. Curious about the potential new undescribed Turkey Vulture from the Choco region, which was a new one for me.

 

[pbjosh]

And the taxonomy update is said to be complete, the changes are detailed here:

https://science.ebird.org/en/use-ebird-data/the-ebird-taxonomy/2023-ebird-taxonomy-update

 

[pbjosh]

For me the things that stood out are:

• Tons of unassigned Diomedea records with the split of Wandering Albatross. I probably don't have sufficient notes / photos / memory for most but time to start digging.
• Some unassigned Cattle Egret records.
• Papuan Eclectus in the Solomons are marked as exotic/escapes which is certainly an error.

 

[Mysticete]

I am curious to see how ABA responds to this update: While Western is the default Cattle Egret for most of us, there is at least one record of Eastern from Alaska. Similarly, I think more than one species of Wandering Albatross has been documented, although I am not 100% sure on that.

Also, anyone curious on the reasoning or thought processes behind checklist committees should really check out the Clements update page, which is includes a pretty exhaustive breakdown for each change.

 

[Ian Lewis]

On the subject of egret splits would anyone like to comment on whether three 'Intermediate Egrets' seen in Oman in October would most likely be the African 'Yellow-billed' or the Asian 'Medium Egret'.

I presume that an 'Intermediate Egret' seen on Christmas Island in September could safely be allocated to 'Medium Egret' rather than 'Plumed'.

 

[jts1882]

I am curious to see how ABA responds to this update: While Western is the default Cattle Egret for most of us, there is at least one record of Eastern from Alaska. Similarly, I think more than one species of Wandering Albatross has been documented, although I am not 100% sure on that.

Also, anyone curious on the reasoning or thought processes behind checklist committees should really check out the Clements update page, which is includes a pretty exhaustive breakdown for each change.

It also provides more information of the WGAC progress. The updates page mentions WGAC 140 times.

 

[gusasp]

On the subject of egret splits would anyone like to comment on whether three 'Intermediate Egrets' seen in Oman in October would most likely be the African 'Yellow-billed' or the Asian 'Medium Egret'.

Medium Egret according to Mitchell (2017).

 

[gusasp]

Also, anyone curious on the reasoning or thought processes behind checklist committees should really check out the Clements update page, which is includes a pretty exhaustive breakdown for each change.

Very welcome and very fascinating read! One interesting statemant I stumbled upon:

"The linear sequence of Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea diomedea is adjusted to place nominate diomedea (Scopoli’s Shearwater) adjacent to Cape Verde Shearwater C. edwardsii. Mitochondrial DNA results suggest a sister relationship between these two taxa (Gómez-Diaz and Gonzáles-Solis 2007, Gómez-Diaz et al. 2009)."

Why not then recognize Scopoli's as a species of its own?

 

[raymie]

I am curious to see how ABA responds to this update: While Western is the default Cattle Egret for most of us, there is at least one record of Eastern from Alaska. Similarly, I think more than one species of Wandering Albatross has been documented, although I am not 100% sure on that.

Also, anyone curious on the reasoning or thought processes behind checklist committees should really check out the Clements update page, which is includes a pretty exhaustive breakdown for each change.

There are a few records of Eastern Cattle Egret from the Hawaiian Islands, as well.

 

[raymie]

Also apparently they are still looking for common name suggestions for the tentatively-named "Medium Egret". Any ideas?

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

Also apparently they are still looking for common name suggestions for the tentatively-named "Medium Egret". Any ideas?

Mentalist Egret ? 🤭

 

[gusasp]

Also apparently they are still looking for common name suggestions for the tentatively-named "Medium Egret". Any ideas?

I have no problem with Middle Egret (as in Great, Middle and Little Spotted Woodpeckers).