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Latest IOC Diary Updates (1 Viewer)

...with the addition that its not perfectly applied within North America either - e.g. Quail-Dove, Storm-Petrel, Foliage-gleaner

The hyphen is there in Quail-Dove because of a different rule which states that birds named after other birds must have a hyphen in their names. This seems fairly universal; the IOC follows this rule, while it doesn't follow the AOS's monophyletic group hyphen rule.

The hyphen is there in Foliage-gleaner to make the pronunciation clear; "Foliagegleaner" looks too much like it has a "geg" syllable somewhere in the middle. Note that "gleaner" isn't capitalized because there's no such bird as a "gleaner" per se.

The hyphen in Storm-Petrel is an interesting one. As far as I can tell, the hyphen was added by the AOS in the 1970s to indicate that storm petrels are a monophyletic group (which they were believed to be at the time.) We now know that there are two different families of storm petrels, which don't form a monophyletic group. And yet, the AOS has retained the hyphen? Why? Apparently because at some point in the intervening decades, the hyphen has convinced at least some American birders that it's there not because storm petrels are a monophyletic group, but because storm petrels aren't actually petrels! The IOC of course correctly omits the hyphen from "Storm Petrel".

Clearly, the poor hyphen is being put to too many distinct uses by the AOS, and it's high time the monophyletic group hyphen rule was abandoned. Hopefully the WGAC alignment will lead to this.
 
The hyphen is there in Foliage-gleaner to make the pronunciation clear; "Foliagegleaner" looks too much like it has a "geg" syllable somewhere in the middle. Note that "gleaner" isn't capitalized because there's no such bird as a "gleaner" per se.
It also seems to be there to make the meaning clear. After all, we could have a space to produce "Guttulate foliage gleaner" (or other variously capitalized versions) without mistaking it for something which gleans guttulate foliage. But then we have the occasional name like "Blue Eared Pheasant" which is actually ambiguous without a hyphen.
 
It also seems to be there to make the meaning clear. After all, we could have a space to produce "Guttulate foliage gleaner" (or other variously capitalized versions) without mistaking it for something which gleans guttulate foliage. But then we have the occasional name like "Blue Eared Pheasant" which is actually ambiguous without a hyphen.
Leafgleaner would've been a simpler alternative to Foliage-gleaner. :sneaky:
 
Clearly, the poor hyphen is being put to too many distinct uses by the AOS, and it's high time the monophyletic group hyphen rule was abandoned. Hopefully the WGAC alignment will lead to this.
WGAC has expressed a "hands off" approach to this, so the best I could see is them listing both versions if they exist. Unless the reconciliation expresses enough debate for other committees to reassess this. Although that brings us back to an earlier point by me. Are debating hyphens really the best use of folks times and focus during this whole WGAC process?
 
The hyphen is there in Foliage-gleaner to make the pronunciation clear; "Foliagegleaner" looks too much like it has a "geg" syllable somewhere in the middle. Note that "gleaner" isn't capitalized because there's no such bird as a "gleaner" per se.
Although then you have Mountaingem which I personally have trouble with. Everytime my brain sees it I parse it as Mounting gem, rather than Mountain gem.
 
Do you ride horses in your spare time or where does mounting come from?
Niels
No clue, although I guess I do read a lot of fantasy which often involves horse-back riding. The brain is good in general at constructing and inferring words even if letters are left our or added in, so I just assume it is the way my brain processes text.
 
The hyphen is there in Quail-Dove because of a different rule which states that birds named after other birds must have a hyphen in their names. This seems fairly universal; the IOC follows this rule, while it doesn't follow the AOS's monophyletic group hyphen rule.
And yet there is the Turkey Vulture, Northern Hawk Owl, Lark Bunting, and so on...

The taxonomic committees are rarely accused of consistency!
 
I am working on a paper for British Birds and wondered, given that both Dutch and Swedish taxonomic committees have 'split' Buff-bellied Pipit' into American Pipit Anthus rubescens and Siberian Pipit Anthus japonicus, if IOC have any upcoming proposals that are likely to affect their treatment of it?

Version 14.1 mentions nothing despite Doniol-Valcroze et al (2023) recommending a split.

Brian
 
Mar 2 Post split of Eastern Goldfinch from European Goldfinch.

Mar 2 Accept split of Qilian Bluetail from Red-flanked Bluetail.

Mar 2 Accept split of Taiwan Bush Robin from White-browed Bush Robin.
 
I actually have the goldfinch! Absolutely terrible photos taken on a random stop on the way from Murghab to Osh. We had to stop because our driver was following Ramadan and was falling asleep behind the wheel as a result ...
 
I actually have the goldfinch!
Can we interest you in the "Name a bird you've seen" thread? We've been stuck on 9134 species for several months...
 

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