Latest IOC Diary Updates (3 Viewers)

[James Lowther]

hi all,
looks like version 15.1 is pretty much done, here's the running tally of how many of the predicted changes from Gusasp's analysis of the WGAC checklists on Avibase in autumn 2024 have been done since version 14.2, plus additional changes.
Only about one quarter of mooted changes have happened in this version which could mean we have another 3 cycles until IOC is totally harmonised with Avilist, or could mean something totally different..... we will see.

With the Agulhas Long-billed Lark re-split we have evidence that the provisional WGAC checklist from mid 2024 should not be understood to be finalised, so any of the mooted changes below that are not yet marked as DONE may never come to pass.

There are also still a small number of changes unrelated to the harmonisation process that are being introduced e.g. split of Eastern Rockhopper Penguin,

let me know any mistakes
cheers,
James

Changes impacting IOC list

LUMPS
IOC ONLY (recognized today by IOC, but not HBW/BLI nor eBird/Clements, lumped in Avilist)
Rubeho Forest Partridge Xenoperdix obscuratus DONE
Siamese Partridge Arborophila diversa DONE
Wedge-tailed Sabrewing Pampa pampa
Tricolored Grebe Tachybaptus tricolor
White-breasted Cormorant Phalacrocorax lucidus DONE
Foveaux Shag Leucocarbo stewartia DONE
Dimorphic Egret Egretta dimorpha
White-backed Stilt Himantopus melanurus
Cabot’s Tern Thalasseus acuflavidus
10 White-breasted Hawk Accipiter chionogaster
Plain-breasted Hawk Accipiter ventralis
Rufous-thighed Hawk Accipiter erythronemius
Cape Verde Buzzard Buteo bannermani
Torotoroka Scops Owl Otus madagascariensis
African Hoopoe Upupa africana DONE
Grant's Wood Hoopoe Phoeniculus granti DONE
Niau Kingfisher Todiramphus gertrudae
Chaco Puffbird Nystalus striatipectus DONE
Brown-mandibled Aracari Pteroglossus mariae DONE
20 Velazquez’s Woodpecker Melanerpes santacruzi DONE
Chilean Elaenia Elaenia chilensis
Coopman’s Tyrannulet Zimmerius minimus
Loja Tyrannulet Zimmerius flavidifrons
Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus obscurus
Double-collared Crescentchest Melanopareia bitorquata DONE
Huon Bowerbird Amblyornis germanus
Perplexing Scrubwren Sericornis virgatus DONE
New Guinea Friarbird Philemon novaeguineae DONE
Hornbill Friarbird Philemon yorki DONE
30 White-bellied Whipbird Psophodes leucogaster DONE
Providencia Vireo Vireo approximans DONE
Western Whistler Pachycephala fuliginosus
Cinnamon-breasted Whistler Pachycephala johni
Tagula Manucode Manucodia alter
Annobon Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone smithii DONE
Green Jay Cyanocorax luxuosus
Indian Jungle Crow Corvus culminatus
Eastern Jungle Crow Corvus levaillantii
Benguela Long-billed Lark Certhilauda benguelensis
40 Agulhas Long-billed Lark Certhilauda brevirostris DONE then UNDONE
Athi Short-toed Lark Alaudala athensis DONE
Maghreb Lark Galerida macrorhyncha
Anjouan Brush Warbler Nesillas longicaudata
Grey-backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brevicaudata
Black-faced Prinia Prinia melanops DONE
Rubeho Warbler Scepomycter rubehoensis DONE
Placid Greenbul Phyllastrephus placidus DONE
Sharpe’s Greenbul Phyllastrephus alfredi
Kakamega Greenbul Arizelocichla kakamegae
50 Dodson's Bulbul Pycnonotus dodsoni DONE
Somali Bulbul Pycnonotus somaliensis DONE
Dark-capped Bulbul Pycnonotus tricolor DONE
Burmese Bushtit Aegithalos sharpei DONE
Flores Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus floresianus
Glissando Babbler Pellorneum saturatum
Leaflitter Babbler Pellorneum poliogene
Bornean Swamp Babbler Pellorneum macropterum
Enggano Hill Myna Gracula enganensis DONE
Miombo Blue-eared Starling Lamprotornis elisabeth DONE
60 Mediterranean Flycatcher Muscicapa tyrrhenica
Madagascar Stonechat Saxicola sibilla DONE
White-crowned Cliff Chat Thamnolaea coronata DONE
Ruaha Chat Myrmecocichla collaris
Maghreb Wheatear Oenanthe halophila
Basalt Wheatear Oenanthe warriae
Striped Flowerpecker Pachyglossa aeruginosa DONE
Whyte’s Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris whytei
Hofmann's Sunbird Cinnyris hofmanni DONE
Royal Parrotfinch Erythrura regia
70 Bonin Greenfinch Chloris kittlitzi
Goldman’s Warbler Setophaga goldmani
Tooth-billed Tanager Piranga lutea
73 Lemon-rumped Tanager Ramphocelus icteronotus

IOC+HBW/BLI ONLY (recognized today by IOC and HBW/BLI not eBird/Clements, lumped in Avilist)
Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis
Fernando Po Swift Apus sladeniae
Grey-tailed Mountaingem Lampornis cinereicauda
Cinnamon-sided Hummingbird Ramosomyia wagneri
Kai Coucal Centropus spilopterus
Ryukyu Green Pigeon Treron permagnus
Campbell Albatross Thalassarche impavida
Red-chested Goshawk Aerospiza toussenelii DONE
Yellow-billed Kite Milvus aegyptius
10 Lesser Sooty Owl Tyto multipunctata
Northern Pygmy Owl Glaucidium californicum
Baja Pygmy Owl Glaucidium hoskinsii
Guatemalan Pygmy Owl Glaucidium cobanense
Annobon Scops Owl Otus feae
Usambiro Barbet Trachyphonus usambiro
Wagler’s Toucanet Aulacorhynchus wagleri
Blue-throated Toucanet Aulacorhynchus caeruleogularis
Black-throated Toucanet Aulacorhynchus atrogularis
20 Stripe-billed Aracari Pteroglossus sanguineus
Citron-throated Toucan Ramphastos citreolaemus
Little Spotted Woodpecker Campethera cailliautii
Bronze-winged Woodpecker Colaptes aeruginosus
Sumatran Woodpecker Picus dedemi
Cliff Parakeet *Myiopsitta luchsi
Red-throated Parakeet Psittacara rubritorquis DONE
Palkachupa Cotinga Phibalura boliviana
Yellow-cheeked Becard Pachyramphus xanthogenys
Silvery-flanked Antwren Myrmotherula luctuosa
30 Reichenow's Batis Batis reichenowi DONE
Biak Fantail Rhipidura kordensis
Cinnamon-breasted Tit Melaniparus pallidiventris DONE
Brown-tailed Apalis Apalis flavocincta
Black-browed Bushtit Aegithalos bonvaloti
Black-fronted White-eye Zosterops chrysolaemus
Oya Tabu White-eye Zosterops crookshanki
Violet-hooded Starling Aplonis circumscripta
Australian Zebra Finch Taeniopygia castanotis
African Crimson-winged Finch Rhodopechys alienus DONE
40 Chinese Long-tailed Rosefinch Carpodacus lepidus
Sooty Fox Sparrow Passerella unalaschensis
Slate-colored Fox Sparrow Passerella schistacea
Thick-billed Fox sparrow Passerella megarhyncha
Merida Brush-finch Atlapetes meridae
Chiriqui Yellowthroat Geothlypis chiriquensis
Audubon's Warbler Setophaga auduboni
Roraiman Warbler Myiothlypis roraimae
Hepatic tanager Piranga hepatica
* Yellow-tufted dacnis Dacnis egregia
50 Black-capped Hemispingus Kleinothraupis auricularis

IOC+CLE (recognized today by IOC and eBird/clements, not by HBW/BLI, lumped in Avilist)
South Georgia Shag Leucocarbo georgianus
Crozet Shag Leucocarbo melanogenis
Antarctic Shag Leucocarbo bransfieldensis
Kerguelen Shag Leucocarbo verrucosus
Heard Island Shag Leucocarbo nivalis
Macquarie Shag Leucocarbo purpurascens
Moluccan Masked Owl Tyto sororcula
Manus Masked Owl Tyto manusi
Black-capped Catbird Ailuroedus melanocephalus
10 Huon Catbird Ailuroedus astigmaticus
Arfak Catbird Ailuroedus arfakianus
Northern Catbird Ailuroedus jobiensis
Sepik-Ramu Shrikethrush Colluricincla tappenbecki
Rufous Shrikethrush Colluricincla rufogaster
Tagula Shrikethrush Colluricincla discolor
Mamberano Shrikethrush Colluricincla obscura
Waigeo Shrikethrush Colluricincla affinis
18 Willard's Sooty Boubou Laniarius willardi

141 in total – 36 DONE

Extras in IOC 15.1
Northern Mouse-coloured Tyrannulet Nesotriccus incomtus DONE

Extras according to Avibase on Wayback Machine (missed by Gusasp)
African Swamphen Porphyrio madagascariensis
Grey-headed Swamphen Porphyrio poliocephalus
Black-backed Swamphen Porphyrio indicus
Philippine Swamphen Porphyrio pulverulentus
Australasian Swamphen Porphyrio melanotus
Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus
Maghreb Owl Strix mauritanica
Stejneger’s Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri

Possible extras but not according to Avibase on Wayback Machine
Hooded Crow Corvus cornix

SPLITS

CLE+HBW/BLI ONLY (recognized today by eBird/Clements and HBW/BLI, not IOC, split in Avilist)
Lilacine Amazon Amazona lilacina
* Maranon Antshrike Thamnophilus shumbae
Streak-fronted Antshrike Sakesphorus pulchellus
Samoan Myzomela Myzomela nigriventris DONE
Bougainville Thrush Zoothera atrigena DONE
Yellow-breasted Forest Robin Stiphrornis xanthogaster DONE
7 Olive-backed Forest Robin Stiphrornis pyrrholaemus DONE

HBW/BLI ONLY (recognized today by HBW/BLI, not IOC nor eBird/Clements, split in Avilist)
Mexican Squirrel Cuckoo *Piaya mexicana
Common White Tern Gygis candida
Little White Tern Gygis microrhyncha
Sinu Parakeet Pyrrhura subandina
Rufous-fronted Greenlet Tunchiornis rubrifrons
Olive-crowned Greenlet Tunchiornis luteifrons
Eastern Red-legged Thrush Turdus ardosiaceus
Yellow-mandibled Sparrow *Arremon axillaris DONE
Grey-crowned Ground-sparrow Melozone occipitalis
10 * Rose-bellied Chat Granatellus paraensis

CLE ONLY (recognized today by eBird/Clements, not IOC nor HBW/BLI, split in Avilist)
1 Tboli Sunbird Aethopyga tibolii DONE

18 in total – 6 DONE

Extras in IOC 15.1
Eastern Rockhopper Penguin Eudyptes filholi DONE
Little Heron Butorides atricapilla DONE
Amaui Myadestes woahensis DONE
Black-hooded Tanager Stilpnia whitelyi DONE


Changes not impacting IOC list

LUMPS

CLE ONLY (recognized today by eBird/clements, not by IOC nor HBW/BLI, lumped in Avilist)
Seram Masked Owl Tyto almae


SPLITS

IOC ONLY (recognized today by IOC, but not HBW/BLI nor eBird/Clements, split in Avilist)
Red Grouse Lagopus scotica
Lava Heron Butorides sundevalli (and B. atrocapilla!)
Husdonian Whimbrel Numenius hudsonicus
Peruvian Chat-Tyrant Silvicultrix spodionota
Biak Whistler Pachycephala melanorhyncha
Dagua Thrush Turdus daguae
Mangrove Warbler Setophaga petechia

IOC+HBW/BLI ONLY (recognized today by IOC and HBW/BLI not eBird/Clements, split in Avilist)
Azuero Dove Leptotila battyi
Desertas Petrel Pterodroma deserta
Pale-mandibled Aracari Pteroglossus erythropygius
Splendid Woodpecker *Campephilus splendens
White-capped Parrot *Pionus seniloides
Venezuelan Parakeet Pyrrhura emma
Dark-winged Canastero Asthenes arequipae
Pale-tailed Canastero Asthenes huancavelicae
Black-fronted Brushfinch Atlapetes nigrifrons
Scarlet-rumped Cacique Cacicus microrhynchus
Bronze-brown Cowbird Molothrus armenti
Streak-crowned Mountain Tanager Dubusia stictocephala
Carriker's Mountain Tanager Dubusia carrikeri
* Streaked Dacnis Xenodacnis petersi
* Piura Hemispingus Sphenopsis piurae
* Western Hemispingus Sphenopsis ochracea

 

[kweetal]

2x spelling deviations:
--
Western Whistler Pachycephala fuliginosus
Western Whistler Pachycephala fuliginosa (in IOC 15.1)
--
Sooty Fox Sparrow Passerella unalaschensis
Sooty Fox Sparrow Passerella unalaschcensis (in IOC 15.1)

 

[James Lowther]

Mar 9 Transition to IOC 15.1 complete.

 

[JustinJansen]

Line 7008, the family of herons (Ardeidae) is missing in column H, in the 15.1 list

 

[wolfbirder]

Hi James

Thank you so much for the updates, so those lumps predicted to effect the British list following IOC may never happen? Or they could with the annual (?) updates over the next 3 cycles? But either way not certain?

GW Teal/Eurasian Teal,
Hooded Crow/Carrion Crow,
Stejneger's Stonechat/Siberian Stonechat,
Yelkouan Shearwater/Balearic Shearwater.

Apologies for asking for clarification. So many people I ask say they have no real clue what's happening any more. Appreciate you can only implement what you are told and its good of you to update on here.

 

[DDonsker]

Line 7008, the family of herons (Ardeidae) is missing in column H, in the 15.1 list

Which spreadsheet, please. I can't find this in the master copies.

 

[JustinJansen]

Which spreadsheet, please. I can't find this in the master copies.

• Life List+ (v15.1 red, Excel File XLSX, 3.4Mb)

 

[Swindon Addick]

Hi James

Thank you so much for the updates, so those lumps predicted to effect the British list following IOC may never happen? Or they could with the annual (?) updates over the next 3 cycles? But either way not certain?

GW Teal/Eurasian Teal,
Hooded Crow/Carrion Crow,
Stejneger's Stonechat/Siberian Stonechat,
Yelkouan Shearwater/Balearic Shearwater.

Apologies for asking for clarification. So many people I ask say they have no real clue what's happening any more. Appreciate you can only implement what you are told and its good of you to update on here.

Nothing's really certain until either the IOC announce a lump (in which case the British List will adopt the change at its next update but most birders will adopt the change immediately) or whichever non-IOC authority currently lumps the species announces a split, in which case the British list won't be changing.

 

[James Lowther]

Hi James

Thank you so much for the updates, so those lumps predicted to effect the British list following IOC may never happen? Or they could with the annual (?) updates over the next 3 cycles? But either way not certain?

GW Teal/Eurasian Teal,
Hooded Crow/Carrion Crow,
Stejneger's Stonechat/Siberian Stonechat,
Yelkouan Shearwater/Balearic Shearwater.

Apologies for asking for clarification. So many people I ask say they have no real clue what's happening any more. Appreciate you can only implement what you are told and its good of you to update on here.

Yes as Swindon Addick says nothing is certain until announced by IOC. None of those lumps have been announced yet, but there are various lines of evidence to suspect/fear they may be coming down the track.

IOC list gets a formal update every 6 months but splits and lumps are announced regularly in advance of that, the formal update incorporates all changes announced in the preceding months see here Diary – IOC World Bird List

BOU is updated to take account of IOC changes once a year, so there can be a delay of up to a year between changes being announced by IOC and being incorporated into BOU e.g. redpoll lump was first announced July 2024 but didn’t make it into the official BOU list until December. But once the announcement is made it is inevitable pretty much.

Cheers
James

p.s. for the avoidance of doubt, i don’t have any insider knowledge of any of this, it’s just going off public domain information

 

[wolfbirder]

Thank you both, once again.

 

[kweetal]

Line 7008, the family of herons (Ardeidae) is missing in column H, in the 15.1 list

My red file, on Line 7008, Column H, has "Family Ardeidae". Perhaps you forgot the prefix "Family " while searching?

Note that the red file, published 16 febr 2025, remains unaltered and is therefore a bit different from the definitive files that were published two weeks later. The handful of corrections during those two weeks are not in the red file. The red file has 1 species fewer, for instance.

 

[DDonsker]

My red file, on Line 7008, Column H, has "Family Ardeidae". Perhaps you forgot the prefix "Family " while searching?

Note that the red file, published 16 febr 2025, remains unaltered and is therefore a bit different from the definitive files that were published two weeks later. The handful of corrections during those two weeks are not in the red file. The red file has 1 species fewer, for instance.

Just to clarify. The purpose of the "red" file is to allow interested parties (including the core IOC-WBL team) to search for errors and lapses in the upcoming version of the IOC-WBL checklist. It has served this purpose well over the years. It is intended to be an ephemeral version, not the final version. As such, we make little effort to go back and change the posted version once these errors are corrected. Perhaps, we should remove it from the website once it has served this purpose to avoid confusion such as this?

 

[kweetal]

Just to clarify. The purpose of the "red" file is to allow interested parties (including the core IOC-WBL team) to search for errors and lapses in the upcoming version of the IOC-WBL checklist. It has served this purpose well over the years. It is intended to be an ephemeral version, not the final version. As such, we make little effort to go back and change the posted version once these errors are corrected. Perhaps, we should remove it from the website once it has served this purpose to avoid confusion such as this?

Ah, that explains a lot. Perhaps document this ephemeral status on the website? I for one never guessed this ephemeral status. To be honest I thought it was just forgotten to be updated (sorry...).
It's maybe also good to put the red file at the bottom of the list of links instead of at the very top.

Thanks for explaining.

 

[Peter Brick]

I use the "red" version to know what has changed since the previous release. I would find it useful if an updated version of the "red" version could be generated that included all the changes associated with a release of the spreadsheet.

Thanks

 

[njlarsen]

I use the "red" version to know what has changed since the previous release. I would find it useful if an updated version of the "red" version could be generated that included all the changes associated with a release of the spreadsheet.

Thanks

Me too ...

 

[YuShan]

I'm pleased it might be 2027 at least until BOU makes these 4-5 predicted changes.
Might give me a chance of getting to 500 on my British list before I kop it -.

 

[Jim Mountjoy]

I use the "red" version to know what has changed since the previous release. I would find it useful if an updated version of the "red" version could be generated that included all the changes associated with a release of the spreadsheet.

Thanks

I will third the idea that the 'red' version is very useful when I am updating my list. It would be great to have an accurate and permanent version of it.

 

[DDonsker]

I will third the idea that the 'red' version is very useful when I am updating my list. It would be great to have an accurate and permanent version of it.

Thanks for the feedback all of you. We will honor your requests to publish an up-to-date red version.

 

[kweetal]

The IOC site recently seems to have a file:
"Comparison of IOC 15.1 with Clements 2024 (XLSX, 1.35Mb) (Dave Sargeant)"
Am I the only one who cannot download it? (clicking it, I get a page saying: "Sorry! That page doesn' seem to exist." )

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

Am I the only one who cannot download it? (clicking it, I get a page saying: "Sorry! That page doesn' seem to exist." )

The same.