Latest IOC Diary Updates (2 Viewers)

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

Mar 7 Post split of Angola White-eye from Northern Yellow White-eye.

Angola White-eye

Zosterops kasaicus

ADD

AS

Northern Yellow White-eye

Angola White-eye Zosterops kasaicus (including heinrichi and quanzae) is split from Northern Yellow White-eye Z. senegalensis on the basis of phylogenetic divergence (Martins et al. 2020). The specific epithet kasaicus Chapin, 1932 has priority over quanzae Meyer de Schauensee, 1933 [often attributed to 1932 but not actually published until 1933. (fide R. Dowsett)].

So, I'll replace quanzae by kasaicus

 

[thomasdonegan]

However I also doubt that, barring new publications/data, NACC or SACC drawing a line in the sand wrt WGAC accepted splits is likely to convince anyone to revert.

Again it’s the question of where do committees derive their authority and who will continue to listen to them in the case that they diverge significantly from “most everyone else” essentially.

For example, SACC seem to be on the cusp of rejecting the split of Splendid Woodpecker, based on their favourite criterion, 'not enough data'. Most committee member comments imply that this determination was based on a cursory inspection of sonograms done in their spare time or vague allegations about the drumming of species that do not share the same habitat and do not seem relevant. There is no evidence from committee member comments that any of them read our paper concerning this split, which is available here at pp.22-26, or other papers in which it has been concluded that diagnosable differences in drumming in woodpeckers are a good benchmark for species rank in this group. Our 2015 paper is the only detailed analysis of the situation, but is also the only literature reference that was not hyperlinked in the proposal, implying an attempt to draw attention to other publications, none of which are on point.

I think most of the other checklist authorities accepted this split some years ago, since its proposal in DH&C 2014 and our publication in 2015, although e-bird still lumps them. What will IOC, BirdLife, IUCN or WGAC think about SACC coming along 9 years later and declaring there not to be enough data?

A new proposal to SACC yesterday by Rafael Lima on antbirds includes this gem of a gambit: "Similar proposals ... have not passed because several people prefer to wait for more comprehensive analyses to avoid changing the taxonomy .... I prefer to see species limits as hypotheses formulated within the context of currently available evidence." Unfortunately, avian taxonomy is governed by people who seem to prefer "whatever was in the Peters Checklist" to absolutely anything else, and an assumption that all new (i.e. post-1960s) proposals are incorrect, unless supported by a publication in Auk by committee members themselves.

 

[Mysticete]

Western/Occidental vs Eastern/Oriental, the union minimum or the pinnacle of intellectual idleness ?

Do any bird names actually use Occidental? There is a sadly underused word in common names for critters (or maybe no sadly, depending on how you feel about words seldom used in casual language!)

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

Do any bird names actually use Occidental?

In English, I don't know

 

[kweetal]

Do any bird names actually use Occidental? There is a sadly underused word in common names for critters (or maybe no sadly, depending on how you feel about words seldom used in casual language!)

FWIW, none of the current IOC, Clements, H&M, or HBW world lists use 'occidental' in an English name. (and it seems to me that's a Good Thing)

 

[jts1882]

Yet Occidental doesn't carry the baggage that Oriental does, Surprised to see a renaming to Oriental.

P.S. There are a few uses in English names of species that are not birds, although these example are following the binomial so might not be real common names (as used in real life).

Occidental Gerbil (Gerbillus occiduus)
Occidental Elephant Beetle (Megasoma occidentale)
Occidental Plane (Platanus occidentalis), but better known as American Sycamore
Occidental Grasshopper (Trimerotropis occidentalis)
Occidental Digger Bee (Anthophora occidentalis)

 

[kweetal]

15x 'oriental' in the IOC 14.1 "English" column. (Apparently, meaning and baggage go together.)

 

[opisska]

To be fair it's kinda expected, when talking about a language that developed at the very western end of a huge landmass that there will be a word for "things in the far east" as opposed to "normal things".

 

[DDonsker]

What’s wrong with Gray/Grey-crowned Goldfinch? Certainly a better name than Eastern Goldfinch.

Dave

We agree. Just revised English name to Grey-crowned Goldfinch Thanks for the good feedback.

 

[Jacana]

Mar 7 Post split of Gorgeous Sunbird from Beautiful Sunbird.

And in the English name updates:

Island Swiftlet

Aerodramus inquietus

Caroline Swiftlet

Change English name of Aerodramus inquietus from Island Swiftlet to Caroline Swiftlet for better clarity and to align with similarly constructed names.

 

[opisska]

Mar 7 Post split of Gorgeous Sunbird from Beautiful Sunbird.

And when you run out of superlatives, there will be no more splits

 

[jts1882]

To be fair it's kinda expected, when talking about a language that developed at the very western end of a huge landmass that there will be a word for "things in the far east" as opposed to "normal things".

The complication is that Oriental has changed meaning. The well-known Oriental Express went to Turkey. Then Orient included South Asia and later referred to East Asia.

I don't see a major issue using Occidental/Oriental for western/eastern, but some do. Might as well just use western and eastern, as it should be clear to all

 

[Swindon Addick]

Mar 7 Post split of Gorgeous Sunbird from Beautiful Sunbird.

• Look! A sunbird!
• Is it Gorgeous or Beautiful?
• Yes.

 

[Jacana]

Mar 7 Post split of Olive-capped Coua from Red-capped Coua.

 

[Swindon Addick]

Gorgeous Sunbird Cinnyris melanogastrus is split from Beautiful Sunbird C. pulchellus based on parapatry with consistent differences in morphology (del Hoyo & Collar 2016; HBW/BirdLife).

The IOC subspecies spreadsheet has melanogastrus as Tanzania and most of Kenya, with pulchellus in NW Kenya and everywhere else.

Olive-cappped Coua Coua olivaceiceps is split from Red-capped Coua C. ruficeps based on differences in plumage and vocalizations (del Hoyo & Collar 2014; HBW/BirdLife; Dowsett-Lemaire 2004).

This is the southern subspecies, with ruficeps being the more northerly.

 

[Mysticete]

For example, SACC seem to be on the cusp of rejecting the split of Splendid Woodpecker, based on their favourite criterion, 'not enough data'. Most committee member comments imply that this determination was based on a cursory inspection of sonograms done in their spare time or vague allegations about the drumming of species that do not share the same habitat and do not seem relevant. There is no evidence from committee member comments that any of them read our paper concerning this split, which is available here at pp.22-26, or other papers in which it has been concluded that diagnosable differences in drumming in woodpeckers are a good benchmark for species rank in this group. Our 2015 paper is the only detailed analysis of the situation, but is also the only literature reference that was not hyperlinked in the proposal, implying an attempt to draw attention to other publications, none of which are on point.

I think most of the other checklist authorities accepted this split some years ago, since its proposal in DH&C 2014 and our publication in 2015, although e-bird still lumps them. What will IOC, BirdLife, IUCN or WGAC think about SACC coming along 9 years later and declaring there not to be enough data?

A new proposal to SACC yesterday by Rafael Lima on antbirds includes this gem of a gambit: "Similar proposals ... have not passed because several people prefer to wait for more comprehensive analyses to avoid changing the taxonomy .... I prefer to see species limits as hypotheses formulated within the context of currently available evidence." Unfortunately, avian taxonomy is governed by people who seem to prefer "whatever was in the Peters Checklist" to absolutely anything else, and an assumption that all new (i.e. post-1960s) proposals are incorrect, unless supported by a publication in Auk by committee members themselves.

Was the Splendid Woodpecker split recent in IOC?

 

[awiner]

Was the Splendid Woodpecker split recent in IOC?

Yes, in 13.2, less than a year ago.

 

[Paul Clapham]

Do any bird names actually use Occidental?

There's no instances of "Occidental" in my bird names database. Lots of "occidentalis" etc in the scientific names but none in the English names.

 

[Mysticete]

Yes, in 13.2, less than a year ago.

Okay...so yeah this was part of the WGAC process. So is WGAC eventually going to walk back votes when the regional committee (e.g. SACC and NACC) disagree?

 

[awiner]

There's no instances of "Occidental" in my bird names database. Lots of "occidentalis" etc in the scientific names but none in the English names.

Nariño Tapaculo has been called (by some) Occidental Tapaculo in the past - that's the only one in my records.