The Pacific Wren, seen here in Seattle's Discovery Park, has been recognized as a species distinct from the Winter Wren. Photo by Tom Talbott
Fifteen new species are being added to the Check-list of North American Birds this year following recent decisions by the American Ornithologists’ Union's Committee on Classification and Nomenclature for North and Middle America, the body responsible for English bird names and scientific nomenclature. The additions bring the total number of species on the list to 2,070.
In the July 2010 issue of The Auk, the AOU's scientific journal, the committee's 51st supplement to the Check-list announced the addition of 4 orders, 11 families — including Pandionidae (Ospreys) — and 6 genera.
Notable updates:
• Black Scoter was recognized as distinct from Common Scoter of Eurasia. Please note the common names. The supplement that appears in The Auk refers, incorrectly, to the North American species as "American Scoter" and the Eurasian bird as "Black Scoter." Look for a correction in a future issue of The Auk.
• Whip-poor-will was split into Eastern Whip-poor-will and Mexican Whip-poor-will.
• Pacific Wren was split from Winter Wren; both were split from Eurasian Wren. The map at right shows the breeding ranges of the Winter Wren (in blue) and Pacific Wren (in red). Map courtesy Darren Irwin, University of British Columbia.
• Kauai Elepaio and Oahu Elepaio were separated from Hawaii Elepaio.
• In the Caribbean, Greater Antillean Oriole was split into Bahama Oriole, Cuban Oriole, Hispaniolan Oriole, and Puerto Rican Oriole.
The English name Greater Shearwater was changed to Great Shearwater for global conformity, and because of a nomenclatural problem, the scientific name for Blue-winged Warbler was changed from Vermivora pinus to Vermivora cyanoptera.
Recent sightings and two old specimens led to the addition of eight species based on new distributional information:
• Swinhoe's Storm-Petrel, following sightings off Hatteras, North Carolina, in 1998 and 2008, and off Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, in 1993.
• Little Bittern, recorded in Barbados in 1995.
• Purple Heron, following three sightings in Barbados from 1998-2008.
• Eurasian Spoonbill, following records in Antigua, St. Lucia, and Barbados, and a 1936 specimen from western Greenland.
• Collared Pratincole, following a 1996-97 Barbados report.
• White-crested Elaenia, after this well-documented bird was found on South Padre Island, Texas, in February 2008. We reported on it in "Birding Briefs."
• Rufous-tailed Robin, reported on Alaska's Attu and St. Paul Islands in June 2008.
• Yellow-hoooded Blackbird, following the recent relocation of an 1887 specimen of this South American species from Barbados.
In addition, several genera have been reorganized or split, producing new scientific names for 25 species, most of which are found in the United States and Canada:
• Canyon, White-throated, California, and Abert's Towhees have been moved to the genus Melozone.
• Five-striped Sparrow has been transferred to Amphispiza.
• Brown Jay's genus is now Psilorhinus.
• Cinnamon-tailed, Rufous-winged, Stripe-headed, Black-chested, Bridled, Botteri's, Cassin's, and Bachman's Sparrows are now in the genus Peucaea.
• Tennessee, Orange-crowned, Nashville, Virginia's, Colima, Lucy's (pictured at right), Flame-throated, and Crescent-chested Warblers are now in the genus Oreothlypis.
• Northern and Louisiana Waterthrushes have been split into their own genus: Parkesia.
• McCown's Longspur is now in its own genus: Rhynchophanes.
Higher-level taxonomic changes include the addition of four new orders that have been split from existing orders:
• Phaethontiformes (Tropicbirds)
• Suliformes (Frigatebirds, boobies, cormorants, darters, and allies)
• Accipitriformes (Hawks, kites, eagles, and allies)
• Eurypygiformes (Sunbittern and Kagu)
The AOU considered but did not accept a proposal to split the Western Scrub-Jay into three species. Kenn Kaufman explained differences between coastal “California” and interior “Woodhouse’s” scrub-jays in “ID Tips” in April 2009. (Subscriber access only.)
Also rejected was a proposal to recognize the South Hills Crossbill as a new species of Red Crossbill. We described the bird, found in south-central Idaho, in “Birding Briefs” in June 2007.
In their comments about the proposals, committee members were divided over whether to accept the scrub-jays and crossbill as new species. Will the splits be reconsidered? Only time will tell. --Matt Mendenhall, Associate Editor
Read our 2008 feature "Lure of the List" by John Kricher. (Subscriber access only.)
Lucy's Warbler photo by Dominic Sherony
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