2018 eBird Taxonomy Update

22 Aug 2018 By Team eBird

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Purple-backed Fairywren Malurus assimilis © Andrew Allen

The eBird taxonomy update is ALMOST COMPLETE. We do this update once each year, taking into account the past 12 months worth of recent taxonomic knowledge on splits, lumps, name changes, and changes in the sequence of the species lists. As of this point, all core eBird data will be reflecting the new taxonomy. This includes your My eBird lists, range maps, bar charts, region and hotspot lists, and data entry. Your eBird Mobile should have had an “Updating taxonomy…” message that will have loaded the new version. We do have a small number of minor changes yet to make, which may affect the lists for some users as we implement these over the next few days. If you see unfamiliar bird names in the list, please refer to the story below to understand the change and why it happened.

If you only have time to take two things away from the taxonomy update, here they are:

We automatically update your records for you when possible, using known range, your checklist comments, and other information to assign records to a species. However, please review your lists (made simple by the “my records” links below). With the publication of this story, most species should be changed, aside from species that have a “changes still underway” note. If you need to correct anything, it’s super easy using”Change Species.”
If you use eBird Mobile on iPhone or Android, please check the App Store or Google Play Store to make sure you have the latest version of the app. Also, after you’ve updated to the new taxonomy (you should see an “Updating Taxonomy…” notification appear when you start the app up) make sure to submit a list from a new location near you (i.e., not one of your stored “recent locations”). This will ensure that the local checklist filter is updated to the newest version. For example, this step will make sure that all your post-update submissions have the correct new entries such as Velvet Scoter or White-winged Scoter instead of the pre-update White-winged/Velvet Scoter.

Changes are still underway mostly in these species: Mallards in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico, as well as parts of Mexico; Morelet’s and Cinnamon-rumped Seedeaters in some areas of Mexico; Variegated and Purple-backed Fairywrens in eastern Australia.

2018 eBird Taxonomic Update

This year’s update is v2018 of the eBird/Clements Checklist. The eBird/Clements Checklist is an integrated global taxonomy for the birds of the world, including all species and subspecies, as well as additional taxa useful to field birders to report in eBird. The list of species available in eBird is the eBird Taxonomy (v2018) and includes all species, subspecies groups (which we call identifiable sub-specific forms or ISSF), hybrids, intergrades, spuhs (e.g., scoter sp.), slashes (e.g., Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher), domestics, and forms. The Clements Checklist includes only species and subspecies, along with subspecies groups which are further identified as monotypic (consisting of one subspecies) or polytypic (consisting of more than one subspecies). Read more about the eBird Taxonomy.

The Clements Checklist provides two update pages (overview and 2018 updates & corrections) and also provides all three files (eBird/Clements, Clements, and eBird) for download, each as either an Excel spreadsheet or comma-delimited (csv) format.

The Clements Checklist 2018 updates & corrections provides details (including references) for all species splits and lumps, new species descriptions, revisions to subspecies groups (ISSFs) or subspecies, and other changes relevant to the Clements Checklist. We refer anyone wishing to learn more about these splits to that page.

A list of all the taxonomic changes is below. Most changes for the AOS-NACC Fifty-ninth supplement to the American Ornithological Society’s Check-list of North American Birds are incorporated, as well as AOS-SACC revisions to the South American Check-List through 21 June 2018.

This is largely in sync with the above Clements update; references are not listed in full, but are included in the Clements update. Since this is a long article, here is a short index:

Introduction
Languages
Species splits
Species lumps
New species
Subspecies reshuffles
Shuffles of other taxa and subspecies group lumps
New subspecies groups
New hybrids and intergrades
New forms
New domestics
New slashes and spuhs
Common Name changes
Scientific Name changes
Order, Family, and Sequence changes

INTRODUCTION

When the taxonomy is updated in eBird, many of the changes are fairly simple to implement. When a common name changes, a scientific name changes, or when the taxonomic sequence is revised, those changes roll through and appear in eBird output fairly quickly. Staying on top of name changes is a challenge, and consulting Avibase is one of the best ways to keep track. Just type any bird name in Avibase and Avibase will show you the history of that name, and—if it differs from eBird—it will show what the eBird equivalent is for that name. Try it with “Louisiana Heron”, for example.

When species are ‘lumped’ (e.g., two taxonomic entities that used to be considered separate species, but are now one), eBird usually retains the former species as an identifiable group. In these cases, your records may shift to the lumped form and your totals may (or may not) drop by one. The actual entity that you observed and reported has not changed in any way other than being changed from species to subspecies. For example, this year, those who have birded Central America may notice that your previous reports of Cherrie’s Tanager Ramphocelus costaricensis and Passerini’s Tanager Ramphocelus passerinii have changed to Scarlet-rumped Tanager (Cherrie’s) Ramphocelus passerinii costaricensis and Scarlet-rumped Tanager (Passerini’s) Ramphocelus passerinii passerinii.

When splits occur, the process is more complicated. In most cases, we have had subspecies options available for reporting in anticipation of the split. All these records update automatically to the new species. When a bird is reported at the broader species level (without a subspecies listed on your entry), and then that species is split, we update the records in eBird to one of the “child” species whenever possible. We try to be very conservative with this. When two species do not overlap in range (i.e., they are allopatric) we go ahead and make the change. When the species do overlap (i.e., are sympatric), and do not have clear seasonal or habitat differences, we usually do not make the change. This results in your records being left as the more conservative “slash” option.

As an example, this year Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus was split into two species, Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus and Chivi Vireo Vireo chivi. In some areas, this split is fairly easy to understand: Red-eyed Vireo is the only form known from North America and Chivi Vireo is the only one in southern South America (e.g., Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, much of Brazil). In addition, we know that any of these vireos observed in the boreal summer should be Chivi Vireo, since the northern-breeding Red-eyed Vireo should be on its Canada or USA breeding grounds from June to mid-August. However, let’s say that you reported an April or October record of Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus from northern Colombia, where Chivi Vireo is a year-round resident and Red-eyed Vireo is a common migrant. This record would be converted to Red-eyed/Chivi Vireo Vireo olivaceus/chivi since we won’t be able to tell which species you observed. Sometimes the behavior or local habitat can help to identify these two very similar species, but if you are not sure (and this is one of the tougher identification issues in the world, so don’t feel bad!), then your observation is best listed as the slash option.

If you want to review your records of “Red-eyed/Chivi Vireo” or of “Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher”, there are a couple ways to do this through the My eBird tools. If you know the checklist it is on, you can find the list in “Manage My Observations” and edit it as needed. If you can find your checklist on the range map of “Red-eyed/Chivi Vireo” then you can just click on the marker for your list and open it from there. But the best option to review your records is to go to My eBird and then click “Download My Data” from the right side. This downloads your entire eBird database as a CSV file that can be opened in Excel or a similar spreadsheet program. From there, you should easily be able to sort by name or search for “Hen/Northern Harrier” to find your records. Then you can scroll to the correct date or just replace the Submission ID in the URL for a checklist view.

Finally, the taxonomic sequence is changing substantially this year. See the section “Order, Family, and Sequence changes” for a full explanation of the changes. eBirders may notice that Loons, Penguins, Tubenoses, Boobies and Gannets, Pelicans, and Herons, which used to be at the beginning of the list are now appearing near the middle. This may be a bit disorienting if you have memorized the sequence of species, but please be aware that Quick Entry makes it very easy to find and enter any species during data entry. Did you know that typing “37 hosp” in eBird mobile will quick add 37 House Sparrows to whatever total you have already entered? (Learn how!). Also, learning to search for a species within your browser may be helpful too, since this works to quickly jump to a species in any species list (e.g., bar chart, Location Explorer) on eBird.

LANGUAGES

We provide birds names in eBird for more than 30 languages, as well as 25 additional regional versions of some languages. For example, Pluvialis squatorola is known as Black-bellied Plover in our taxonomy, but known by its winter dress in some areas such as the United Kingdom, where it’s called Grey Plover. You can access name preferences under “Preferences” from most eBird pages, which is also where you can set the names to shows as common names or scientific names. One option is English (IOC), which gives a full translation of species names into the IOC World Bird List (v8.2) nomenclature. Note that these names are exact taxonomic matches, so they reflect as slashes when a species is split by IOC and not by eBird; similarly, species split by eBird will appear as subspecies groups for IOC. Our Common Name Translations article explains more about regional common name preferences.

SPECIES SPLITS

The species below were split in eBird. To see a map of the new species, click “map”. To see your personal lists in My eBird, just make sure you are logged in and click “My Records”. If you have seen the species but don’t have any records shown, then please enter your sightings! Full details for all below accounts can be seen at the Clements Updates & Corrections page. We encourage all birders to carefully review the below splits and check your personal records and to update them if you think we made an error. Below are the splits for this update:

Knob-billed Ducks by Renuka Vijayaraghavan/Macaulay Library

The Old World Knob-billed Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos and New World Comb Duck Sarkidiornis sylvicola are split into two species. See also below Misc Topics section on AOS departures.

Knob-billed Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos [map] [media] [my records]
Comb Duck Sarkidiornis sylvicola [map] [media] [my records]

Mexican Duck by Matthew Grube/Macaulay Library

The sexually monochromatic Mexican Duck Anas diazi is split from the widespread species Mallard Anas platyrhynchos. Mallard occurs widely in Eurasia and overlaps (and interbreeds) with Mexican Duck in its United States range (border regions of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona) as well as in northern Mexico in winter. Mexican Ducks appear to be expanding in the northern portions of its range and also as a vagrant (north to Wyoming and Colorado and west to California). As always, birders should be careful to report any Mallards that show obvious signs of domestic rearing (oversized, unusual plumage, etc.) as Mallard (Domestic type). Note also that all Mallards in South America and other southern areas should be reported as Mallard (Domestic type), since the domestic provenance is often very clear. See also below Misc Topics section on AOS departures.

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos [map] [media] [my records]
Mexican Duck Anas diazi [map] [media] [my records]

NOTE: Mallard and Mexican Duck will not be possible to accurately assign to species based on range within the border counties of the USA (Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas) since both species are common there. If you had previously reported these to a specific subspecies group prior to this split, then that will be reflected in your lists. If not, please review your records and make changes if you recall which form you observed (or if you have notes like 4 Mexican, 12 Northern, and 2 intergrades). We realize this will not be possible in many cases, so many records will be retained as the Mallard/Mexican Duck option.

Note also these important options for reporting:

Mallard x Mexican Duck (hybrid) Anas platyrhynchos x diazi [map] [media]
Mallard/Mexican Duck Anas platyrhynchos/diazi [map]

White-winged Scoter (Melanitta fusca) is split into two species: Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca, which occurs in Europe and western Asia and winters to North Africa, and White-winged Scoter Melanitta deglandi , which breeds North America and eastern Asia. See also below Misc Topics section on AOS departures. Note that the two subspecies deglandi and stejnegeri are for now retained within White-winged Scoter but each also may merit recognition as a distinct species.

Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca [map] [media] [my records]
White-winged Scoter Melanitta deglandi [map] [media] [my records]
- White-winged Scoter (Siberian) Melanitta deglandi stejnegeri [map] [media]
- White-winged Scoter (North American) Melanitta deglandi deglandi [map] [media]

In accord with AOS-NACC, the larger, darker-headed Andean Duck Oxyura ferruginea of South America is split from Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis. A problematic and interesting form, andina, occurs in central Colombia, which we include as the northerly subspecies within Andean Duck. It is variable and likely originated from past hybridization between Ruddy and Andean Ducks.

Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis [map] [media] [my records]
Andean Duck Oxyura ferruginea [map] [media] [my records]

The two subspecies groups of Southern Crowned-Pigeon Goura scheepmakeri are each split as a species: Sclater’s Crowned-Pigeon Goura sclaterii of southern New Guinea (Mimika River to Fly River) and Scheepmaker’s Crowned-Pigeon Goura scheepmakeri from coastal se New Guinea (Hall Sound to Orangerie Bay).

Sclater’s Crowned-Pigeon Goura sclaterii [map] [media] [my records]
Scheepmaker’s Crowned-Pigeon Goura scheepmakeri [map] [media] [my records]

Wedge-billed Hummingbird Schistes geoffroyi is split into two species: White-throated Wedgebill Schistes albogularis, which occurs in the western Andes of Colombia and the west slope of the Andes in Ecuador and Geoffroy’s Wedgebill Schistes geoffroyi, which occurs on the eastern slope of the Andes from the eastern Andes of Colombia south to Bolivia.

White-throated Wedgebill Schistes albogularis [map] [media] [my records]
Geoffroy’s Wedgebill Schistes geoffroyi [map] [media] [my records]

Rufous-gaped Hillstar by John Cahill/Macaulay Library

White-tailed Hillstar Urochroa leucura is split into two species, divided into east slope and west slope populations in the Andes: Rufous-gaped Hillstar Urochroa bougueri from the Western Andes of se Colombia and nw Ecuador and White-tailed Hillstar Urochroa leucura from the east slope of Andes from southern Colombia (Nariño) to northern Peru (Amazonas, San Martín).

Rufous-gaped Hillstar Urochroa bougueri [map] [media] [my records]
White-tailed Hillstar Urochroa leucura [map] [media] [my records]

One population from within the widespread Gray-breasted Sabrewing Campylopterus largipennis is split out as Dry-forest Sabrewing Campylopterus calcirupicola, with the new species occurring in a very localized ecotone in eastern Brazil (southeastern Goiás, southwestern Bahia, and northern Minas Gerais).

Gray-breasted Sabrewing Campylopterus largipennis [map] [media] [my records]
Dry-forest Sabrewing Campylopterus calcirupicola [map] [media] [my records]

Given the strong vocal differences between the widespread species formerly known as Vermiculated Screech-Owl Megascops guatemalae, a long-anticipated split in that species is finally recognized. The new species include: Middle American Screech-Owl Megascops guatemalae which occurs from Mexico south to Costa Rica, and possibly east to central Panama on the Atlantic coast (more documentation of vocalizations needed from Panama west of the Canal Zone); Choco Screech-Owl Megascops centralis which occurs from central Panama (possibly west to the Pacific Slope of se. Costa Rica–again, more audio recordings are needed from this zone) south to western Ecuador; and Foothill Screech-Owl Megascops roraimae which has fairly widely-separated populations on the tepuis of southern Venezuela, adjacent northern Brazil, southern Guyana, and Suriname and Andean foothills from Venezuela and Colombia south to Bolivia. Both Middle American Screech-Owl and Foothill Screech-Owl have two subspecies groups that are also recognized.

Middle American Screech-Owl Megascops guatemalae [map] [media] [my records]
- Middle American Screech-Owl (Middle American) Megascops guatemalae [guatemalae Group] [map] [media]
- Middle American Screech-Owl (Vermiculated) Megascops guatemalae vermiculatus [map] [media]
Choco Screech-Owl Megascops centralis [map] [media] [my records]
Foothill Screech-Owl Megascops roraimae [map] [media] [my records]
- Foothill Screech-Owl (Roraima) Megascops roraimae roraimae [map] [media]
- Foothill Screech-Owl (Foothill) Megascops roraimae [napensis Group] [map] [media]

Blond-crested Woodpecker by Claudia Brasileiro/Macaulay Library

Blond-crested Woodpecker Celeus flavescens is split into Ochre-backed Woodpecker Celeus ochraceus of northeastern Brazil and the forests around the south bank at the mouth of the Amazon and a southerly, more widespread Blond-crested Woodpecker Celeus flavescens which ranges from Bahia, Brazil south to northern Argentina.

Ochre-backed Woodpecker Celeus ochraceus [map] [media] [my records]
Blond-crested Woodpecker Celeus flavescens [map] [media] [my records]

The range limits of these two species are not well known, so this slash option will prove useful when the species cannot be confirmed.

Ochre-backed/Blond-crested Woodpecker Celeus ochraceus/flavescens [map] [media] [my records]

Southerly populations of Russet Antshrike Thamnistes anabatinus from south of the Río Marañón in Amazonas, Peru, to Bolivia are recognized as a new species, Rufescent Antshrike Thamnistes rufescens, while those from northern Peru north to Mexico are retained as Russet Antshrike Thamnistes anabatinus.

Russet Antshrike Thamnistes anabatinus [map] [media] [my records]
Rufescent Antshrike Thamnistes rufescens [map] [media] [my records]

Within Thrush-like Antpitta Myrmothera campanisona a vocally and genetically distinct form is recognized as a new species, Tapajos Antpitta Myrmothera subcanescens, which occurs south of the Amazon River, east of the Madeira River and west of the Xingu River; Thrush-like Antpitta Myrmothera campanisona occupies the remainder of the species’ wide range in South America.

Thrush-like Antpitta Myrmothera campanisona [map] [media] [my records]
Tapajos Antpitta Myrmothera subcanescens [map] [media] [my records]

A new species, Leymebamba Antpitta Grallaricula leymebambae, which ranges from Ecuador to Bolivia was previously considered a subspecies group within Rusty-breasted Antpitta Grallaricula ferrugineipectus, but is not closely related to that species. The range of Rusty-breasted Antpitta Grallaricula ferrugineipectus thus is now restricted to Colombia and Venezuela.

Rusty-breasted Antpitta Grallaricula ferrugineipectus [map] [media] [my records]
Leymebamba Antpitta Grallaricula leymebambae [map] [media] [my records]

Buff-throated Foliage-Gleaner Automolus ochrolaemus is a widespread species with many subspecies and could see a number of future splits. This year, subspecies exertus is elevated to species-level as Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner Automolus exsertus, restricted to the Pacific Slope of southeastern Costa Rica and southwestern Panama, while the name Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner Automolus ochrolaemus continues to apply for the rest of the species wide range from Mexico into South America.

Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner Automolus ochrolaemus [map] [media] [my records]
Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner Automolus exsertus [map] [media] [my records]

Vocal, genetic, and some fairly subtle plumage differences support a split of Paltry Tyrannulet into four species, as follows: Guatemalan Tyrannulet Zimmerius vilissimus of highland areas in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador; Mistletoe Tyrannulet Zimmerius parvus from the lowlands of southern Belize and Peten, Guatemala, south along the Caribbean Slope of Honduras to nw. Colombia (Chocó); Spectacled Tyrannulet Zimmerius improbus in the Santa Marta, Sierra de Perijá, and northern Andes of Colombia and Venezuela; and Venezuelan Tyrannulet Zimmerius petersi of the coastal cordillera of n Venezuela (s Lara east to Miranda).

Guatemalan Tyrannulet Zimmerius vilissimus [map] [media] [my records]
Mistletoe Tyrannulet Zimmerius parvus [map] [media] [my records]
Spectacled Tyrannulet Zimmerius improbus [map] [media] [my records]
Venezuelan Tyrannulet Zimmerius petersi [map] [media] [my records]

Kinglet Manakin by Ciro Albano/Macaulay Library

Striped Manakin Machaeropterus striolatus is split into Striolated Manakin Machaeropterus striolatus of western and northern South America and Kinglet Manakin Machaeropterus regulus, which is restricted to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. See also below under “New Species” for the recognition of the closely-related Painted Manakin Machaeropterus eckelberryi.

Striolated Manakin Machaeropterus striolatus [map] [media] [my records]
- Striolated Manakin (Striolated) Machaeropterus striolatus [striolatus Group] [map] [media]
- Striolated Manakin (aureopectus) Machaeropterus striolatus aureopectus [map] [media]
Kinglet Manakin Machaeropterus regulus [map] [media] [my records]

Variegated Fairywren Malurus lamberti is split into two species, a widespread Purple-backed Fairywren Malurus assimilis and a range-restricted Variegated Fairywren Malurus lamberti, which occurs only in coastal southeastern Australia (eastern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland north to Gladstone).

Purple-backed Fairywren Malurus assimilis [map] [media] [my records]
- Purple-backed Fairywren (Lavender-flanked) Malurus assimilis dulcis/rogersi [map] [media] [my records]
- Purple-backed Fairywren (Purple-backed) Malurus assimilis assimilis/bernieri [map] [media] [my records]
Variegated Fairywren Malurus lamberti [map] [media] [my records]

Mountain Sooty Boubou Laniarius poensis involved two widely separated species, one in west Africa and one in the Albertine Rift. These are now split as two species, with Western Boubou Laniarius poensis occurring in Cameroon, Nigeria, and Bioko Island andAlbertine Boubou Laniarius holomelas occurring in Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, and the extreme eastern D.R. Congo.

Western Boubou Laniarius poensis [map] [media] [my records]
- Western Boubou (Cameroon) Laniarius poensis camerunensis [map] [media] [my records]
- Western Boubou (Bioko) Laniarius poensis poensis [map] [media] [my records]
Albertine Boubou Laniarius holomelas [map] [media] [my records]

A major revision in shrikes resulted in two step process, with a major lump followed by a split. As of last year, Southern Gray Shrike Lanius meridionalis was used for the southerly populations within the Great Gray Shrike complex, involving all the subspecies groups listed below except Great Gray Shrike (Great Gray) Lanius excubitor [excubitor Group]. However, genetics show that all of these are closely related to Great Gray Shrike Lanius excubitor, while the meridionalis subspecies, restricted to Portugal, Spain, and southern France, is quite distinct (actually closer to the North American species, Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus) and should be recognized as a distinct species, Iberian Gray Shrike Lanius meridionalis. We list all the subspecies and their ranges within this complex below to help clarify this situation (note that Northern Shrike Lanius borealis was split in last year’s update).

- Iberian Gray Shrike Lanius meridionalis [map] [media] [my records]
- Great Gray Shrike Lanius excubitor [map] [media] [my records]
  - Great Gray Shrike (Great Gray) Lanius excubitor [excubitor Group] [map] [media]
    - Lanius excubitor excubitor RANGE: W and n Europe to w Siberia
    - Lanius excubitor homeyeri RANGE: Balkan Peninsula to s Ural Mountains and w Siberia
    - Lanius excubitor leucopterus RANGE: W Siberia to Yenisey River
  - Great Gray Shrike (Sahara) Lanius excubitor [elegans Group] [map][media]
    - Lanius excubitor koenigi RANGE: Canary Islands
    - Lanius excubitor algeriensis RANGE: Morocco (n of Atlas Mountains), coastal n Algeria and Tunisia
    - Lanius excubitor elegans RANGE: N Sahara (Mauritania to Sinai Peninsula and Red Sea)
    - Lanius excubitor leucopygos RANGE: southern Sahara and Sahel from Mauritania to western and central Sudan
  - Great Gray Shrike (Arabian) Lanius excubitor aucheri/buryi [map] [media]
    - Lanius excubitor aucheri RANGE: eastern Sudan south to northern Somalia; southern Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and Arabian Peninsula east to Iran
    - Lanius excubitor buryi RANGE: Yemen; vagrant to Djibouti and Ethiopia
  - Great Gray Shrike (Socotra) Lanius excubitor uncinatus RANGE: Socotra [map] [media]
  - Great Gray Shrike (Steppe) Lanius excubitor pallidirostris RANGE: Iran to arid steppes of w China (Xinjiang, Gansu and Ningsia) [map] [media]
  - Great Gray Shrike (Indian) Lanius excubitor lahtora RANGE: E Pakistan and n India [map] [media]

Chivi Vireo by Raphael Kurz/Macaulay Library

Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus was formerly considered one widespread species with migratory northern populations breeding in the USA and Canada, resident populations in northern and central South America, and migratory populations in southern South America. The species is now split, with North American breeders pertaining to Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus and South American breeders pertaining to Chivi Vireo Vireo chivi. Field identification will be very difficult in the boreal winter however, since Red-eyed Vireo winters in western Amazonia where it overlaps completely with Chivi Vireo. Any reports of Red-eyed Vireo from South America should be made with care and should clarify how Chivi Vireo was eliminated. We hope to give a bit more information on the identification of these two species here on eBird in the future.

Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus [map] [media] [my records]
Chivi Vireo Vireo chivi [map] [media] [my records]
- Chivi Vireo (resident) Vireo chivi [agilis Group] [map] [media]
- Chivi Vireo (migratory) Vireo chivi chivi/diversus [map] [media]

Since these two species are virtually identical, outside of their migratory habits, this slash should be widely used for non-singing birds in regions and seasons of overlap:

Red-eyed/Chivi Vireo Vireo olivaceus/chivi [map] [media]

Rusty-bellied Fantail Rhipidura teysmanni is split into two species: a polytypic Sulawesi Fantail Rhipidura teysmanni , from Sulawesi and a monotypic Taliabu Fantail Rhipidura sulaensis from Taliabu I. (Sula Islands)

Sulawesi Fantail Rhipidura teysmanni [map] [media] [my records]
Taliabu Fantail Rhipidura sulaensis [map] [media] [my records]

Maghreb Magpie by Christoph Moning/Macaulay Library

Genetics have helped to reveal cryptic diversity within the Pica magpies, with Eurasian Magpie Pica pica now divided into five species: Maghreb Magpie Pica mauritanica of North Africa; Asir Magpie Pica asirensis of Arabia; Black-rumped Magpie Pica bottanensis of the Tibetan Plateau; Oriental Magpie Pica serica from eastern China and Southeast Asia; and Eurasian Magpie Pica pica from the remainder of the species range from western Europe to northeastern Russia.

Maghreb Magpie Pica mauritanica [map] [media] [my records]
Asir Magpie Pica asirensis [map] [media] [my records]
Black-rumped Magpie Pica bottanensis [map] [media] [my records]
Oriental Magpie Pica serica [map] [media] [my records]
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica [map] [media] [my records]

Within Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla, the island-endemic Madeira Firecrest Regulus madeirensis is split form the widespread species Common Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla, which occurs throughout the remainder of the range.

Madeira Firecrest Regulus madeirensis [map] [media] [my records]
Common Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla [map] [media] [my records]

The localized Vietnam endemic (though it might reach eastern Cambodia) Dalat Bush Warbler Locustella idonea is split from Russet Bush Warbler Locustella mandelli.

Russet Bush Warbler Locustella mandelli [map] [media] [my records]
Dalat Bush Warbler Locustella idonea [map] [media] [my records]

The iconically named Henna-tailed Jungle-Flycatcher is lost as the species is split into two, each occurring on its own set of islands: Banggai Jungle-Flycatcher Cyornis pelingensis of Peleng Island (in the Banggai island chain) and Sula Jungle-Flycatcher Cyornis colonus from Taliabu, Seho, Mangole, and Sanana in the Sula island chain.

Banggai Jungle-Flycatcher Cyornis pelingensis [map] [media] [my records]
Sula Jungle-Flycatcher Cyornis colonus [map] [media] [my records]

The two forms of Slaty Thrush are not each other’s closest relatives and are recognized as distinct species:Andean Slaty Thrush Turdus nigriceps of western South America and Eastern Slaty Thrush Turdus subalaris of eastern South America.

Eastern Slaty Thrush Turdus subalaris [map] [media] [my records]
Andean Slaty Thrush Turdus nigriceps [map] [media] [my records]

Taiwan Thrush by Jhihweit Tsai/Macaulay Library

Taiwan Thrush Turdus niveiceps, previously recognized as just one of 39 identifiable subspecies groups in Island Thrush Turdus poliocephalus, is now recognized as a distinct species and adds another species to the list of Taiwan endemics.

Taiwan Thrush Turdus niveiceps [map] [media] [my records]
Island Thrush Turdus poliocephalus [map] [media] [my records]

Peruvian Pipit Anthus peruvianus, restricted to relative dry coastal Peru and northern Chile, is split from the widespread Yellowish Pipit Anthus lutescens which occurs in wetter environments from southern Central America through much of South America east of the Andes.

Yellowish Pipit Anthus lutescens [map] [media] [my records]
Peruvian Pipit Anthus peruvianus [map] [media] [my records]

Amazonian Grosbeak Cyanoloxia rothschildii, which occurs in South America from the Amazon Basin south to northern Argentina, is split from the more northerly Blue-black Grosbeak Cyanoloxia cyanoides which now occurs from Mexico south through Central America, along the West Slope of Colombia, Ecuador, and extreme nw. Peru (Tumbes) as well as east along the Caribbean coast of Colombia, western Venezuela, and central northern Venezuela east to Miranda.

Blue-black Grosbeak Cyanoloxia cyanoides [map] [media] [my records]
Amazonian Grosbeak Cyanoloxia rothschildii [map] [media] [my records]

Within Inaccessible Island Finch Nesospiza acunhae, subspecies Nesospiza acunhae questi was formerly recognized as a subspecies group but is hereby elevated to species status as Nightingale Island Finch Nesospiza questi, endemic to Nightingale Island. In addition, a new subspecies group is added, Inaccessible Island Finch (Upland) Nesospiza acunhae fraseri, and another, Inaccessible Island Finch (Dunn’s) Nesospiza acunhae dunnei, is transferred from Wilkins’s Finch Nesospiza wilkinsi. We list all subspecies groups in Inaccessible Island Finch below.

Inaccessible Island Finch Nesospiza acunhae [map] [media] [my records]
- Inaccessible Island Finch (Lowland) Nesospiza acunhae acunhae [map] [media]
- Inaccessible Island Finch (Upland) Nesospiza acunhae fraseri [map] [media]
- Inaccessible Island Finch (Dunn’s) Nesospiza acunhae dunnei [map] [media]
Nightingale Island Finch Nesospiza questi [map] [media] [my records]

Two forms of Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch Poospiza nigrorufa are now split as distinct species, with the less richly colored form occurring in southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina retaining the name Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch Poospiza nigrorufa and the more richly colored form of nw. Argentina and s. Bolivia now being called Black-and-chestnut Warbling-Finch Poospiza whitii.

Black-and-chestnut Warbling-Finch Poospiza whitii [map] [media] [my records]
Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch Poospiza nigrorufa [map] [media] [my records]

Morelet’s Seedeater by Ian Routley/Macaulay Library

Plumage, song, and genetic differences demonstrate that White-collared Seedeater Sporophila moreletti involves two species: Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater Sporophila torqueola which is endemic to Mexico, occurring from Sonora south to Oaxaca on the Pacific Slope and central Mexico west of the Sierra Madre Oriental and Morelet’s Seedeater Sporophila morelleti which occurs from southernmost Texas to western Panama, primarily on the Atlantic Slope in Mexico, but reaching both slopes from Chiapas southwards.

Morelet’s Seedeater Sporophila morelleti [map] [media] [my records]
Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater Sporophila torqueola [map] [media] [my records]

The two may almost come in contact in some areas, so a slash is retained in the case of confusion (females are nearly identical, but have bolder wing bars in moreletti.

Morelet’s/Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater Sporophila morelleti/torqueola [map] [media]

LUMPS and INVALID SPECIES

In eBird taxonomic revision, lumps are very easy to deal with. Usually the taxa become subspecies groups, so there is no changing of records necessary, just a recalculation of lists as the species drop to identifiable subspecies. Whenever possible, we encourage birders to continue reporting at the subspecies level, but whenever you select these options, be sure you understand the taxa that you are using; do not try to guess at the subspecies based on the name! This section also includes invalid species descriptions: these are rare but occur when an original description of a species or subspecies is proven to be a hybrid, rare variant, or other form of natural variation that does not represent a species. Full details for can be seen at the Clements Updates & Corrections page.

The Colombian Screech-Owl Megascops colombianus is no longer recognized as a distinct species and is lumped with Rufescent Screech-Owl Megascops ingens.

Rufescent Screech-Owl (Colombian) Megascops ingens [map] [media] [my records]
- Rufescent Screech-Owl (Colombian) Megascops ingens colombianus [map] [media]
- Rufescent Screech-Owl (Rufescent) Megascops ingens ingens/venezuelanus [map] [media]

White-chested Tinkerbird Pogoniulus makawai, thus far known from just a single specimen, is considered to be a variant of Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus bilineatus.

Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus bilineatus [map] [media] [my records]
- Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird (Yellow-rumped) Pogoniulus bilineatus [bilineatus Group]
  [map] [media]
- Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird (White-chested) Pogoniulus bilineatus makawai [map] [media]

Baron’s Spinetail Cranioleuca baroni and Line-cheeked Spinetail Cranioleuca antisiensis
are considered to represent a cline in body size and other traits and are lumped as Line-cheeked Spinetail Cranioleuca antisiensis.

Line-cheeked Spinetail Cranioleuca antisiensis [map] [media] [my records]
- Line-cheeked Spinetail (Line-cheeked) Cranioleuca antisiensis antisiensis/palamblae [map] [media]
- Line-cheeked Spinetail (Baron’s) Cranioleuca antisiensis [baroni Group] [map] [media]

Canary Islands Kinglet Regulus teneriffae is no longer considered to represent a unique species and is now considered conspecific with Goldcrest Regulus regulus. Several new subspecies groups are listed in Goldcrest (see Appendix A: New Subspecies Groups below).

Goldcrest Regulus regulus [map] [media] [my records]
- Goldcrest (Tenerife) Regulus regulus teneriffae [map] [media]

Javan Bush Warbler Locustella montis and Timor Bush Warbler Locustella timorensis are no longer considered two species and are merged as a single species, Javan Bush Warbler Locustella montis, although both subspecies groups are retained.

Javan Bush Warbler Locustella montis [map] [media] [my records]
- Javan Bush Warbler (Javan) Locustella montis montis [map] [media]
- Javan Bush Warbler (Timor) Locustella montis timorensis [map] [media]

Scarlet-rumped Tanager by Yeray Seminario/Macaulay Library

Two similar species from Central America, the Atlantic Slope Cherrie’s Tanager Ramphocelus costaricensis and Pacific Slope Passerini’s Tanager Ramphocelus passerinii, are lumped as Scarlet-rumped Tanager Ramphocelus passerinii, but are retained as subspecies groups.

Scarlet-rumped Tanager Ramphocelus passerinii [map] [media] [my records]
- Scarlet-rumped Tanager (Passerini’s) Ramphocelus passerinii passerinii [map] [media]
- Scarlet-rumped Tanager (Cherrie’s) Ramphocelus passerinii costaricensis [map] [media]

NEW SPECIES

Each year, a few newly described species or populations newly recognized for their distinctiveness are named and added to the eBird/Clements taxonomy. This just goes to show how much remains to be learned about the birds of the World! Full details for can be seen at the Clements Updates & Corrections page.

The mysterious extinct species, Spotted Green Pigeon, Caloenas maculata, had not been previously included in the eBird/Clements list. It is known from only two specimens (one of which now is lost) and one contemporaneous illustration, all apparently from the mid or late 18th century. Its former distribution is not known, but it probably was native to an island or island group in the South Pacific.

Spotted Green Pigeon Caloenas maculata [map] [media] [my records]

The presence of a distinctive screech-owl in the isolated Santa Marta range of northern Colombia has long been known, but this year it was finally was formally described and given a name: Santa Marta Screech-Owl Megascops gilesi. Previously known in eBird as Santa Marta Screech-Owl (undescribed form) Megascops [undescribed form].

Santa Marta Screech-Owl Megascops gilesi [map] [media] [my records]

Cordillera Azul Antbird by Andrew Spencer/Macaulay Library

The distinctive Cordillera Azul Antbird Myrmoderus eowilsoni was quickly described to science (compared to the owl), after being first noticed just a few years ago and and has already been seen by a good number of birders. Previously known in eBird as Whistling Antbird (undescribed form) Myrmoderus [undescribed form].

Cordillera Azul Antbird Myrmoderus eowilsoni [map] [media] [my records]

A new Machaeropterus manakin from the East Slope of the Peruvian Andes has been of interest to ornithologists for several years now and is now formally described as Painted Manakin Machaeropterus eckelberryi. With the split of another Machaeropterus, Striolated Manakin (see splits above), this genus now includes five species instead of the original three. Previously known in eBird as Painted Manakin (undescribed form).

Painted Manakin Machaeropterus eckelberryi [map] [media] [my records]

A new myzomela is recognized from Rote Island in the Lesser Sundas: Rote Myzomela Myzomela irianawidodoae. This species was not previously listed in eBird.

Rote Myzomela Myzomela irianawidodoae [map] [media] [my records]

SUBSPECIES RESHUFFLES

When subspecies move around between species, this can have effects like splits or lumps. Thus, for a certain population within a species, the movement of the subspecies from one to another has important data quality implications and can significantly change the range of both species.

Gray-headed Swamphen and Black-backed Swamphen: Subspecies vididis, previously classified under Black-backed Swamphen Porphyrio indicus, properly belongs with Gray-headed Swamphen Porphyrio poliocephalus. This results in a major change in the range of the two taxa, since viridis occupied an extensive range in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, s. Myanmar, s. Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and southeastern China. Now, that range is occupied by Gray-headed Swamphen, and Black-backed Swamphen is restricted to Sumatra, Java, Bali, Borneo and Sulawesi.

Black-backed Swamphen Porphyrio indicus [map] [media] [my records]
Gray-headed Swamphen Porphyrio poliocephalus [map] [media] [my records]

With this reshuffling, these taxa are now very different too and many hybrids and slashes from the former range of Black-backed Swamphen can now be safely assigned to Gray-headed Swamphen:

Black-backed x Gray-headed Swamphen (hybrid) Porphyrio indicus x poliocephalus [map] [media] [my records]
Black-backed/Gray-headed Swamphen Porphyrio indicus/poliocephalus [map] [media] [my records]

Three subspecies motleyi (Borneo and adjacent northern offshore islands), captus Nias I. (off nw Sumatra) and jungei (Batu I. and Simeulue I. off nw Sumatra) are transferred from Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher Ceyx erithaca to Rufous-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher Ceyx rufidorsa. This revision means that Black-backed Dwarf Kingfisher occurs south of the Isthmus of Kra on the Thai Malay Peninsula and in Sumatra only as a migrant; the resident forms are now all placed in Rufous-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher.

Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher Ceyx erithaca [map] [media] [my records]
Rufous-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher Ceyx rufidorsa [map] [media] [my records]

Subspecies flavidifrons, which some authorities split as a unique species, was formerly recognized as a subspecies group within Golden-faced Tyrannulet Zimmerius chrysops as Golden-faced Tyrannulet (Loja) Zimmerius chrysops flavidifrons. It is better considered a subspecies of Peruvian Tyrannulet Zimmerius viridiflavus and is moved to that species with this revision. It occurs in sw Ecuador and extreme northern Peru.

Peruvian Tyrannulet (Loja) Zimmerius viridiflavus flavidifrons [map] [media] [my records]

Subspecies viridinitens is transferred from Hair-crested Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus to Sumatran Drongo Dicrurus sumatranus, so now it is Sumatran Drongo that is found in the Mentawi Islands off Sumatra (the range of viridinitens) and not Hair-crested.

Hair-crested Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus [map] [media] [my records]
Sumatran Drongo Dicrurus sumatranus [map] [media] [my records]

Subspecies acrophila, found in northern New Guinea (Foja and Bewani Mountains), was previously listed as part of Rufous-backed Honeyeater Ptiloprora guisei but instead belongs with Mayr’s Honeyeater Ptiloprora mayri.

Mayr’s Honeyeater Ptiloprora mayri [map] [media] [my records]
Rufous-backed Honeyeater Ptiloprora guisei [map] [media] [my records]

Within Vanuatu Whistler Pachycephala chlorura, subspecies vanikorensis is transferred from Vanuatu Whistler to Temotu Whistler Pachycephala vanikorensis, and subspecies littayei is transferred to Vanuatu Whistler from New Caledonian Whistler Pachycephala caledonica. Since littayei occurs in the Loyalty Islands (Ouvéa and Lifou), those islands are added to the range of Vanuatu Whistler and since vanikorensis occurs in the southern Santa Cruz Islands (Vanikoro), those islands are added to the range of Temotu Whistler. New Calendonia Whistler thus is restricted to the main island of New Caledonia.

Vanuatu Whistler Pachycephala chlorura [map] [media] [my records]
New Caledonian Whistler Pachycephala caledonica [map] [media] [my records]
Temotu Whistler Pachycephala vanikorensis [map] [media] [my records]

Subspecies intensior, previously classified as a subspecies of Kloss’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus ogilviegranti, properly belongs with Davison’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus intensior. Because of the rules of zoological nomenclature, this subspecies transfer also results in a change in the scientific name of Davison’s Leaf Warbler from Phylloscopus muleyitensis to Phylloscopus intensior. Subspecies intensior occurs from Southeast Thailand (Trat Province) to mountains of n Cambodia, so this transfer removes a significant portion of the range of Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, which is now unrecorded from Cambodia and Thailand.

Kloss’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus ogilviegranti [map] [media] [my records]
Davison’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus intensior [map] [media] [my records]

Subspecies chiriquensis, which has been considered for species status and was formerly placed with Masked Yellowthroat Geothlypis aequinoctialis, is moved to Olive-crowned Yellowthroat Geothlypis semiflava. Since this was the only subspecies of Masked Yellowthroat known from North America, this shuffle removes a species from the North American avifauna. It is found in se Costa Rica and w Panama.

Olive-crowned Yellowthroat (Chiriqui) Geothlypis semiflava chiriquensis [map] [media] [my records]

Subspecies dunnei is removed from Wilkins’s Finch Nesospiza wilkinsi and transferred to Inaccessible Island Finch (Dunn’s) Nesospiza acunhae dunnei. See also “Splits” above.

Inaccessible Island Finch Nesospiza acunhae [map] [media] [my records]
- Inaccessible Island Finch (Dunn’s) Nesospiza acunhae dunnei [map] [media] [my records]
Wilkins’s Finch Nesospiza wilkinsi [map] [media] [my records]

SHUFFLES OF OTHER TAXA and SUBSPECIES GROUP LUMPS

Revisions to eBird subspecies groups, and occasionally other taxa (like spuhs or slashes), can happen in our taxonomic update as well. This effectively changes the definition for these taxa and also changes how you should use them in reporting. To review your records of any of the subspecies groups below, simply open your Life List on eBird and use a browser search to search for the species name in question. Click the species to open all reports for that species; your subspecies reports will appear in this list and you can review those for accuracy. Selected revisions are listed below; for a complete listing of these changes see the Clements updates.

Little Grebe: Subspecies Tachybaptus ruficollis collaris, from NE New Guinea to Bougainville (Solomon Islands), is removed from Little Grebe (Little) Tachybaptus ruficollis [ruficollis Group] and placed in Little Grebe (Tricolored) Tachybaptus ruficollis [tricolor Group]. Note that the IOC splits these two groups as separate species.

Little Grebe (Little) Tachybaptus ruficollis [ruficollis Group] [map] [media] [my records]
Little Grebe (Tricolored) Tachybaptus ruficollis [tricolor Group] [map] [media] [my records]

White-bellied Bustard: Subspecies mackenziei, which occurs from eastern Gabon to southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, eastern Angola and western Zambia, is removed from the group White-bellied Bustard (White-bellied) and is added to the group White-bellied Bustard (Barrow’s).

White-bellied Bustard (White-bellied) Eupodotis senegalensis [senegalensis Group] [map] [media] [my records]
White-bellied Bustard (Barrow’s) Eupodotis senegalensis barrowii/mackenziei [map] [media] [my records]

Little Bronze-Cuckoo: Subspecies salvadorii, previously included in a polytypic group Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Pied) Chrysococcyx minutillus crassirostris/salvadorii, instead belongs with subspecies rufomerus. Below are the revised groups.

Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Banda) Chrysococcyx minutillus rufomerus/salvadorii [map] [media] [my records]
Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Pied) Chrysococcyx minutillus crassirostris [map] [media] [my records]

Common Tern: Common Tern had long included two subspecies groups, the dark-billed Common Tern Sterna hirundo longipennis and red-billed Common Tern (hirundo) Sterna hirundo hirundo. With this revision, we consider minussensis to be a synonym of tibetana and we include tibetana in an expanded red-billed group. Note that these two group intergrade where they come in contact, so an intergrade is added to help account for birds with intermediate bill color which are common in places such as Mongolia.

Common Tern (hirundo/tibetana) Sterna hirundo hirundo/tibetana [map] [media] [my records]

Brown Pelican: Subspecies urinator is endemic to the Galapagos Islands and is recognized as a separate group (see “new subspecies groups” below). As a result, the Brown Pelican (Southern) subspecies group is now restricted to two subspecies.

Brown Pelican (Southern) Pelecanus occidentalis occidentalis/murphyi [map] [media] [my records]

Roadside Hawk: Our former group Roadside Hawk (Mainland) Rupornis magnirostris [magnirostris Group] is now split into two groups, which differ substantially in plumage. The Northern group includes all of North America and much of northern South America, while the Southern group includes much of Amazonia and southern South America.

Roadside Hawk (Northern) Rupornis magnirostris [magnirostris Group] [map] [media] [my records]
Roadside Hawk (Southern) Rupornis magnirostris [pucherani Group] [map] [media] [my records]

Sulawesi Scops-Owl: The polytypic group Sulawesi Scops-Owl (Sulawesi) Otus manadensis manadensis/mendeni is partitioned into two monotypic groups:

Sulawesi Scops-Owl (Sulawesi) Otus manadensis manadensis [map] [media] [my records]
Sulawesi Scops-Owl (Banggai) Otus manadensis mendeni [map] [media] [my records]

Burrowing Owl: With this year’s revision we have added a full set of subspecies groups for Burrowing Owl. As part of this revision, subspecies rostrata, endemic to Isla Clarión of Mexico, is added to the Burrowing Owl (Western) Athene cunicularia hypugaea group to become Burrowing Owl (Western) Athene cunicularia hypugaea/rostrata. See also Appendix A: New Subspecies Groups.

Burrowing Owl (Western) Athene cunicularia hypugaea/rostrata [map] [media] [my records]

Southern Emerald-Toucanet: Subspecies cyanolaemus is recognized as a new group, Southern Emerald-Toucanet (Black-billed) Aulacorhynchus albivitta cyanolaemus(see “new subspecies groups” below) which results in a revision to Southern Emerald-Toucanet (Black-throated) and a restriction of the range to more southerly areas, since cyanolaemus occurs in the subtropical Andes of se Ecuador and n Peru. See also Appendix A: New Subspecies Groups.

Southern Emerald-Toucanet (Black-throated) Aulacorhynchus albivitta atrogularis/dimidiatus [map] [media] [my records]

With significant revisions to woodpecker genera, these spuhs are now restricted to different sets of species. These involved fairly major changes, so please see Scientific name changes below.

Dendrocopos sp. Dendrocopos sp. [map] [media] [my records]
Picus sp. Picus sp. [map] [media] [my records]

Russet Antshrike: With the split of rufescens as Rufescent Antshrike Thamnistes rufescens, (see “Splits” above), the Russet Antshrike (Andean) group is now restricted to subspecies aequatorialis and gularis.

Russet Antshrike (Andean) Thamnistes anabatinus aequatorialis/gularis [map] [media] [my records]

Dusky-capped Flycatcher: Subspecies groups in Dusky-capped Flycatcher were incompletely defined until this year (see “new subspecies groups” below). As part of this revision, our former subspecies group Dusky-capped Flycatcher (lawrenceii) Myiarchus tuberculifer lawrenceii was expanded this year to include all 8 North American subspecies, except Myiarchus tuberculifer olivascens, which is still recognized as a monotypic subspecies group Dusky-capped Flycatcher (Arizona). The range of the group now extends to western Colombia, which is the southern limit for subspecies brunneiceps. As always, download the eBird/Clements Checklist or log in to Avibase to see the full set of subspecies included within each eBird subspecies group. See also Appendix A: New Subspecies Groups.

Dusky-capped Flycatcher (lawrenceii Group) Myiarchus tuberculifer [lawrenceii Group] [map] [media] [my records]

Previously the polytypic group Little Shrikethrush (Rufous) Colluricincla megarhyncha [megarhyncha Group] included no fewer than 28 subspecies: affinis, batantae, misoliensis, aruensis, obscura, melanorhyncha, idenburgi, hybridus, tappenbecki, maeandrina, megarhyncha, ferruginea, neos, madaraszi, goodsoni, wuroi, palmeri, despecta, superflua, fortis, trobriandi, discolor, aelptes, normani, griseata, synaptica, gouldii, and rufogaster. This highly polytypic group now is partitioned into seven groups. The group Colluricincla megarhyncha [megarhyncha Group] now is restricted to subspecies batantae, misoliensis, melanorhyncha, aruensis, megarhyncha, ferruginea, goodsoni, wuroi, and palmeri; and the English name for this group changes from Little Shrikethrush (Rufous) to Little Shrikethrush (Arafura). See also Appendix A: New Subspecies Groups.

Little Shrikethrush (Arafura) Colluricincla megarhyncha [megarhyncha Group] [map] [media] [my records]

Hair-crested Drongo: Previously we recognized a large, polytypic group Hair-crested Drongo (Hair-crested) Dicrurus hottentottus [hottentottus Group], with 11 subspecies. One subspecies (viridinitens) is transferred to Sumatran Drongo Dicrurus sumatranus, and we also partition Hair-crested Drongo (Hair-crested) into nine groups. Therefore change the scientific name of the (now greatly smaller!) group Hair-crested Drongo (Hair-crested) from Dicrurus hottentottus [hottentottus Group] to Dicrurus hottentottus hottentottus/brevirostris.

Hair-crested Drongo (Hair-crested) Dicrurus hottentottus hottentottus/brevirostris [map] [media] [my records]

Eurasian Nuthatch: While we previously recognized just two subspecies groups within this species, a monotypic Eurasian Nuthatch (Siberian) Sitta europaea arctica and another group Eurasian Nuthatch (Eurasian) Sitta europaea [europaea Group] covering all other subspecies, we have now split the latter group into four groups. See the “new subspecies groups” section below.

Eurasian Nuthatch (Western) Sitta europaea [europaea Group] [map] [media]

Tropical Gnatcatcher: New genetics are helping to delineate relationships within Tropical Gnatcatcher and future taxonomic updates may address some splits within this group. For now, we split the former group Tropical Gnatcatcher (Tropical) into multiple smaller subspecies groups and also remove subspecies anteocularis to form a new group with plumbiceps as Tropical Gnatcatcher (plumbiceps/anteocularis) Polioptila plumbea plumbiceps/anteocularis. Thus, the group Tropical Gnatcatcher (white-browed) is restricted to remove N Colombia (Upper Magdalena Valley) form its range. See Appendix A: New Subspecies Groups below.

Tropical Gnatcatcher (White-browed) Polioptila plumbea [bilineata Group] [map] [media]

African Yellow White-eye: Previously we recognized a polytypic group African Yellow White-eye (African Yellow) Zosterops senegalensis [senegalensis Group], which included the 13 subspecies senegalensis, demeryi, gerhardi, jacksoni, kasaicus, heinrichi, quanzae, tongensis, stuhlmanni, reichenowi, toroensis, stierlingi, and anderssoni. We now partition this polytypic group into three polytypic groups. Subspecies senegalensis, demeryi, gerhardi, jacksoni, kasaicus, heinrichi, quanzae, and tongensis remain in African Yellow White-eye (African Yellow) Zosterops senegalensis [senegalensis Group]. New polytypic groups (See Appendix A: New Subspecies Groups below) are African Yellow White-eye (Green) Zosterops senegalensis [stuhlmanni Group], composed of subspecies stuhlmanni, reichenowi, and toroensis; and African Yellow White-eye (Southern) Zosterops senegalensis anderssoni/stierlingi, composed of course of subspecies stierlingi and anderssoni.

African Yellow White-eye (African Yellow) Zosterops senegalensis [senegalensis Group] [map] [media]

Broad-ringed White-eye: Previously we recognized a polytypic group Broad-ringed White-eye (Montane) Zosterops poliogastrus [poliogastrus Group], which included the five subspecies kaffensis, poliogastrus, mbuluensis, eurycricotus, and winifredae. We now partition this polytypic group into five monotypic groups: Broad-ringed White-eye (Ethiopian) Zosterops poliogastrus poliogastrus; Broad-ringed White-eye (Kaffa) Zosterops poliogastrus kaffensis; Broad-ringed White-eye (Mbulu) Zosterops poliogastrus mbuluensis; Broad-ringed White-eye (Kilimanjaro) Zosterops poliogastrus eurycricotus; and Broad-ringed White-eye (South Pare) Zosterops poliogastrus winifredae. The sequence of subspecies of Broad-ringed White-eye is revised.

Broad-ringed White-eye (Ethiopian) Zosterops poliogastrus poliogastrus [map] [media]

American Pipit: The subspecies group American Pipit (alticola) Anthus rubescens alticola is now merged with the rubescens Group. Although there are some subtle differences in breeding plumage, these subspecies are not reliably identifiable at most times of year and are hereby merged.

American Pipit (rubescens Group) Anthus rubescens [rubescens Group] [map] [media]

Tropical Parula: We reassessed and completed the addition of groups in Tropical Parula (see Appendix A: New Subspecies Groups below). The monotypic groups Tropical Parula (Central American) Setophaga pitiayumi speciosa, with range “Tropical s Honduras to Nicaragua, Costa Rica and w Panama”, and Tropical Parula (Eastern Panama) Setophaga pitiayumi nana, with range “E Panama (Darién) to nw Colombia (Córdoba)”, are not longer considered distinct. Now we have a single group for Middle America: Tropical Parula (Middle American) Setophaga pitiayumi inornata from “southern Mexico (north to southern Veracruz and northern Chiapas) south to northwestern Colombia (Córdoba)”.

Tropical Parula (Middle American) Setophaga pitiayumi inornata [map] [media]

Bananaquit: Bananaquit groups have been reassessed and finalized. Subspecies portoricensis, sanctithomae, newtoni, bartholemica, marinicana, barbadensis, atrata, aterrima, and uropygialis all are removed from the polytypic group Bananaquit (Caribbean) Coereba flaveola [flaveola Group]. Subspecies portoricensis is recognized as a new monotypic group, Bananaquit (Puerto Rico) Coereba flaveola portoricensis. Subspecies sanctithomae, newtoni, bartholemica, marinicana, barbadensis, and uropygialis form a new polytypic group, Bananaquit (Lesser Antillean) Coereba flaveola [bartholemica Group]. Subspecies atrata and aterrima each are recognized as new monotypic groups, Bananaquit (St. Vincent) Coereba flaveola atrata and Bananaquit (Grenada) Coereba flaveola aterrima. Finally, the former monotypic group Bananaquit (Mainland) Coereba flaveola mexicana is subsumed into a greatly expanded polytypic group Bananaquit (Continental) Coereba flaveola [luteola Group] that includes the additional subspecies cerinoclunis, columbiana, bonairensis, ferryi, frailensis, luteola, obscura, minima, montana, caucae, gorgonae, intermedia, bolivari, guianensis, roraimae, pacifica, magnirostris, dispar, chloropyga, and alleni.

Bananaquit (Greater Antillean) Coereba flaveola [flaveola Group] [map] [media]

NEW SUBSPECIES GROUPS

The following new subspecies groups are now available for data entry. When you are certain you have seen representatives of these groups, and ideally have identified them critically based on their field marks, please report them to eBird. Please do not guess based on the name, such as “Northern” and “Southern” or “African” and “Asian”; make sure you understand the differences being represented before reporting at so specific a level. Many new subspecies groups were added this year, largely because we reviewed the work by Nigel Collar and the Birdlife International team, who assessed a large number of avian taxa based on morphological and acoustic information and scored their relative distinctiveness (also known as the Tobias criteria). While we don’t necessarily follow the species-level splits from Handbook of the Birds of the World, these were useful for helping identify distinctive subspecies groups, resulting in the large number of additions this year.

See appendix A for this list. Since it is so long this year, we are moving it to the bottom of this article. Importantly, please note that the following species, which were not completely formulated into groups before, now have a full set of groups: Common Tern, Burrowing Owl, Golden Tanager, Bananaquit, Tropical Parula.

NEW HYBRIDS and INTERGRADES

eBird has a long list of field identifiable hybrids. These are always listed in taxonomic order (the species that comes first sequentially is listed first) and are always followed by “hybrid”. If you identified a hybrid, especially any of the below, please do report it to eBird (hopefully with photos)! eBird also maintains a much shorter lists of intergrades (hybrids between subspecies groups); these are sometimes followed by the phrase “intergrade” and can be identified from the scientific name by the structure of the names which indicates that it is a subspecies (the only new intergrade for 2018 is within Common Tern). Hybrids and intergrades are unique to the eBird taxonomy; they are not found in the Clements Checklist.

With Change Species, eBirders can quickly update their lists if you already have an entry of any of these (e.g., under duck sp. or hummingbird sp.).

Bar-headed x Canada Goose (hybrid) Anser indicus x Branta canadensis
Mallard x Mexican/Mottled Duck (hybrid) Anas platyrhynchos x diazi/fulvigula
Mexican x Mottled Duck (hybrid) Anas diazi x fulvigula
Pacific Black Duck x Gray Teal (hybrid) Anas superciliosa x gracilis
Pacific Black Duck x Chestnut Teal (hybrid) Anas superciliosa x castanea
Gray x Chestnut Teal (hybrid) Anas gracilis x castanea
Gray Teal x Hardhead (hybrid) Anas gracilis x Aythya australis
Bufflehead x goldeneye sp. (hybrid) Bucephala albeola x clangula/islandica
Honduran Emerald x Azure-crowned Hummingbird (hybrid) Amazilia luciae x cyanocephala
Eurasian x Red-knobbed Coot (hybrid) Fulica atra x cristata
Pied x Variable Oystercatcher (hybrid) Haematopus longirostris x unicolor
Herring x Caspian Gull (hybrid) Larus argentatus x cachinnans
Common Tern (hirundo/tibetana x longipennis) Sterna hirundo hirundo/tibetana x longipennis
Common x Arctic Tern (hybrid) Sterna hirundo x paradisaea
Macaroni x Southern Rockhopper Penguin (hybrid) Eudyptes chrysolophus x chrysocome
Red-tailed x Ferruginous Hawk (hybrid) Buteo jamaicensis x regalis
Western x Eastern Screech-Owl (hybrid) Megascops kennicottii x asio
Great Spotted x Syrian Woodpecker (hybrid) Dendrocopos major x syriacus
Northern x Gilded Flicker (hybrid) Colaptes auratus x chrysoides
Little Corella x Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (hybrid) Cacatua sanguinea x galerita
Rufous-backed x Brown-backed Antwren (hybrid) Epinecrophylla haematonota x fjeldsaai
New Holland x White-cheeked Honeyeater (hybrid) Phylidonyris novaehollandiae x niger
Raggiana x Greater Bird-of-Paradise (hybrid) Paradisaea raggiana x apoda
Pale-chinned x Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher (hybrid) Cyornis poliogenys x tickelliae
Bahama x Northern Mockingbird (hybrid) Mimus gundlachii x polyglottos
Western Yellow x Citrine Wagtail (hybrid) Motacilla flava x citreola
Lapland Longspur x Snow Bunting (hybrid) Calcarius lapponicus x Plectrophenax nivalis
Yellow-headed x Oriente Warbler (hybrid) Teretistris fernandinae x fornsi
Yellow-rumped x Yellow-throated Warbler (hybrid) Setophaga coronata x dominica
Indigo x Painted Bunting (hybrid) Passerina cyanea x ciris
House x Somali Sparrow (hybrid) Passer domesticus x castanopterus
Tricolored x Chestnut Munia (hybrid) Lonchura malacca x atricapilla
Yellow-rumped x Chestnut-breasted Munia (hybrid) Lonchura flaviprymna x castaneothorax

NEW FORMS

Within eBird, we also have forms for taxa that are field identifiable (or likely potential species) and worth tracking, but are not formally described. These include undescribed species and undescribed subspecies groups (both noted with “undescribed form”), slashes at a level between subspecies group and species (e.g., “Whimbrel (White-rumped)” below) and miscellaneous other options. This year’s update includes three undescribed forms which may be recognized as species in the future, a couple additional US options where two similar subspecies may be separated from other forms, but not from each other (Red-tailed Hawk and Iceland Gull), plus two coot forms from Hawaii. Forms are unique to the eBird taxonomy; they are not found in the Clements Checklist.

Timor Nightjar (undescribed form) Caprimulgus sp. [undescribed Timor form]
Hawaiian Coot (Red-shielded) Fulica alai (Red-shielded)
Hawaiian Coot (White-shielded) Fulica alai (White-shielded)
Iceland Gull (thayeri/kumlieni) Larus glaucoides thayeri/kumlieni
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/abieticola) Buteo jamaicensis calurus/abieticola
Necklaced Spinetail (undescribed form) Synallaxis stictothorax [undescribed La Libertad form]
Bacan Drongo (undescribed form) Dicrurus [undescribed form]

NEW DOMESTICS

eBird has certain domesticated species that are regularly seen in a feral or wild state. The distinction between a “Domestic” and a wild type bird of the same species is in its appearance, and domestics are always identifiable as having domestic ancestry, often in their white, yellow, or otherwise abnormal plumage, or less often, in their size or shape (e.g., Graylag Goose (Domestic type) is larger and more pot-bellied than wild Graylag Geese). Domestics are unique to the eBird taxonomy; they are not found in the Clements Checklist. We have not added any domestics for 2017.

No additions for 2018

NEW SLASHES AND SPUHS

As with hybrids, eBird has a long list of “slashes” and “spuhs”. These are useful in the field if you get a good enough look at a bird to know it, for example, a scoter, but not to tell if it was a Common Scoter, Black Scoter, Surf Scoter, Velvet Scoter, or White-winged Scoter. You can use “scoter sp.”, in such instances. If you are able to narrow it down to two (or in rare cases, three or four) species options, we have “slashes”, which mention the full common name (and scientific name) for the species that are potential species for your observation (e.g., Surf/Black Scoter). This list is being regularly updated as observers let us know what field identification problems they encounter. Slashes and spuhs are unique to the eBird taxonomy; they are not found in the Clements Checklist.

Fulvous/Lesser Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor/javanica
Mexican/Mottled Duck Anas diazi/fulvigula
Anas sp. Anas sp.
Rock/Hill Pigeon Columba livia/rupestris
Eurasian/Red Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto/tranquebarica
crowned-pigeon sp. Goura sp.
Greater/Lesser Coucal Centropus sinensis/bengalensis
Large/Common Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx sparverioides/varius
Lesser/Indian Cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus/micropterus
Lesser/Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus/optatus
Gray-rumped/Ridgetop Swiftlet Collocalia marginata/isonota
Drab/Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia neglecta/esculenta
Curlew Sandpiper/Dunlin Calidris ferruginea/alpina
Wilson’s/South American Snipe Gallinago delicata/paraguaiae
Black-bellied/River Tern Sterna acuticauda/aurantia
Thalasseus sp. Thalasseus sp.
Schrenck’s/Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus eurhythmus/cinnamomeus
Clanga/Aquila sp. Clanga/Aquila sp.
Crested Sparrowhawk/Besra Accipiter trivirgatus/virgatus
Malabar/Oriental Pied-Hornbill Anthracoceros coronatus/albirostris
European/Indian Roller Coracias garrulus/benghalensis
Lineated/Brown-headed Barbet Psilopogon lineatus/zeylanicus
Downy/Ladder-backed Woodpecker Dryobates pubescens/scalaris
Dryobates sp. Dryobates sp.
Himalayan/Common Flameback Dinopium shorii/javanense
Red-footed/Amur Falcon Falco vespertinus/amurensis
Alexandrine/Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula eupatria/krameri
Russet/Rufescent Antshrike Thamnistes anabatinus/rufescens
Rufous-backed/Madeira Antwren Epinecrophylla haematonota/amazonica
Guatemalan/Mistletoe Tyrannulet Zimmerius vilissimus/parvus
Striolated/Painted Manakin Machaeropterus striolatus/eckelberryi
Australian treecreeper sp. Climacteridae sp.
Purple-backed/Variegated Fairywren Malurus assimilis/lamberti
Belford’s/Yellow-browed Melidectes Melidectes belfordi/rufocrissalis
Malabar/Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis sylvicola/pondicerianus
Ryukyu/Ashy Minivet Pericrocotus tegimae/divaricatus
Black-throated/White-throated Magpie-Jay Calocitta colliei/formosa
Oriental/Eurasian Magpie Pica serica/pica
Singing/Indian Bushlark Mirafra cantillans/erythroptera
Gray-throated Martin/Bank Swallow Riparia chinensis/riparia
Black-breasted/Rufous-vented Tit Periparus rufonuchalis/rubidiventris
Pycnonotus sp. Pycnonotus sp.
Mountain/Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus sindianus/collybita
Greenish/Large-billed Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides/magnirostris
Middendorff’s/Pleske’s Grasshopper-Warbler Locustella ochotensis/pleskei
Zitting/Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola juncidis/exilis
Oriental/Japanese White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus/japonicus
Red-billed/Coral-billed Scimitar-Babbler Pomatorhinus ochraceiceps/ferruginosus
Streak-breasted/White-browed Scimitar-Babbler Pomatorhinus ruficollis/schisticeps
Common/Striated Babbler Turdoides caudata/earlei
Gray-streaked/Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa griseisticta/sibirica
Large/Hill Blue Flycatcher Cyornis magnirostris/banyumas
Blue-throated/Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher Cyornis rubeculoides/tickelliae
Nilgiri/Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias albicaudatus/thalassinus
White-browed/Collared Bush-Robin Tarsiger indicus/johnstoniae
Common/Black Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus/ochruros
White-browed Bushchat/Siberian Stonechat Saxicola insignis/maurus
Tropical/Northern Mockingbird Mimus gilvus/polyglottos
Pale-billed/Nilgiri Flowerpecker Dicaeum erythrorhynchos/concolor
Black-and-yellow/Collared Grosbeak Mycerobas icterioides/affinis
Dark-rumped/Spot-winged Rosefinch Carpodacus edwardsii/rodopeplus
Pink-browed/Himalayan White-browed Rosefinch Carpodacus rodochroa/thura
Yellow-throated/Short-billed Chlorospingus Chlorospingus flavigularis/parvirostris
Grassland/Yellow-browed Sparrow Ammodramus humeralis/aurifrons
Ammospiza sp. Ammospiza sp.
Grasshopper/Henslow’s Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum/Centronyx bairdii
Grasshopper/Baird’s Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum/Centronyx henslowii
Shiny/Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis/aeneus
Blue-black/Amazonian Grosbeak Cyanoloxia cyanoides/rothschildii
Nightingale Island/Wilkins’s Finch Nesospiza questi/wilkinsi
Baglafecht/Bannerman’s Weaver Ploceus baglafecht/bannermani
Streaked/Bengal Weaver Ploceus manyar/benghalensis
nigrita sp. Nigrita sp.
Papuan/Blue-faced Parrotfinch Erythrura papuana/trichroa
parrotfinch sp. Erythrura sp.

COMMON NAME CHANGES

See the Clements Checklist updates (here) of the reasoning behind these name changes. Note that some relate directly to splits discussed above, since some of the taxa that were formerly species may appear here. For example, if a widespread bird that occurs in North America and Eurasia is split into unique species on each continent, the population occurring on both continents might be retained here as a “slash” and appear as a name change (also a downgrade from species to slash). Other name changes may be driven by changes in taxonomic sequence (as with hybrids and slashes, where the first-listed species always comes first), an attempt to follow an emerging consensus in local usage, or a taxonomic revision that affects hyphenation rules. Other general changes, including corrections and decisions to use an alternate common name, have been made here.

Comb Duck (Old World) –> Knob-billed Duck
Comb Duck (South American) –> Comb Duck
Mallard (Northern) –> Mallard
Mallard (Mexican) –> Mexican Duck
Mallard (Mexican intergrade) –> Mallard x Mexican Duck (hybrid)
Mallard –> Mallard/Mexican Duck
White-eyed Duck –> Hardhead
White-winged Scoter (Velvet) –> Velvet Scoter
White-winged Scoter –> Velvet/White-winged Scoter
Ruddy Duck (Andean) –> Andean Duck (ferruginea)
Northern Bobwhite (graysoni) –> Northern Bobwhite (graysoni/nigripectus)
Northern Bobwhite (pectoralis) –> Northern Bobwhite (pectoralis Group)
Band-tailed Pigeon (Viosca) –> Band-tailed Pigeon (Viosca’s)
Southern Crowned-Pigeon (Sclater’s) –> Sclater’s Crowned-Pigeon
Southern Crowned-Pigeon (Scheepmaker’s) –> Scheepmaker’s Crowned-Pigeon
Zoe Imperial-Pigeon –> Zoe’s Imperial-Pigeon
Ruwenzori Turaco –> Rwenzori Turaco
Ruwenzori Turaco (Ruwenzori) –> Rwenzori Turaco (Rwenzori)
Ruwenzori Turaco (Mt. Kabobo) –> Rwenzori Turaco (Mt. Kabobo)
Ruwenzori Turaco (Kivu) –> Rwenzori Turaco (Kivu)
Coua sp. –> coua sp.
Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Dark-backed) –> Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Banda)
Montane Nightjar –> Rwenzori Nightjar
Long-tailed/Long-billed Hermit –> Long-billed/Long-tailed Hermit
Wedge-billed Hummingbird (Western) –> White-throated Wedgebill
Wedge-billed Hummingbird (Eastern) –> Geoffroy’s Wedgebill
White-tailed Hillstar (Rufous-gaped) –> Rufous-gaped Hillstar
White-tailed Hillstar (White-tailed) –> White-tailed Hillstar
Gray-breasted Sabrewing (Dry Forest) –> Dry-forest Sabrewing
Red-knobbed/Eurasian Coot –> Eurasian/Red-knobbed Coot
gallinule/moorhen/coot sp. –> moorhen/coot/gallinule sp.
Hapalocrex/Porzana/Zapornia sp. –> Porzana/Zapornia/Hapalocrex sp.
Iceland Gull (Iceland) –> Iceland Gull (glaucoides/kumlieni)
Common Tern (hirundo) –> Common Tern (hirundo/tibetana)
Galapagos Shearwater (dark-winged) –-> Galapagos Shearwater (Dark-winged)
Galapagos Shearwater (light-winged) –> Galapagos Shearwater (Light-winged)
Black-shouldered Kite –> Black-winged Kite
Black-shouldered Kite (African) –> Black-winged Kite (African)
Black-shouldered Kite (Asian) –> Black-winged Kite (Asian)
Australian Kite –> Black-shouldered Kite
Great Philippine Eagle –> Philippine Eagle
Frances’s Goshawk –> Frances’s Sparrowhawk
Madagascar Red Owl –> Red Owl
European Scops-Owl –> Eurasian Scops-Owl
European Scops-Owl (European) –> Eurasian Scops-Owl (Eurasian)
European Scops-Owl (Cyprus) –> Eurasian Scops-Owl (Cyprus)
Colombian Screech-Owl –> Rufescent Screech-Owl (Colombian)
Vermiculated Screech-Owl –> Middle American Screech-Owl
Vermiculated Screech-Owl (Guatemalan) –> Middle American Screech-Owl (Middle American)
Vermiculated Screech-Owl (Vermiculated) –> Middle American Screech-Owl (Vermiculated)
Vermiculated Screech-Owl (Choco) –> Choco Screech-Owl
Vermiculated Screech-Owl (Roraima) –> Foothill Screech-Owl (Roraima)
Vermiculated Screech-Owl (Foothill) –> Foothill Screech-Owl (Foothill)
Santa Marta Screech-Owl (undescribed form) –> Santa Marta Screech-Owl
African Long-eared Owl –> Abyssinian Owl
Madagascar Long-eared Owl –> Madagascar Owl
Cuckoo-Roller –> Cuckoo-roller
White-chested Tinkerbird –> Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird (White-chested)
Crimson-breasted/Darjeeling Woodpecker –> Darjeeling/Crimson-breasted Woodpecker
Nuttall’s x Downy Woodpecker (hybrid) –> Downy x Nuttall’s Woodpecker (hybrid)
Ladder-backed x Downy Woodpecker (hybrid) –> Downy x Ladder-backed Woodpecker (hybrid)
Ladder-backed x Nuttall’s Woodpecker (hybrid) –> Nuttall’s x Ladder-backed Woodpecker (hybrid)
Ladder-backed/Nuttall’s Woodpecker –> Nuttall’s/Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Common/Greater Flameback –> Greater/Common Flameback
Eurasian Green x Gray-headed Woodpecker (hybrid) –> Gray-headed x Eurasian Green Woodpecker (hybrid)
Lineated Woodpecker/Campephilus sp. –> Campephilus sp./Lineated Woodpecker
Blond-crested Woodpecker (Ochre-backed) –> Ochre-backed Woodpecker
Blond-crested Woodpecker (Blond-crested) –> Blond-crested Woodpecker
Blond-crested Woodpecker –> Ochre-backed/Blond-crested Woodpecker
Greater Vasa-Parrot –> Greater Vasa Parrot
Lesser Vasa-Parrot –> Lesser Vasa Parrot
Greater/Lesser Vasa-Parrot –> Greater/Lesser Vasa Parrot
Sunbird Asity –> Common Sunbird-Asity
Yellow-bellied Asity –> Yellow-bellied Sunbird-Asity
Sunbird/Yellow-bellied Asity –> Common/Yellow-bellied Sunbird-Asity
Pitta sp. (genus Erythropitta/Hydrornis/Pitta) –> pitta sp. (genus Erythropitta/Hydrornis/Pitta)
Northern Slaty-Antshrike (Northern) –> Northern Slaty-Antshrike (Guianan)
Northern Slaty-Antshrike (Marañon) –> Northern Slaty-Antshrike (Peruvian)
Whistling Antbird (undescribed form) –> Cordillera Azul Antbird
Thrush-like Antpitta (Thrush-like) –> Thrush-like Antpitta
Thrush-like Antpitta (Tapajos) –> Tapajos Antpitta
Rusty-breasted Antpitta (Leimebamba) –> Leymebamba Antpitta
Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner (exsertus) –> Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner
Line-cheeked Spinetail –> Line-cheeked Spinetail (Line-cheeked)
Baron’s Spinetail –> Line-cheeked Spinetail (Baron’s)
Paltry Tyrannulet (Paltry) –> Guatemalan Tyrannulet
Paltry Tyrannulet (Mistletoe) –> Mistletoe Tyrannulet
Paltry Tyrannulet (Mountain) –> Spectacled Tyrannulet
Golden-faced Tyrannulet (Loja) –> Peruvian Tyrannulet (Loja)
Peruvian Tyrannulet (Amazonas) (undescribed form) –> Peruvian Tyrannulet (Amazonas)
Paltry Tyrannulet (Venezuelan) –> Venezuelan Tyrannulet
Dusky-capped Flycatcher (East Mexico) –> Dusky-capped Flycatcher (lawrenceii Group)
Streaked Flycatcher (Streaked) –> Streaked Flycatcher (Northern)
Streaked Flycatcher (solitarius) –> Streaked Flycatcher (Southern)
Striped Manakin (Western) –> Striolated Manakin (Striolated)
Striped Manakin (aureopectus) –> Striolated Manakin (aureopectus)
Painted Manakin (undescribed form) –> Painted Manakin
Striped Manakin (Eastern) –> Kinglet Manakin
Tooth-billed Catbird –> Tooth-billed Bowerbird
Variegated Fairywren –> Purple-backed Fairywren
Variegated Fairywren (Lavender-flanked) –> Purple-backed Fairywren (Lavender-flanked)
Variegated Fairywren (Purple-backed) –> Purple-backed Fairywren (Purple-backed)
Rote Myzomela (undescribed form) –> Rote Myzomela
Ruwenzori Batis –> Rwenzori Batis
Mountain Sooty Boubou –> Western Boubou
Mountain Sooty Boubou (Cameroon) –> Western Boubou (Cameroon)
Mountain Sooty Boubou (Bioko) –> Western Boubou (Bioko)
Mountain Sooty Boubou (Ruwenzori) –> Albertine Boubou
Little Shrikethrush (Rufous) –> Little Shrikethrush (Arafura)
Crested Jay –> Crested Shrikejay
Southern Gray Shrike (Steppe) –> Great Gray Shrike (Steppe)
Great Gray/Northern Shrike –> Northern/Great Gray Shrike
Great Gray/Southern Gray Shrike –> Iberian Gray/Great Gray Shrike
Red-eyed Vireo (Red-eyed) –> Red-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo (resident Chivi) –> Chivi Vireo (resident)
Red-eyed Vireo (migratory Chivi) –> Chivi Vireo (migratory)
Red-eyed Vireo –> Red-eyed/Chivi Vireo
Pygmy Drongo-Fantail –> Drongo Fantail
Rusty-bellied Fantail (Sulawesi) –> Sulawesi Fantail
Rusty-bellied Fantail (Taliabu) –> Taliabu Fantail
Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher (Comoro) –> Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher (Comoros)
Fantailed Monarch –> Fan-tailed Monarch
Kolombangra Monarch –> Kolombangara Monarch
Gray Jay –> Canada Jay
Gray Jay (Northern) –> Canada Jay (Northern)
Gray Jay (Rocky Mts.) –> Canada Jay (Rocky Mts.)
Gray Jay (Pacific) –> Canada Jay (Pacific)
Eurasian Magpie (North African) –> Maghreb Magpie
Eurasian Magpie (Arabian) –> Asir Magpie
Eurasian Magpie (Black-rumped) –> Black-rumped Magpie
Vogelkop Superb Bird-of-Paradise –> Vogelkop Lophorina
Greater Superb Bird-of-Paradise –> Greater Lophorina
Lesser Superb Bird-of-Paradise –> Lesser Lophorina
Thekla/Crested Lark –> Thekla’s/Crested Lark
Thekla/Crested/Maghreb Lark –> Thekla’s/Crested/Maghreb Lark
Greater Striped-Swallow –> Greater Striped Swallow
Lesser Striped-Swallow –> Lesser Striped Swallow
Yellow Tit –> Taiwan Yellow Tit
Black-lored Tit –> Himalayan Black-lored Tit
Indian Tit –> Indian Yellow Tit
Long-tailed Tit (europaeus) –> Long-tailed Tit (europaeus Group)
Long-tailed Tit (alpinus) –> Long-tailed Tit (alpinus Group)
Rock/Persian Nuthatch –> Western Rock/Eastern Rock Nuthatch
African Spotted-Creeper –> African Spotted Creeper
Indian Spotted-Creeper –> Indian Spotted Creeper
Long-billed Gnatwren (rufiventris) –> Long-billed Gnatwren (rufiventris Group)
Pycnonotus sp. –> Brachypodius/Rubigula/Pycnonotus sp.
Canary Islands Kinglet –> Goldcrest (Tenerife)
Firecrest (Madeira) –> Madeira Firecrest
Firecrest (European) –> Common Firecrest
Goldcrest/Firecrest –> Goldcrest/Common Firecrest
tesia sp. –> Tesia sp. (genus Tesia)
Dusky/Radde’s Warbler –> Radde’s/Dusky Warbler
Dusky/Yellow-streaked/Radde’s Warbler –> Radde’s/Yellow-streaked/Dusky Warbler
Martens’s/Bianchi’s Warbler –> Bianchi’s/Martens’s Warbler
Plain-tailed Warbler –> Alström’s Warbler
Seicercus sp. (Golden-spectacled Warbler complex) –> Phylloscopus sp. (Golden-spectacled Warbler complex)
Arctic/Japanese Leaf Warbler –> Japanese Leaf/Arctic Warbler
Arctic/Kamchatka Leaf/Japanese Leaf Warbler –> Japanese Leaf/Arctic/Kamchatka Leaf Warbler
Kolombangra Leaf Warbler –> Kolombangara Leaf Warbler
Javan Bush Warbler –> Javan Bush Warbler (Javan)
Timor Bush Warbler –> Javan Bush Warbler (Timor)
Roberts’s Prinia –> Roberts’s Warbler
Namaqua Prinia –> Namaqua Warbler
Ruwenzori Apalis –> Rwenzori Apalis
Red-fronted Warbler –> Red-fronted Prinia
Red-fronted Warbler (Red-fronted) –> Red-fronted Prinia (Red-fronted)
Red-fronted Warbler (Rufous-backed) –> Red-fronted Prinia (Rufous-backed)
African Hill Babbler (Ruwenzori) –> African Hill Babbler (Rwenzori)
Banded Warbler –> Banded Parisoma
Brown Warbler –> Brown Parisoma
Brown Warbler (Brown) –> Brown Parisoma (Brown)
Brown Warbler (Gray-vented) –> Brown Parisoma (Gray-vented)
White-breasted White-eye –> Abyssinian White-eye
White-breasted White-eye (Abyssinian) –> Abyssinian White-eye (Abyssinian)
White-breasted White-eye (Kenya) –> Abyssinian White-eye (Kenya)
Meratus White-eye (undescribed Meratus form) –> Meratus White-eye (undescribed form)
Cream-throated White-eye (Helmahera) –> Cream-throated White-eye (Halmahera)
Kolombangra White-eye –> Kolombangara White-eye
babbler sp. –> Timaliidae sp.
Sukatschev’s Laughingthrush –> Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush
Nilgiri Blue Robin –> Nilgiri Sholakili
White-bellied Blue Robin –> White-bellied Sholakili
Black-throated Blue Robin –> Blackthroat
Korean Flycatcher –> Yellow-rumped Flycatcher
Black-and-rufous Flycatcher –> Black-and-orange Flycatcher
Spotted Ground-Thrush (Congo) –> Spotted Ground-Thrush (Upemba)
Oberlaender’s Ground-Thrush –> Oberländer’s Ground-Thrush
American Robin/Varied Thrush –> Varied Thrush/American Robin
Slaty Thrush (Eastern) –> Eastern Slaty Thrush
Chiguanco Thrush (chiguanco) –> Chiguanco Thrush (chiguanco/conradi)
Slaty Thrush (Andean) –> Andean Slaty Thrush
Island Thrush (Taiwan) –> Taiwan Thrush
Island Thrush (Kolombangra) –> Island Thrush (Kolombangara)
Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird –> Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird
Seimund’s Sunbird –> Little Green Sunbird
White/White-browed Wagtail –> White-browed/White Wagtail
American Pipit (rubescens/pacificus) –> American Pipit (rubescens Group)
Yellowish Pipit (Yellowish) –> Yellowish Pipit
Yellowish Pipit (Peruvian) –> Peruvian Pipit
Common Redpoll (rostrata) –> Common Redpoll (rostrata/islandica)
Gray-hooded/Ortolan Bunting –> Gray-necked/Ortolan Bunting
American Tree Sparrow/Spizella sp. –> Spizella sp./American Tree Sparrow
Masked Yellowthroat (Chiriqui) –> Olive-crowned Yellowthroat (Chiriqui)
Tropical Parula (South Mexico and Guatemala) –> Tropical Parula (Middle American)
Three-striped Warbler (San Lucas) (undescribed form) –> Three-striped Warbler (San Lucas)
Blue-black Grosbeak (Blue-black) –> Blue-black Grosbeak
Blue-black Grosbeak (Amazonian) –> Amazonian Grosbeak
Passerini’s/Cherrie’s Tanager –> Scarlet-rumped Tanager
Passerini’s Tanager –> Scarlet-rumped Tanager (Passerini’s)
Cherrie’s Tanager –> Scarlet-rumped Tanager (Cherrie’s)
Cherrie’s x Crimson-backed Tanager (hybrid) –> Scarlet-rumped x Crimson-backed Tanager (hybrid)
Golden Tanager (Venezuelan) –> Golden Tanager (arthus)
Tit-like Dacnis (petersi Group) –> Tit-like Dacnis (petersi/bella)
Nightingale Finch –> Inaccessible Island Finch
Nightingale Finch (Inaccessible I.) –> Inaccessible Island Finch (Lowland)
Wilkins’s Finch (Inaccessible I.) –> Inaccessible Island Finch (Dunn’s)
Nightingale Finch (Nightingale I.) –> Nightingale Island Finch
Wilkins’s Finch (Nightingale I.) –> Wilkins’s Finch
Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch (Black-and-chestnut) –> Black-and-chestnut Warbling-Finch
Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch (Black-and-rufous) –> Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch
Saffron Finch (Pelzen’s) –> Saffron Finch (Pelzeln’s)
White-collared Seedeater (White-collared) –> Morelet’s Seedeater
White-collared Seedeater (Cinnamon-rumped) –> Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater
White-collared Seedeater –> Morelet’s/Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater
Española Cactus-Finch –> Española Ground-Finch
Rock Petronia –> Rock Sparrow
Social Weaver –> Sociable Weaver

SCIENTIFIC NAME CHANGES

See the Clements Checklist updates (to be posted soon here) for full discussion of the reasoning behind these name changes. Note that some relate directly to splits discussed above, since some of the taxa that were formerly species may appear here. For example, if a widespread bird that occurs in North America and Eurasia that is split into unique species on each continent, the population occurring on both continents might be retained here as a “slash” and appear as a name change (also a downgrade from species to slash). We display the primary English name as well, using the 2018 name (thus, the English name would match the revised Scientific Name in instances of a split).

Greater White-fronted Goose (Western) Anser albifrons gambelli/frontalis –> Anser albifrons gambelli/sponsa
Brant (Black) Branta bernicla nigricans/orientalis –> Branta bernicla nigricans
Knob-billed Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos melanotos –> Sarkidiornis melanotos
Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos sylvicola –> Sarkidiornis sylvicola
Radjah Shelduck Tadorna radjah –> Radjah radjah
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos/conboschas –> Anas platyrhynchos
Mexican Duck Anas platyrhynchos diazi –> Anas diazi
Mallard x Mexican Duck (hybrid) Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos x diazi –> Anas platyrhynchos x diazi
Mallard/Mexican Duck Anas platyrhynchos –> Anas platyrhynchos/diazi
teal sp. Anas sp. (teal sp.) –> Anatidae sp. (teal sp.)
dabbling duck sp. Anatidae sp. (dabbling duck sp.) –> Anatidae sp. (dabbling duck sp.)
Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca fusca –> Melanitta fusca
White-winged Scoter (Siberian) Melanitta fusca stejnegeri –> Melanitta deglandi stejnegeri
White-winged Scoter (North American) Melanitta fusca deglandi –> Melanitta deglandi deglandi
Surf x White-winged Scoter (hybrid) Melanitta perspicillata x fusca –> Melanitta perspicillata x deglandi
Velvet/White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca –> Melanitta fusca/deglandi
Andean Duck (ferruginea) Oxyura jamaicensis ferruginea –> Oxyura ferruginea ferruginea
Little Grebe (Tricolored) Tachybaptus ruficollis tricolor/vulcanorum –> Tachybaptus ruficollis [tricolor Group]
Sclater’s Crowned-Pigeon Goura scheepmakeri sclaterii –> Goura sclaterii
Scheepmaker’s Crowned-Pigeon Goura scheepmakeri scheepmakeri –> Goura scheepmakeri
White-bellied Bustard (Barrow’s) Eupodotis senegalensis barrowii –> Eupodotis senegalensis barrowii/mackenziei
Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Banda) Chrysococcyx minutillus rufomerus –> Chrysococcyx minutillus rufomerus/salvadorii
White-throated Wedgebill Schistes geoffroyi albogularis –> Schistes albogularis
Geoffroy’s Wedgebill Schistes geoffroyi geoffroyi/chapmani –> Schistes geoffroyi
Rufous-gaped Hillstar Urochroa bougueri bougueri –> Urochroa bougueri
White-tailed Hillstar Urochroa bougueri leucura –> Urochroa leucura
Dry-forest Sabrewing Campylopterus largipennis calcirupicola –> Campylopterus calcirupicola
African Crake Crecopsis egregia –> Crex egregia
Slaty-breasted Rail Gallirallus striatus –> Lewinia striata
Invisible Rail Habroptila wallacii –> Gallirallus wallacii
Chestnut Rail Eulabeornis castaneoventris –> Gallirallus castaneoventris
Woodford’s Rail Nesoclopeus woodfordi –> Gallirallus woodfordi
Woodford’s Rail (Bougainville) Nesoclopeus woodfordi tertius –> Gallirallus woodfordi tertius
Woodford’s Rail (Santa Isabel) Nesoclopeus woodfordi immaculatus –> Gallirallus woodfordi immaculatus
Woodford’s Rail (Guadalcanal) Nesoclopeus woodfordi woodfordi –> Gallirallus woodfordi woodfordi
Bar-winged Rail Nesoclopeus poecilopterus –> Gallirallus poecilopterus
Eurasian/Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata/atra –> Fulica atra/cristata
moorhen/coot/gallinule sp. Porphyrio/Gallinula/Fulica sp. –> Gallinula/Fulica/Porphyrio sp.
Porzana/Zapornia/Hapalocrex sp. Hapalocrex/Porzana/Zapornia sp. –> Porzana/Zapornia/Hapalocrex sp.
Common Tern (hirundo/tibetana) Sterna hirundo hirundo –> Sterna hirundo hirundo/tibetana
Yellow-nosed Albatross (Indian) Thalassarche chlororhynchos bassi –> Thalassarche chlororhynchos carteri
storm-petrel sp. (dark-rumped) Hydrobatidae sp. (dark-rumped) –> Oceanitidae/Hydrobatidae sp. (dark-rumped)
storm-petrel sp. (white-rumped) Hydrobatidae sp. (white-rumped) –> Oceanitidae/Hydrobatidae sp. (white-rumped)
storm-petrel sp. Hydrobatidae sp. –> Oceanitidae/Hydrobatidae sp.
Galapagos Shearwater (Dark-winged) Puffinus subalaris (dark-winged) –> Puffinus subalaris (Dark-winged)
Galapagos Shearwater (Light-winged) Puffinus subalaris (light-winged) –> Puffinus subalaris (Light-winged)
Brown Pelican (Southern) Pelecanus occidentalis [occidentalis Group] –> Pelecanus occidentalis occidentalis/murphyi
Rufescent Screech-Owl (Colombian) Megascops colombianus –> Megascops ingens colombianus
Choco Screech-Owl Megascops guatemalae centralis –> Megascops centralis
Foothill Screech-Owl (Roraima) Megascops guatemalae roraimae –> Megascops roraimae roraimae
Foothill Screech-Owl (Foothill) Megascops guatemalae [napensis Group] –> Megascops roraimae [napensis Group]
Santa Marta Screech-Owl Megascops [undescribed form] –> Megascops gilesi
White-browed Owl Ninox superciliaris –> Athene superciliaris
Burrowing Owl (Western) Athene cunicularia hypugaea –> Athene cunicularia hypugaea/rostrata
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird (White-chested) Pogoniulus makawai –> Pogoniulus bilineatus makawai
Northern Emerald-Toucanet (Blue-throated) Aulacorhynchus prasinus caeruleogularis/maxillaris –> Aulacorhynchus prasinus caeruleogularis
Southern Emerald-Toucanet (Black-throated) Aulacorhynchus albivitta [atrogularis Group] –> Aulacorhynchus albivitta atrogularis/dimidiatus
African Piculet Sasia africana –> Verreauxia africana
Sulawesi Woodpecker Dendrocopos temminckii –> Yungipicus temminckii
Philippine Woodpecker Dendrocopos maculatus –> Yungipicus maculatus
Sulu Woodpecker Dendrocopos ramsayi –> Yungipicus ramsayi
Brown-capped Woodpecker Dendrocopos nanus –> Yungipicus nanus
Sunda Woodpecker Dendrocopos moluccensis –> Yungipicus moluccensis
Gray-capped Woodpecker Dendrocopos canicapillus –> Yungipicus canicapillus
Brown-capped/Gray-capped Woodpecker Dendrocopos nanus/canicapillus –> Yungipicus nanus/canicapillus
Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos kizuki –> Yungipicus kizuki
Yellow-crowned Woodpecker Dendrocopos mahrattensis –> Leiopicus mahrattensis
Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos medius –> Dendrocoptes medius
Brown-fronted Woodpecker Dendrocopos auriceps –> Dendrocoptes auriceps
Arabian Woodpecker Dendrocopos dorae –> Dendrocoptes dorae
Abyssinian Woodpecker Dendropicos abyssinicus –> Chloropicus abyssinicus
Melancholy Woodpecker Dendropicos lugubris –> Chloropicus lugubris
Gabon Woodpecker Dendropicos gabonensis –> Chloropicus gabonensis
Elliot’s Woodpecker Dendropicos elliotii –> Chloropicus elliotii
Elliot’s Woodpecker (Elliot’s) Dendropicos elliotii elliotii –> Chloropicus elliotii elliotii
Elliot’s Woodpecker (Johnston’s) Dendropicos elliotii johnstoni –> Chloropicus elliotii johnstoni
Little Gray Woodpecker Dendropicos elachus –> Chloropicus elachus
Speckle-breasted Woodpecker Dendropicos poecilolaemus –> Chloropicus poecilolaemus
Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens –> Chloropicus fuscescens
Bearded Woodpecker Dendropicos namaquus –> Chloropicus namaquus
Fire-bellied Woodpecker Dendropicos pyrrhogaster –> Chloropicus pyrrhogaster
Golden-crowned Woodpecker Dendropicos xantholophus –> Chloropicus xantholophus
Stierling’s Woodpecker Dendropicos stierlingi –> Chloropicus stierlingi
Brown-backed Woodpecker Dendropicos obsoletus –> Chloropicus obsoletus
African Gray Woodpecker Dendropicos goertae –> Chloropicus goertae
African Gray Woodpecker (Gray) Dendropicos goertae [goertae Group] –> Chloropicus goertae [goertae Group]
African Gray Woodpecker (Sahel) Dendropicos goertae koenigi –> Chloropicus goertae koenigi
Mountain Gray Woodpecker Dendropicos spodocephalus –> Chloropicus spodocephalus
Olive Woodpecker Dendropicos griseocephalus –> Chloropicus griseocephalus
Olive Woodpecker (Red-bellied) Dendropicos griseocephalus ruwenzori –> Chloropicus griseocephalus ruwenzori
Olive Woodpecker (Montane) Dendropicos griseocephalus kilimensis –> Chloropicus griseocephalus kilimensis
Olive Woodpecker (Southern) Dendropicos griseocephalus griseocephalus –> Chloropicus griseocephalus griseocephalus
Okinawa Woodpecker Sapheopipo noguchii –> Dendrocopos noguchii
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor –> Dryobates minor
Crimson-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos cathpharius –> Dryobates cathpharius
Crimson-breasted Woodpecker (Scarlet-breasted) Dendrocopos cathpharius [cathpharius Group] –> Dryobates cathpharius [cathpharius Group]
Crimson-breasted Woodpecker (Crimson-breasted) Dendrocopos cathpharius [pernyii Group] –> Dryobates cathpharius [pernyii Group]
Darjeeling/Crimson-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos cathpharius/darjellensis –> Dryobates darjellensis/cathpharius
Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens –> Dryobates pubescens
Downy Woodpecker (Eastern) Picoides pubescens pubescens/medianus –> Dryobates pubescens pubescens/medianus
Downy Woodpecker (Rocky Mts.) Picoides pubescens leucurus/glacialis –> Dryobates pubescens leucurus/glacialis
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) Picoides pubescens gairdnerii/turati –> Dryobates pubescens gairdnerii/turati
Nuttall’s Woodpecker Picoides nuttallii –> Dryobates nuttallii
Downy x Nuttall’s Woodpecker (hybrid) Picoides nuttallii x pubescens –> Dryobates pubescens x nuttallii
Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris –> Dryobates scalaris
Downy x Ladder-backed Woodpecker (hybrid) Picoides scalaris x pubescens –> Dryobates pubescens x scalaris
Nuttall’s x Ladder-backed Woodpecker (hybrid) Picoides scalaris x nuttallii –> Dryobates nuttallii x scalaris
Nuttall’s/Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris/nuttallii –> Dryobates nuttallii/scalaris
Red-cockaded Woodpecker Picoides borealis –> Dryobates borealis
Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus –> Dryobates villosus
Hairy Woodpecker (Eastern) Picoides villosus [villosus Group] –> Dryobates villosus [villosus Group]
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific) Picoides villosus [harrisi Group] –> Dryobates villosus [harrisi Group]
Hairy Woodpecker (Rocky Mts.) Picoides villosus orius/icastus –> Dryobates villosus orius/icastus
Hairy Woodpecker (South Mexican) Picoides villosus jardinii/sanctorum –> Dryobates villosus jardinii/sanctorum
Hairy Woodpecker (Costa Rican) Picoides villosus extimus –> Dryobates villosus extimus
Downy x Hairy Woodpecker (hybrid) Picoides pubescens x villosus –> Dryobates pubescens x villosus
Downy/Hairy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens/villosus –> Dryobates pubescens/villosus
Nuttall’s x Hairy Woodpecker (hybrid) Picoides nuttallii x villosus –> Dryobates nuttallii x villosus
Ladder-backed x Hairy Woodpecker (hybrid) Picoides scalaris x villosus –> Dryobates scalaris x villosus
White-headed Woodpecker Picoides albolarvatus –> Dryobates albolarvatus
Smoky-brown Woodpecker Picoides fumigatus –> Dryobates fumigatus
Strickland’s Woodpecker Picoides stricklandi –> Dryobates stricklandi
Arizona Woodpecker Picoides arizonae –> Dryobates arizonae
Red-rumped Woodpecker Veniliornis kirkii –> Dryobates kirkii
Golden-collared Woodpecker Veniliornis cassini –> Dryobates cassini
White-spotted Woodpecker Veniliornis spilogaster –> Dryobates spilogaster
Checkered Woodpecker Veniliornis mixtus –> Dryobates mixtus
Striped Woodpecker Veniliornis lignarius –> Dryobates lignarius
Blood-colored Woodpecker Veniliornis sanguineus –> Dryobates sanguineus
Little Woodpecker Veniliornis passerinus –> Dryobates passerinus
Dot-fronted Woodpecker Veniliornis frontalis –> Dryobates frontalis
Scarlet-backed Woodpecker Veniliornis callonotus –> Dryobates callonotus
Yellow-vented Woodpecker Veniliornis dignus –> Dryobates dignus
Bar-bellied Woodpecker Veniliornis nigriceps –> Dryobates nigriceps
Red-stained Woodpecker Veniliornis affinis –> Dryobates affinis
Little/Red-stained Woodpecker Veniliornis passerinus/affinis –> Dryobates passerinus/affinis
Choco Woodpecker Veniliornis chocoensis –> Dryobates chocoensis
Yellow-eared Woodpecker Veniliornis maculifrons –> Dryobates maculifrons
Greater/Common Flameback Dinopium javanense/Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus –> Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus/Dinopium javanense
Gray-headed x Eurasian Green Woodpecker (hybrid) Picus viridis x canus –> Picus canus x viridis
Banded Woodpecker Picus miniaceus –> Chrysophlegma miniaceum
Greater Yellownape Picus flavinucha –> Chrysophlegma flavinucha
Lesser/Greater Yellownape Picus chlorolophus/flavinucha –> Picus chlorolophus/Chrysophlegma flavinucha
Checker-throated Woodpecker Picus mentalis –> Chrysophlegma mentale
Checker-throated Woodpecker (Checker-throated) Picus mentalis humii –> Chrysophlegma mentale humii
Checker-throated Woodpecker (Javan) Picus mentalis mentalis –> Chrysophlegma mentale mentale
Campephilus sp./Lineated Woodpecker Dryocopus lineatus/Campephilus sp. –> Campephilus sp./Dryocopus lineatus
Ochre-backed Woodpecker Celeus flavescens ochraceus –> Celeus ochraceus
Blond-crested Woodpecker Celeus flavescens flavescens/intercedens –> Celeus flavescens
Ochre-backed/Blond-crested Woodpecker Celeus flavescens –> Celeus ochraceus/flavescens
Greater Vasa Parrot Mascarinus vasa –> Coracopsis vasa
Lesser Vasa Parrot Mascarinus niger –> Coracopsis nigra
Greater/Lesser Vasa Parrot Mascarinus vasa/niger –> Coracopsis vasa/nigra
Seychelles Parrot Mascarinus barklyi –> Coracopsis barklyi
Greater Bluebonnet (Red-vented) Northiella haematogaster haematorrhous –> Northiella haematogaster haematorrhoa
Stephens Island Wren Xenicus lyalli –> Traversia lyall
Russet Antshrike (Andean) Thamnistes anabatinus [aequatorialis Group] –> Thamnistes anabatinus aequatorialis/gularis
White-lined Antbird Percnostola lophotes –> Myrmoborus lophotes
Cordillera Azul Antbird Myrmoderus [undescribed form] –> Myrmoderus eowilsoni
White-throated Antbird Gymnopithys salvini –> Oneillornis salvini
Lunulated Antbird Gymnopithys lunulatus –> Oneillornis lunulatus
Thrush-like Antpitta Myrmothera campanisona –> Myrmothera campanisona
Tapajos Antpitta Myrmothera campanisona subcanescens –> Myrmothera subcanescens
Leymebamba Antpitta Grallaricula ferrugineipectus leymebambae –> Grallaricula leymebambae
Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner Automolus ochrolaemus exsertus –> Automolus exsertus
Line-cheeked Spinetail (Line-cheeked) Cranioleuca antisiensis –> Cranioleuca antisiensis antisiensis/palamblae
Line-cheeked Spinetail (Baron’s) Cranioleuca baroni –> Cranioleuca antisiensis [baroni Group]
Guatemalan Tyrannulet Zimmerius vilissimus vilissimus –> Zimmerius vilissimus
Mistletoe Tyrannulet Zimmerius vilissimus parvus –> Zimmerius parvus
Spectacled Tyrannulet Zimmerius vilissimus improbus/tamae –> Zimmerius improbus
Peruvian Tyrannulet (Loja) Zimmerius chrysops flavidifrons –> Zimmerius viridiflavus flavidifrons
Venezuelan Tyrannulet Zimmerius vilissimus petersi –> Zimmerius petersi
Dusky-capped Flycatcher (lawrenceii Group) Myiarchus tuberculifer lawrenceii –> Myiarchus tuberculifer [lawrenceii Group]
Striolated Manakin (Striolated) Machaeropterus regulus [striolatus Group] –> Machaeropterus striolatus [striolatus Group]
Striolated Manakin (aureopectus) Machaeropterus regulus aureopectus –> Machaeropterus striolatus aureopectus
Painted Manakin Machaeropterus [undescribed form] –> Machaeropterus eckelberryi
Kinglet Manakin Machaeropterus regulus regulus –> Machaeropterus regulus
Purple-backed Fairywren Malurus lamberti –> Malurus assimilis
Purple-backed Fairywren (Lavender-flanked) Malurus lamberti dulcis/rogersi –> Malurus assimilis dulcis/rogersi
Purple-backed Fairywren (Purple-backed) Malurus lamberti assimilis –> Malurus assimilis assimilis/bernieri
Rote Myzomela Myzomela [undescribed Rote form] –> Myzomela irianawidodoae
Black-headed Batis (Eastern) Batis minor minor/suahelicus –> Batis minor minor/suahelica
Albertine Boubou Laniarius poensis holomelas –> Laniarius holomelas
Black-faced Woodswallow (White-vented) Artamus cinereus normani/dealbatus –> Artamus cinereus normani/inkermani
Rusty Pitohui Colluricincla ferruginea –> Pseudorectes ferrugineus
White-bellied Pitohui Colluricincla incerta –> Pseudorectes incertus
Temotu Whistler Pachycephala utupuae –> Pachycephala vanikorensis
Great Gray Shrike (Steppe) Lanius meridionalis pallidirostris –> Lanius excubitor pallidirostris
Northern/Great Gray Shrike Lanius excubitor/borealis –> Lanius borealis/excubitor
Iberian Gray/Great Gray Shrike Lanius excubitor/meridionalis –> Lanius meridionalis/excubitor
greenlet sp. Hylophilus/Tunchiornis/Pachyslvia sp. –> Hylophilus/Tunchiornis/Pachysylvia sp.
Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus olivaceus –> Vireo olivaceus
Chivi Vireo (resident) Vireo olivaceus [agilis Group] –> Vireo chivi [agilis Group]
Chivi Vireo (migratory) Vireo olivaceus chivi/diversus –> Vireo chivi chivi/diversus
Red-eyed/Chivi Vireo Vireo olivaceus –> Vireo olivaceus/chivi
Variable Pitohui (Raja Ampat) Pitohui kirhocephalus cervineiventris/pallidus –> Pitohui kirhocephalus cerviniventris/pallidus
Crow-billed Drongo Dicrurus annectans –> Dicrurus annectens
Sulawesi Fantail Rhipidura teysmanni teysmanni/toradja –> Rhipidura teysmanni
Taliabu Fantail Rhipidura teysmanni sulaensis –> Rhipidura sulaensis
Peleng Fantail (undescribed form) Rhipidura (undescribed form) –> Rhipidura [undescribed form]
Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher (Grand Comoro) Terpsiphone mutata comoroensis –> Terpsiphone mutata comorensis
Maghreb Magpie Pica pica mauritanica –> Pica mauritanica
Asir Magpie Pica pica asirensis –> Pica asirensis
Black-rumped Magpie Pica pica bottanensis –> Pica bottanensis
Greater/Asian/Lesser Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla/Alaudala cheleensis/Alaudala rufescens –> Calandrella brachydactyla/Alaudala cheleensis/rufescens
Yellow-bellied Fairy-Fantail Chelidorhynx hypoxantha –> Chelidorhynx hypoxanthus
Indian Spotted Creeper Salpornis spilonotus –> Salpornis spilonota
Rufous-throated Dipper Cinclus schulzi –> Cinclus schulzii
Black-and-white Bulbul Pycnonotus melanoleucos –> Brachypodius melanoleucos
Puff-backed Bulbul Pycnonotus eutilotus –> Brachypodius eutilotus
Yellow-wattled Bulbul Pycnonotus urostictus –> Brachypodius urostictus
Gray-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus priocephalus –> Brachypodius priocephalus
Black-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus atriceps –> Brachypodius atriceps
Andaman Bulbul Pycnonotus fuscoflavescens –> Brachypodius fuscoflavescens
Spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus erythropthalmos –> Rubigula erythropthalmos
Gray-bellied Bulbul Pycnonotus cyaniventris –> Rubigula cyaniventris
Scaly-breasted Bulbul Pycnonotus squamatus –> Rubigula squamata
Black-crested Bulbul Pycnonotus flaviventris –> Rubigula flaviventris
Flame-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus gularis –> Rubigula gularis
Black-capped Bulbul Pycnonotus melanicterus –> Rubigula melanicterus
Ruby-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus dispar –> Rubigula dispar
Bornean Bulbul Pycnonotus montis –> Rubigula montis
Bare-faced Bulbul Pycnonotus hualon –> Nok hualon
Brachypodius/Rubigula/Pycnonotus sp. Pycnonotus sp. –> Brachypodius/Rubigula/Pycnonotus sp.
Nicobar Bulbul Hypsipetes virescens –> Hypsipetes nicobariensis
Goldcrest (Tenerife) Regulus teneriffae –> Regulus regulus teneriffae
Madeira Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla madeirensis –> Regulus madeirensis
Common Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla ignicapilla/balearicus –> Regulus ignicapilla
Radde’s/Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus/schwarzi –> Phylloscopus schwarzi/fuscatus
Radde’s/Yellow-streaked/Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus/armandii/schwarzi –> Phylloscopus schwarzi/armandii/fuscatus
White-spectacled Warbler Seicercus affinis –> Phylloscopus intermedius
Gray-cheeked Warbler Seicercus poliogenys –> Phylloscopus poliogenys
Golden-spectacled Warbler Seicercus burkii –> Phylloscopus burkii
Gray-crowned Warbler Seicercus tephrocephalus –> Phylloscopus tephrocephalus
Whistler’s Warbler Seicercus whistleri –> Phylloscopus whistleri
Golden-spectacled/Whistler’s Warbler Seicercus burkii/whistleri –> Phylloscopus burkii/whistleri
Gray-crowned/Whistler’s Warbler Seicercus tephrocephalus/whistleri –> Phylloscopus tephrocephalus/whistleri
Bianchi’s Warbler Seicercus valentini –> Phylloscopus valentini
Gray-crowned/Bianchi’s Warbler Seicercus tephrocephalus/valentini –> Phylloscopus tephrocephalus/valentini
Martens’s Warbler Seicercus omeiensis –> Phylloscopus omeiensis
Bianchi’s/Martens’s Warbler Seicercus omeiensis/valentini –> Phylloscopus valentini/omeiensis
Alström’s Warbler Seicercus soror –> Phylloscopus soror
Phylloscopus sp. (Golden-spectacled Warbler complex) Seicercus sp. (burkii complex) –> Phylloscopus sp. (burkii complex)
Japanese Leaf/Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis/xanthodryas –> Phylloscopus xanthodryas/borealis
Japanese Leaf/Arctic/Kamchatka Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus borealis/examinandus/xanthodryas –> Phylloscopus xanthodryas/borealis/examinandus
Chestnut-crowned Warbler Seicercus castaniceps –> Phylloscopus castaniceps
Yellow-breasted Warbler Seicercus montis –> Phylloscopus montis
Sunda Warbler Seicercus grammiceps –> Phylloscopus grammiceps
Sunda Warbler (Sumatran) Seicercus grammiceps sumatrensis –> Phylloscopus grammiceps sumatrensis
Sunda Warbler (Javan) Seicercus grammiceps grammiceps –> Phylloscopus grammiceps grammiceps
Davison’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus davisoni –> Phylloscopus intensior
Timor Leaf Warbler (Flores) Phylloscopus presbytes floris –> Phylloscopus presbytes floresianus
Rote Leaf Warbler (undescribed form) Phylloscopus (undescribed Rote form) –> Phylloscopus [undescribed Rote form]
Thick-billed Warbler Iduna aedon –> Arundinax aedon
Javan Bush Warbler (Javan) Locustella montis –> Locustella montis montis
Javan Bush Warbler (Timor) Locustella timorensis –> Locustella montis timorensis
Roberts’s Warbler Prinia robertsi –> Oreophilais robertsi
Namaqua Warbler Prinia substriata –> Phragmacia substriata
Black-collared Apalis Apalis pulchra –> Oreolais pulchra
Rwenzori Apalis Apalis ruwenzorii –> Oreolais ruwenzorii
Red-fronted Prinia Urorhipis rufifrons –> Prinia rufifrons
Red-fronted Prinia (Red-fronted) Urorhipis rufifrons rufifrons/smithi –> Prinia rufifrons rufifrons/smithi
Red-fronted Prinia (Rufous-backed) Urorhipis rufifrons rufidorsalis –> Prinia rufifrons rufidorsalis
Cape White-eye Zosterops capensis –> Zosterops virens
Cape White-eye (Cape) Zosterops capensis [capensis Group] –> Zosterops virens [capensis Group]
Cape White-eye (Green) Zosterops capensis virens –> Zosterops virens virens
Meratus White-eye (undescribed Meratus form) Zosterops [undescribed form] –> Zosterops [undescribed Meratus form]
Rufous-vented Prinia Prinia burnesii –> Laticilla burnesii
Swamp Prinia Prinia cinerascens –> Laticilla cinerascens
Ashambu Laughingthrush Montecincla meridionale –> Montecincla meridionalis
White-bellied Blue Flycatcher Cyornis pallipes –> Cyornis pallidipes
Brown-chested Alethe Pseudalethe poliocephala –> Chamaetylas poliocephala
Brown-chested Alethe (Gray-headed) Pseudalethe poliocephala poliocephala –> Chamaetylas poliocephala poliocephala
Brown-chested Alethe (Gabela) Pseudalethe poliocephala hallae –> Chamaetylas poliocephala hallae
Brown-chested Alethe (Chestnut-backed) Pseudalethe poliocephala compsonota –> Chamaetylas poliocephala compsonota
Brown-chested Alethe (Brown-chested) Pseudalethe poliocephala [carruthersi Group] –> Chamaetylas poliocephala [carruthersi Group]
Red-throated Alethe Pseudalethe poliophrys –> Chamaetylas poliophrys
Cholo Alethe Pseudalethe choloensis –> Chamaetylas choloensis
White-chested Alethe Pseudalethe fuelleborni –> Chamaetylas fuelleborni
Blue-capped Rock-Thrush Monticola cinclorhynchus –> Monticola cinclorhyncha
Finsch’s Flycatcher-Thrush Neocossyphus finschii –> Neocossyphus finschi
Chinese Thrush Turdus mupinensis –> Otocichla mupinensis
Varied Thrush/American Robin Turdus migratorius/Ixoreus naevius –> Ixoreus naevius/Turdus migratorius
Eastern Slaty Thrush Turdus nigriceps subalaris –> Turdus subalaris
Tristan Thrush Nesocichla eremita –> Turdus eremita
Andean Slaty Thrush Turdus nigriceps nigriceps –> Turdus nigriceps
Taiwan Thrush Turdus poliocephalus niveiceps –> Turdus niveiceps
Spot-winged Starling Saroglossa spiloptera –> Saroglossa spilopterus
Sao Tome Short-tail Amaurocichla bocagii –> Motacilla bocagii
White-browed/White Wagtail Motacilla alba/maderaspatensis –> Motacilla maderaspatensis/alba
American Pipit (rubescens Group) Anthus rubescens rubescens/pacificus –> Anthus rubescens [rubescens Group]
Yellowish Pipit Anthus lutescens lutescens/parvus –> Anthus lutescens
Peruvian Pipit Anthus lutescens peruvianus –> Anthus peruvianus
European/Fire-fronted/Syrian Serin Serinus pusillus/serinus/syriacus –> Serinus serinus/pusillus/syriacus
Crested Bunting Melophus lathami –> Emberiza lathami
Slaty Bunting Latoucheornis siemsseni –> Emberiza siemsseni
Spizella sp./American Tree Sparrow Spizelloides/Spizella sp. –> Spizella/Spizelloides sp.
LeConte’s Sparrow Ammodramus leconteii –> Ammospiza leconteii
Seaside Sparrow Ammodramus maritimus –> Ammospiza maritima
Seaside Sparrow (Atlantic) Ammodramus maritimus maritimus/macgillivraii –> Ammospiza maritima maritima/macgillivraii
Seaside Sparrow (Dusky) Ammodramus maritimus nigrescens –> Ammospiza maritima nigrescens
Seaside Sparrow (Gulf of Mexico) Ammodramus maritimus [sennetti Group] –> Ammospiza maritima [sennetti Group]
Seaside Sparrow (Cape Sable) Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis –> Ammospiza maritima mirabilis
Nelson’s Sparrow Ammodramus nelsoni –> Ammospiza nelsoni
Nelson’s Sparrow (Interior) Ammodramus nelsoni nelsoni/alter –> Ammospiza nelsoni nelsoni/altera
Nelson’s Sparrow (Atlantic Coast) Ammodramus nelsoni subvirgatus –> Ammospiza nelsoni subvirgata
Saltmarsh Sparrow Ammodramus caudacutus –> Ammospiza caudacuta
Nelson’s x Saltmarsh Sparrow (hybrid) Ammodramus nelsoni x caudacutus –> Ammospiza nelsoni x caudacuta
Nelson’s/Saltmarsh Sparrow (Sharp-tailed Sparrow) Ammodramus nelsoni/caudacutus –> Ammospiza nelsoni/caudacuta
Baird’s Sparrow Ammodramus bairdii –> Centronyx bairdii
Henslow’s Sparrow Ammodramus henslowii –> Centronyx henslowii
Red-breasted Meadowlark Sturnella militaris –> Leistes militaris
White-browed Meadowlark Sturnella superciliaris –> Leistes superciliaris
Peruvian Meadowlark Sturnella bellicosa –> Leistes bellicosus
Pampas Meadowlark Sturnella defilippii –> Leistes defilippii
Long-tailed Meadowlark Sturnella loyca –> Leistes loyca
Olive-crowned Yellowthroat (Chiriqui) Geothlypis aequinoctialis chiriquensis –> Geothlypis semiflava chiriquensis
Blue-black Grosbeak Cyanoloxia cyanoides [cyanoides Group] –> Cyanoloxia cyanoides
Amazonian Grosbeak Cyanoloxia cyanoides rothschildii –> Cyanoloxia rothschildii
Scarlet-rumped Tanager Ramphocelus passerinii/costaricensis –> Ramphocelus passerinii
Scarlet-rumped Tanager (Passerini’s) Ramphocelus passerinii –> Ramphocelus passerinii passerinii
Scarlet-rumped Tanager (Cherrie’s) Ramphocelus costaricensis –> Ramphocelus passerinii costaricensis
Scarlet-rumped x Crimson-backed Tanager (hybrid) Ramphocelus costaricensis x dimidiatus –> Ramphocelus passerinii x dimidiatus
Inaccessible Island Finch (Dunn’s) Nesospiza wilkinsi dunnei –> Nesospiza acunhae dunnei
Nightingale Island Finch Nesospiza acunhae questi –> Nesospiza questi
Wilkins’s Finch Nesospiza wilkinsi wilkinsi –> Nesospiza wilkinsi
Black-and-chestnut Warbling-Finch Poospiza nigrorufa whitii/wagneri –> Poospiza whitii
Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch Poospiza nigrorufa nigrorufa –> Poospiza nigrorufa
Morelet’s Seedeater Sporophila torqueola [morelleti Group] –> Sporophila morelleti
Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater Sporophila torqueola torqueola –> Sporophila torqueola
Morelet’s/Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater Sporophila torqueola –> Sporophila morelleti/torqueola
Puerto Rican Bullfinch Loxigilla portoricensis –> Melopyrrha portoricensis
Greater Antillean Bullfinch Loxigilla violacea –> Melopyrrha violacea
Russet Sparrow Passer rutilans –> Passer cinnamomeus
Yellow-spotted Petronia Petronia pyrgita –> Gymnornis pyrgita
Chestnut-shouldered Petronia Petronia xanthocollis –> Gymnornis xanthocollis
Yellow-throated Petronia Petronia superciliaris –> Gymnornis superciliaris
Bush Petronia Petronia dentata –> Gymnornis dentata

MISC TOPICS

One particular split will be of note to North America birders: the separation of Mexican Duck Anas diazi from the widespread Mallard Anas platyrhynchos. Keen watchers of avian taxonomy will note that the North American Classification Committee (AOS-NACC) considered a proposal to split Mexican Duck this year and elected to retain this species as conspecific with Mallard.

In the past we have deferred to the AOS in almost all decisions regarding the species limits of North America species (our few departures are always listed here), but 100% concordance with AOS committees is impossible since the two AOS committees that deal with North America (AOS-NACC) and South America (AOS-SACC) are not always in sync with each other. For example, the four-way split of Paltry Tyrannulet Zimmerius vilissimus and three-way split of Vermiculated Screech-Owl Megascops guatemalae, which we adopt this year, have been accepted to date only by AOS-SACC and the split of Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus and Chivi Vireo Vireo chivi has been considered so far only by AOS-NACC.

While we rarely disagree on decisions that are in the purview of just one of the AOS committees, we strongly disagree with this year’s decision on the recognition of Mexican Duck, largely because we find it inconsistent to treat Mallard, Mottled Duck, Hawaiian Duck, and American Black Duck as separate species, while considering Mexican Duck to be a subspecies of Mallard (for more details, please see the proposal which addresses this point more thoroughly). All taxa show similar levels of hybridization where they come in contact and have similar differences in plumage, habitat, behavior, migratory patterns, and natural history. Available genetics support the hypothesis that Mexican Duck is at least as different from Mallard as its closest relatives (Mottled Duck and American Black Duck). Our treatment of Mexican Duck at the species level also matches the treatment by other major global taxonomies (IOC, Howard and Moore, Birdlife International, and the Handbook of the Birds of the World). We encourage birders to report this species with care, since hybrids are not uncommon, just as we encourage careful reporting of Mottled Duck and American Black Duck, given the widespread hybrids where those species come in contact with Mallard.

Two other members of Anatidae are also split into New World and Old World forms: White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca is separated into Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca of the western Palearctic and White-winged Scoter Melanitta deglandi of North America and east Asia; this change will be nothing new for Europeans, who have generally considered these two separate species for a long time and it also represents the consensus view for global avian taxonomies. Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos is split into the Old World Knob-billed Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos and the New World Comb Duck Sarkidiornis sylvicola. Both of the above splits have not recently been considered by the AOS committees but seem like strong candidates for a proposal to split.

ORDER, FAMILY, and TAXONOMIC SEQUENCE CHANGES

The taxonomic sequence has changed fairly substantially this year. Fortunately, quick entry codes for data entry (and exploration) on the web and via eBird Mobile is very easy with quick entry. Please see this article to understand how to use easy to learn four-letter codes to enter data quickly (did you know that typing “37 hosp” in eBird mobile will quick add 37 House Sparrows to whatever total you have already entered? Learn how!).This change in the sequence was implemented by the AOS-NACC a couple years ago (see discussion on ABA blog) and is considered to represent the best current information on higher order relationships among birds. The existing Orders are arranged to the following sequence; the orders with an asterisk are the ones that have changed significantly. We don’t retain common names for order, but we have added them here to help understand how the list sequence is changing. Notably, Loons, Penguins, Tubenoses, Boobies and Gannets, Pelicans, and Herons, which used to be near the beginning of the list, have moved far down in sequence. Note also that Musophagiformes (Turacos) is a new Order.

- 1. Struthioniformes (Ostriches)
  2. Rheiformes (Rheas)
  3. Tinamiformes (Tinamous)
  4. Casuariiformes (Casuaries and Emu)
  5. Apterygiformes (Kiwis)
  6. Anseriformes (Waterfowl)
  7. Galliformes (Pheasants, Quail and Allies)
  8. Phoenicopteriformes* (Flamingos)
  9. Podicipediformes (Grebes)
  10. Columbiformes* (Doves and Pigeons)
  11. Mesitornithiformes* (Mesites)
  12. Pterocliformes* (Sandgrouse)
  13. Otidiformes* (Bustards)
  14. Musophagiformes (Turacos) – NEWLY RECOGNIZED ORDER
  15. Cuculiformes* (Cuckoos)
  16. Caprimulgiformes* (Nightjars, Potoos, Swifts, and Hummingbirds)
  17. Opisthocomiformes* (Hoatzin)
  18. Gruiformes* (Cranes, Rails, and Allies)
  19. Charadriiformes* (Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns, Jaegers and Alcids)
  20. Eurypygiformes* (Sunbittern and Kagu)
  21. Phaethontiformes* (Tropicbirds)
  22. Gaviiformes* (Loons)
  23. Sphenisciformes* (Penguins)
  24. Procellariiformes* (Tubenoses, including Shearwaters, Petrels, Albatrosses, and Storm-Petrels)
  25. Ciconiiformes* (Storks)
  26. Suliformes* (Boobies and Gannets)
  27. Pelecaniformes* (Pelicans, Herons, Ibis, and Allies)
  28. Cathartiformes* (New World Vultures and Condors)
  29. Accipitriformes* (Hawks, Eagles, Old World Vultures and Allies)
  30. Strigiformes (Owls)
  31. Coliiformes (Mousebirds)
  32. Leptosomiformes (Cuckoo-roller)
  33. Trogoniformes (Trogons)
  34. Bucerotiformes (Hornbills, Wood-Hoopoes, and Hoopoes)
  35. Coraciiformes (Kingfishers, Motmots, Bee-eaters, Roller, and Allies)
  36. Galbuliformes (Puffbirds and Jacamars)
  37. Piciformes (Woodpeckers, Barbets, Honeyguides, Toucans, and Allies
  38. Cariamiformes (Seriemas)
  39. Falconiformes (Falcons and Caracaras)
  40. Psittaciformes (Parrots and Parakeets)
  41. Passeriformes (Passerines or Perching Birds)

Two new families are recognized. Hydrobatidae (Storm-Petrels) is split into two families:Hydrobatidae (Southern Storm-Petrels) and Oceanitidae (Southern Storm-Petrels) and we recognize the monotypic Platylophidae (Crested Shrikejay).

In addition, some families have changed sequence as well, particularly those near the end of the Passeriformes, after Olive Warbler. The ones that have changed their relative position are shown with an asterisk.

1. Peucedramidae (Olive Warbler)
2. Calcariidae (Longspurs and Snow Buntings)*
3. Rhodinocichlidae (Thrush-Tanager)*
4. Parulidae (New World Warblers)*
5. Thraupidae (Tanagers and Allies)*
6. Passerellidae (New World Sparrows)*
7. Emberizidae (Old World Buntings)*
8. Calyptophilidae (Chat-Tanagers)*
9. Phaenicophilidae (Hispaniolan Tanagers)*
10. Nesospingidae (Puerto Rican Tanager)*
11. Spindalidae (Spindalises)*
12. Zeledoniidae (Wrenthrush)*
13. Teretistridae (Cuban Warblers)*
14. Icteriidae (Yellow-breasted Chat)*
15. Mitrospingidae (Mitrospingid Tanagers)*
16. Cardinalidae (Cardinals and Allies)*
17. Icteridae (Troupials and Allies)*
18. Fringillidae (Finches, Euphonias, and Allies)*
19. Passeridae (Old World Sparrows)
20. Ploceidae (Weavers and Allies)
21. Estrildidae (Waxbills and Allies)
22. Viduidae (Indigobirds)

APPENDIX A. NEW SUBSPECIES GROUPS

New subspecies groups, some of which were mentioned above under “Splits” or other sections, are listed below.

Andean Duck (andina) Oxyura ferruginea andina
Speckled Chachalaca (Speckled) Ortalis guttata guttata/subaffinis
Speckled Chachalaca (Parana) Ortalis guttata remota
Sultan’s Cuckoo-Dove (Sulawesi) Macropygia doreya [albicapilla Group]
Sultan’s Cuckoo-Dove (Sultan’s) Macropygia doreya [doreya Group]
Thick-billed Pigeon (Thick-billed) Treron curvirostra curvirostra
Thick-billed Pigeon (Barusan) Treron curvirostra hypothapsinus
Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Pied) Chrysococcyx minutillus crassirostris
Cape Petrel (Antarctic) Daption capense capense
Cape Petrel (Snares) Daption capense australe
Lesser Frigatebird (Lesser) Fregata ariel ariel/iredaeli
Lesser Frigatebird (Trindade) Fregata ariel trinitatis
Brown Pelican (Galapagpos) Pelecanus occidentalis urinator
Shikra (African) Accipiter badius sphenurus/polyzonoides
Shikra (Asian) Accipiter badius [badius Group]
Roadside Hawk (Northern) Rupornis magnirostris [magnirostris Group]
Roadside Hawk (Southern) Rupornis magnirostris [pucherani Group]
Rajah Scops-Owl (Sumatran) Otus brookii solokensis
Rajah Scops-Owl (Bornean) Otus brookii brookii
Sulawesi Scops-Owl (Sulawesi) Otus manadensis manadensis
Sulawesi Scops-Owl (Banggai) Otus manadensis mendeni
Rufescent Screech-Owl (Rufescent) Megascops ingens ingens/venezuelanus
Collared Owlet (Collared) Glaucidium brodiei brodiei/pardalotum
Collared Owlet (Sunda) Glaucidium brodiei sylvaticum/borneense
Burrowing Owl (guadeloupensis Group) Athene cunicularia [guadeloupensis Group]
Burrowing Owl (Andean) Athene cunicularia [tolimae Group]
Burrowing Owl (Littoral) Athene cunicularia nanodes/juninensis
Burrowing Owl (grallaria) Athene cunicularia grallaria
Burrowing Owl (Southern) Athene cunicularia [cunicularia Group]
Brown Wood-Owl (Brown) Strix leptogrammica [indranee Group]
Brown Wood-Owl (Bornean) Strix leptogrammica [leptogrammica Group]
Black-throated Trogon (tenellus) Trogon rufus tenellus
Black-throated Trogon (cupreicauda) Trogon rufus cupreicauda
Black-throated Trogon (rufus Group) Trogon rufus [rufus Group]
Black-throated Trogon (chrysochloros) Trogon rufus chrysochloros
Orange-breasted Trogon (Spice) Harpactes oreskios [dulitensis Group]
Orange-breasted Trogon (Orange-breasted) Harpactes oreskios oreskios
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird (Yellow-rumped) Pogoniulus bilineatus [bilineatus Group]
Southern Emerald-Toucanet (Black-billed) Aulacorhynchus albivitta cyanolaemus
Long-tailed Parakeet (Andaman) Psittacula longicauda tytleri
Long-tailed Parakeet (Nicobar) Psittacula longicauda nicobarica
Long-tailed Parakeet (Long-tailed) Psittacula longicauda longicauda/defontainei
Long-tailed Parakeet (Enganno) Psittacula longicauda modesta
Dot-winged Antwren (Boucard’s) Microrhopias quixensis [boucardi Group]
Dot-winged Antwren (microstictus) Microrhopias quixensis microstictus
Dot-winged Antwren (quixensis) Microrhopias quixensis quixensis
Dot-winged Antwren (nigriventris) Microrhopias quixensis nigriventris
Dot-winged Antwren (White-tailed) Microrhopias quixensis albicauda/intercedens
Dot-winged Antwren (bicolor) Microrhopias quixensis bicolor
Dot-winged Antwren (emiliae) Microrhopias quixensis emiliae
Streak-chested Antpitta (Colombian Valleys) Hylopezus perspicillatus pallidior
Streak-chested Antpitta (Baudo) Hylopezus perspicillatus periophthalmicus
Plain Softtail (dimorpha) Thripophaga fusciceps dimorpha
Plain Softtail (obidensis) Thripophaga fusciceps obidensis
Plain Softtail (fusciceps) Thripophaga fusciceps fusciceps
Peruvian Tyrannulet (Peruvian) Zimmerius viridiflavus viridiflavus
Snethlage’s Tody-Tyrant (Igapo) Hemitriccus minor pallens
Snethlage’s Tody-Tyrant (Snethlage’s) Hemitriccus minor minor/snethlageae
Cinnamon Flycatcher (Santa Marta) Pyrrhomyias cinnamomeus assimilis
Cinnamon Flycatcher (Venezuelan) Pyrrhomyias cinnamomeus [vieillotioides Group]
Cinnamon Flycatcher (Andean) Pyrrhomyias cinnamomeus cinnamomeus/pyrrhopterus
Dusky-capped Flycatcher (tuberculifer/pallidus) Myiarchus tuberculifer tuberculifer/pallidus
Dusky-capped Flycatcher (nigriceps/atriceps) Myiarchus tuberculifer nigriceps/atriceps
Swainson’s Flycatcher (phaeonotus) Myiarchus swainsoni phaeonotus
Swainson’s Flycatcher (swainsoni Group) Myiarchus swainsoni [swainsoni Group]
Blue-backed Manakin (pareola/atlantica) Chiroxiphia pareola pareola/atlantica
Blue-backed Manakin (napensis) Chiroxiphia pareola napensis
Blue-backed Manakin (regina) Chiroxiphia pareola regina
Little Shrikethrush (Waigeo) Colluricincla megarhyncha affinis
Little Shrikethrush (Mamberamo) Colluricincla megarhyncha [obscura Group]
Little Shrikethrush (Sepik-Ramu) Colluricincla megarhyncha [tappenbecki Group]
Little Shrikethrush (Variable) Colluricincla megarhyncha [fortis Group]
Little Shrikethrush (Tagula) Colluricincla megarhyncha discolor
Little Shrikethrush (Rufous) Colluricincla megarhyncha [rufogaster Group]
Great Gray Shrike (Great Gray) Lanius excubitor [excubitor Group]
Great Gray Shrike (Sahara) Lanius excubitor [elegans Group]
Great Gray Shrike (Arabian) Lanius excubitor aucheri/buryi
Great Gray Shrike (Socotra) Lanius excubitor uncinatus
Great Gray Shrike (Indian) Lanius excubitor lahtora
Black-naped Oriole (Philippine) Oriolus chinensis [chinensis Group]
Black-naped Oriole (Talaud) Oriolus chinensis melanisticus
Black-naped Oriole (Sulawesi) Oriolus chinensis [frontalis Group]
Black-naped Oriole (Tenggara) Oriolus chinensis broderipi/boneratensis
Square-tailed Drongo (Saturnine) Dicrurus ludwigii sharpei/saturnus
Square-tailed Drongo (Square-tailed) Dicrurus ludwigii [ludwigii Group]
Fork-tailed Drongo (Glossy-backed) Dicrurus adsimilis divaricatus
Fork-tailed Drongo (Clancey’s) Dicrurus adsimilis apivorus
Fork-tailed Drongo (adsimilis/fugax) Dicrurus adsimilis adsimilis/fugax
Velvet-mantled Drongo (Fanti) Dicrurus modestus atactus
Velvet-mantled Drongo (coracinus) Dicrurus modestus coracinus
Hair-crested Drongo (Hair-crested) Dicrurus hottentottus hottentottus/brevirostris
Hair-crested Drongo (Bornean) Dicrurus hottentottus borneensis
Hair-crested Drongo (Javan) Dicrurus hottentottus jentincki/faberi
Hair-crested Drongo (White-eyed) Dicrurus hottentottus leucops/banggaiensis
Hair-crested Drongo (Obi) Dicrurus hottentottus guillemardi
Hair-crested Drongo (Sula) Dicrurus hottentottus pectoralis
Hair-crested Drongo (Palawan) Dicrurus hottentottus palawanensis
Hair-crested Drongo (Cuyo) Dicrurus hottentottus cuyensis
Hair-crested Drongo (Sulu) Dicrurus hottentottus suluensis
Sumatran Drongo (Sumatran) Dicrurus sumatranus sumatranus
Sumatran Drongo (Mentawai) Dicrurus sumatranus viridinitens
Wallacean Drongo (Lombok) Dicrurus densus vicinus
Wallacean Drongo (Flores) Dicrurus densus bimaensis
Wallacean Drongo (Sumba) Dicrurus densus sumbae
Wallacean Drongo (Timor) Dicrurus densus densus
Wallacean Drongo (Tanimbar) Dicrurus densus kuehni
Wallacean Drongo (Kai) Dicrurus densus megalornis
Spangled Drongo (Morotai) Dicrurus bracteatus morotensis
Spangled Drongo (Halmahera) Dicrurus bracteatus atrocaeruleus
Spangled Drongo (Buru) Dicrurus bracteatus buruensis
Spangled Drongo (Seram) Dicrurus bracteatus amboinensis
Spangled Drongo (Papuan) Dicrurus bracteatus carbonarius
Spangled Drongo (Bismarck) Dicrurus bracteatus laemostictus
Spangled Drongo (Guadalcanal) Dicrurus bracteatus meeki
Spangled Drongo (Makira) Dicrurus bracteatus longirostris
Spangled Drongo (Spangled) Dicrurus bracteatus [bracteatus Group]
Hooded Crow (Hooded) Corvus cornix [cornix Group]
Hooded Crow (Mesopotamian) Corvus cornix capellanus
Sultan Tit (Yellow-crested) Melanochlora sultanea [sultanea Group]
Sultan Tit (Black-crested) Melanochlora sultanea gayeti
Japanese Tit (Japanese) Parus minor [minor Group]
Japanese Tit (commixtus) Parus minor commixtus
Japanese Tit (Amami) Parus minor amamiensis
Japanese Tit (Okinawa) Parus minor okinawae
Japanese Tit (Ishigaki) Parus minor nigriloris
Eurasian Nuthatch (Western) Sitta europaea [europaea Group]
Eurasian Nuthatch (White-bellied) Sitta europaea [asiatica Group]
Eurasian Nuthatch (Buff-bellied) Sitta europaea [roseilia Group]
Eurasian Nuthatch (Chinese) Sitta europaea sinensis/formasana
White-lored Gnatcatcher (White-lored) Polioptila albiloris albiloris/vanrossemi
White-lored Gnatcatcher (Yucatan) Polioptila albiloris albiventris
Tropical Gnatcatcher (plumbiceps/anteocularis) Polioptila plumbea plumbiceps/anteocularis
Tropical Gnatcatcher (innotata) Polioptila plumbea innotata
Tropical Gnatcatcher (plumbea) Polioptila plumbea plumbea
Tropical Gnatcatcher (parvirostris) Polioptila plumbea parvirostris
Tropical Gnatcatcher (atricapilla) Polioptila plumbea atricapilla
Goldcrest (European) Regulus regulus [regulus Group]
Goldcrest (western Canary Islands) Regulus regulus ellenthalarae
Goldcrest (Asian) Regulus regulus [himalayensis Group]
Northern Crombec (Northern) Sylvietta brachyura brachyura/carnapi
Northern Crombec (Eastern) Sylvietta brachyura leucopsis
Greenish Warbler (viridanus) Phylloscopus trochiloides viridanus
Greenish Warbler (trochiloides/ludlowi) Phylloscopus trochiloides trochiloides/ludlowi
Greenish Warbler (obscuratus) Phylloscopus trochiloides obscuratus
Menetries’s Warbler (mystacea) Sylvia mystacea mystacea
Menetries’s Warbler (rubescens/turcmenica) Sylvia mystacea rubescens/turcmenica
African Yellow White-eye (Green) Zosterops senegalensis [stuhlmanni Group]
African Yellow White-eye (Southern) Zosterops senegalensis anderssoni/stierlingi
Broad-ringed White-eye (Ethiopian) Zosterops poliogastrus poliogastrus
Broad-ringed White-eye (Kaffa) Zosterops poliogastrus kaffensis
Broad-ringed White-eye (Mbulu) Zosterops poliogastrus mbuluensis
Broad-ringed White-eye (Kilimanjaro) Zosterops poliogastrus eurycricotus
Broad-ringed White-eye (South Pare) Zosterops poliogastrus winifredae
Chestnut-backed Scimitar-Babbler (Sunda) Pomatorhinus montanus bornensis/occidentalis
Chestnut-backed Scimitar-Babbler (Javan) Pomatorhinus montanus montanus/ottolanderi
Horsfield’s Babbler (Hartert’s) Turdinus sepiarius tardinatus/barussanus
Horsfield’s Babbler (Horsfield’s) Turdinus sepiarius sepiarius
Horsfield’s Babbler (Salvadori’s) Turdinus sepiarius rufiventris/harterti
Short-billed Pipit (Puna) Anthus furcatus brevirostris
Short-billed Pipit (Fork-tailed) Anthus furcatus furcatus
Pine Grosbeak (Eurasian) Pinicola enucleator [enucleator Group]
Pine Grosbeak (Pacific Northwest) Pinicola enucleator flammula
Pine Grosbeak (Queen Charlotte) Pinicola enucleator carlottae
Pine Grosbeak (Rocky Mts.) Pinicola enucleator montana
Pine Grosbeak (California) Pinicola enucleator californica
Pine Grosbeak (Taiga) Pinicola enucleator leucura
Red Crossbill (Central American or type 11) Loxia curvirostra mesamericana
Godlewski’s Bunting (godlewskii Group) Emberiza godlewskii [godlewskii Group]
Godlewski’s Bunting (yunnanensis/khamensis) Emberiza godlewskii yunnanensis/khamensis
Saffron-billed Sparrow (Stripe-crowned) Arremon flavirostris dorbignii
Saffron-billed Sparrow (Gray-backed) Arremon flavirostris polionotus
Saffron-billed Sparrow (Saffron-billed) Arremon flavirostris flavirostris
Rufous-collared Sparrow (Rufous-collared) Zonotrichia capensis [capensis Group]
Rufous-collared Sparrow (Patagonian) Zonotrichia capensis australis
Unicolored Blackbird (Azara’s) Agelasticus cyanopus atroolivaceus/unicolor
Unicolored Blackbird (Yellow-breasted) Agelasticus cyanopus cyanopus
Tropical Parula (South American) Setophaga pitiayumi [pitiayumi Group]
Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager (Carriker’s) Dubusia taeniata carrikeri
Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager (Buff-breasted) Dubusia taeniata taeniata
Golden Tanager (aurulenta Group) Tangara arthus [aurulenta Group]
Golden Tanager (pulchra Group) Tangara arthus [pulchra Group]
Capped Conebill (White-capped) Conirostrum albifrons [albifrons Group]
Capped Conebill (Blue-capped) Conirostrum albifrons [atrocyaneum Group]
Inaccessible Island Finch (Upland) Nesospiza acunhae fraseri
White-bellied Seedeater (Bicolored) Sporophila leucoptera bicolor
White-bellied Seedeater (Gray-backed) Sporophila leucoptera [leucoptera Group]
Bananaquit (Greater Antillean) Coereba flaveola [flaveola Group]
Bananaquit (Puerto Rico) Coereba flaveola portoricensis
Bananaquit (Lesser Antillean) Coereba flaveola [bartholemica Group]
Bananaquit (St. Vincent) Coereba flaveola atrata
Bananaquit (Grenada) Coereba flaveola aterrima
Bananaquit (Los Roques) Coereba flaveola lowii
Bananaquit (laurae/melanornis) Coereba flaveola laurae/melanornis
Bananaquit (Continental) Coereba flaveola [luteola Group]
Woodpecker Finch (pallidus/productus) Camarhynchus pallidus pallidus/productus
Woodpecker Finch (striatipecta) Camarhynchus pallidus striatipecta

DOWNLOAD TAXONOMY

You can download full 2018 taxonomy (v2018) from the links at the bottom of our Taxonomy Page, including XLSX and CSV formats for a clean version and one with the changes annotated (four files).

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