Waiting on a mule deer crossing…
This first Supplement since publication of the 7th edition (1998) of the AOU Check-list of North American Birds summarizes changes made by the Committee on Classification and Nomenclature between its reconstitution in late 1998 and 31 January 2000.Because the makeup of the Committee has changed significantly since publication of the 7th edition, it seems appropriate to outline the way in which the current Committee operates.The philosophy of the Committee is to retain the present taxonomic or distributional status unless substantial and convincing evidence is published that a change should be made.The Committee maintains an extensive agenda of potential action items, including possible taxonomic changes and changes to the list of species included in the main text or the Appendix.Many of these are derived from statements of varying taxonomic treatments mentioned in notes in species accounts in the 7th edition.Each member has accepted primary responsibility for certain groups of birds or for particular distributional or other matters.When a suggestion for a change in taxonomic, nomenclatural, or distributional status is published, the member with responsibility for the affected group studies the situation and prepares a proposal for (or against) change.The Committee also considers proposals or suggestions by nonmembers if accompanied by adequate justification or evidence.Proposals, with recommendations, are circulated among the Committee and a period of discussion ensues, mainly by e-mail.Advice may be solicited from colleagues who are not members of the Committee.Eventually, a vote is taken.If approved, the proposal becomes an item for the next Supplement.If the proposal is not accepted, it returns to the agenda to await additional evidence.The Committee attempts to meet annually at the AOU meeting.Members of the Committee are also working toward a future edition of the Check-list that willf include statements of geographic variation and a treatment at the subspecific level.Changes in this Supplement fall into eight categories: (1) three species are added to the main list because of new distributional information (Ardeola bacchus, Milvus migrans, Emberiza elegans); (2) 11 species are added to the list because of splitting of species previously on the list (Sula granti, Centrocercus minimus, Picoides arizonae, Dendroica subita, D. delicata, Spindalis nigricephala, S. dominicensis, S. portoricensis, Icterus prosthemelas, Lonchura cantans, and L. atricapilla); (3) four species are changed (Caracara cheriway, Glaucidium costaricanum, Myrmotherula pacifica, Pica hudsonia) and one added (Caracara lutosa) by splits from now-extralimital forms; (4) four scientific names of species are changed because of generic reallocation (Ibycter americanus, Stercorarius skua, S. maccormicki, Molothrus oryzivorus); (5) one specific name is changed for nomenclatural reasons (Baeolophus ridgwayi); (6) the spelling of five species names is changed to make them gramatically correct relative to the generic name (Jacamerops aureus, Poecile atricapilla, P. hudsonica, P. cincta, Buarremon brunneinucha); (7) one English name is changed to conform to worldwide use (Long-tailed Duck), one is changed by removing an unneeded modifier (White Tern), and five are changed because of species splits (Greater Sage-Grouse, Western Spindalis, Greater Antillean Oriole, Indian Silverbill, Tricolored Munia); and (8) seven species are added to the Appendix (Oceanodroma monorhis, Circus aeruginosus, Larus genei, L. novaehollandiae, Phaethornis yaruqui, Tachycineta albiventer, Oryzoborus angolensis).The 15 additions to the main list bring the number of species recognized as occurring in the Check-list area (main list) to 2,023.This Supplement also makes some technical nomenclatural and spelling changes that were not included with errata in the Notice from the Committee in Auk848 Forty-second Supplement [Auk, Vol.117 Centrocercus minimus Gunnison Sage-Grouse.Glaucidium costaricanum Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl.Picoides arizonae Arizona Woodpecker Myrmotherula pacifica Pacific Antwren.Dendroica subita Barbuda Warbler Dendroica delicata St. Lucia Warbler.$pindalis nigricephala Jamaican Spindalis.$pindalis dominicensis Hispaniolan Spindalis.Spindalis portoricensis Puerto Rican Spindalis.Emberiza elegans Yellow-throated Bunting.Icterus prosthemelas Black-cowled Oriole.Lonchura cantans African Silverbill (I).Lonchura atricapilla Chestnut Munia (I).Change the following English names: Clangula hyemalis Long-tailed Duck.Centrocercus urophasianus Greater Sage-Grouse.Gygis alba White Tern.Spindalis zena Western Spindalis.Icterus dominicensis Greater Antillean Oriole.Lonchura malabarica Indian Silverbill (I).Lonchura malacca Tricolored Munia (I).Change the following scientific names, with no change in English names: Daptrius americanus to Ibycter americanus Caracara plancus to Caracara cheriway Catharacta skua to Stercorarius skua Catharacta maccormicki to Stercorarius maccormicki Jacamerops aurea to Jacamerops aureus Pica pica to Pica hudsonia Poecile atricapillus to Poecile atricapilla Poecile hudsonicus to Poecile hudsonica Poecile cinctus to Poecile cincta Baeolophus griseus to Baeolophus ridgwayi Buarremon brunneinuchus to Buarremon brunneinucha Scaphidura oryzivora to Molothrus oryzivorus Delete the following names: Glaucidium jardinii Andean Pygmy-Owl.Myrmotherula surinamensis Streaked Antwren.Move Icterus bullockii to position following I. pustulatus p. 28.Sula granti is recognized as a species distinct from S. dactylatra, as proposed by Pitman and Jehl (1998), on the basis of differences in bill color, size and proportions, some color characters in both ju-venal and definitive plumages, preferred nesting habitat, and pelagic nonbreeding ranges.Modify the breeding distribution of Sula dactylatra by removing the phrase "and in the Galapagos" and the word "Ecuador."Add to the Notes under S. dactylatra: Some old sight reports may pertain to S. granti (e.g.Roberson 1998).Insert the following after the account for S. dactylatra: $ula granti Rothschild.Nazca Booby.Sula granti Rothschild, 1902, Bull.Brit.Ornithol.Club 13: 7. (Galapagos Archipelago = Culpepper Island, fide
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