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Mobirders, Below is an excerpt from a post to Bird Forum outlining changes in the BOU List. I've included some that affect species seen in North America. Of special note is the BOU designation of the Canada Goose split. Perhaps the AOU will follow them and eliminate the difficulty with "Cackling" Goose. Enjoy--and see the full web citation below. Edge Wade Columbia, MO [log in to unmask] A Press Release from the BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION RECORDS COMMITTEE Taxonomic changes to the British List The following recommendations relating to the taxonomy of birds on the British List will take immediate effect with the publication of the BOURC Taxonomic Subcommittee's (BOURC TSC) report in Ibis (Ibis 147: 821-826). The items are summarised below, but the full paper or online at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/do...9X.2005.00483.x Canada Goose Branta canadensis Now treated as two separate species: Greater Canada Goose B. canadensis (polytypic, with subspecies canadensis, fulva, interior, maxima, moffitti, occidentalis and parvipes) Lesser Canada Goose B. hutchinsii (polytypic, with subspecies hutchinsii, leucopareia, minima and taverneri) Greater Canada Goose is on Category C of the British List. A paper on Canada goose taxonomy is in preparation. Greater Scaup Aythya marila Treat as polytypic (previously monotypic), with subspecies A. m. marila and A. m. nearctica. The subspecies that occurs in Britain is A. m. marila. Common Scoter Melanitta nigra Treat as two separate species: Common Scoter M. nigra (monotypic) Black Scoter M. americana (monotypic). Both species are on Category A of the British List. Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca Treat as two separate species: Velvet Scoter M. fusca (monotypic) White-winged Scoter M. deglandi (polytypic, with subspecies deglandi and stejnegeri). Velvet Scoter is on Category A of the British List. Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata Treat as monotypic. Herring Gull Larus argentatus The combined evidence of morphology, vocalisations and molecular phylogenetics strongly indicates that L. a. michahellis (incl. atlantis), L. a. armenicus and L. a. argentatus (incl. argenteus) are best treated as separate species: Yellow-legged Gull L. michahellis (polytypic) Armenian Gull L. armenicus (monotypic) Herring Gull L. argentatus (polytypic) Herring Gull and Yellow-legged Gull are on Category A of the British List. The taxonomic status of L. a. smithsonianus and L. a. cachinnans is still under review. Diagnosability and differentiation of taxa such as these are central to taxonomic decisions, and the BOU recognises the important contribution that field birders can make in developing identification criteria. However, decisions cannot be based solely on knowledge gained from extralimital records of birds of unknown origin, such as most of the British occurring Caspian Gulls. TSC has purposely taken its time over this issue, as it was known that research was still underway, and it was essential to be in full possession of the facts before attempting to resolve the 'large white-headed gull' situation. A paper is in preparation that will describe the reasoning behind the current splits, and the problems that still need to be resolved. A useful summary of the taxonomic literature on the Larus argentatus - fuscus complex up to 2001 was published by Dubois (2002. Dutch Birding 24: 271-298). Citation: Sangster, G., Collinson, J.M., Helbig, A.J, Knox, A.G. & Parkin, D.T. 2005. Taxonomic recommendations for British Birds: third report. Ibis 147: 821-826. __________________________________________________ ########################################################### * Audubon Society of Missouri's * * Wild Bird Discussion Forum * *---------------------------------------------------------* * To subscribe or unsubscribe, click here: * * https://po.missouri.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mobirds-l&A=1 * *---------------------------------------------------------* * To access the list archives, click here: * * http://po.missouri.edu/archives/mobirds-l.html * * * * To access the Audubon Society of Missouri Web * * Site: http://mobirds.org * ###########################################################