Changes to the American Birding Association Checklist
Written by Andy McCormick
Each summer the American Ornithological Society (AOS) reviews proposals for changes in the taxonomic order of birds. Many of these changes are made in response to field research and genetic testing of birds. The reviews can result in lumping of existing species into one species, splitting an existing species into two or more species, name changes, and revisions to the taxonomic order based on new understanding about how birds have evolved. This year’s changes include some of all of these possibilities.
The 2024 report contains many changes regarding birds in North, Middle, and South America. The decisions were made by the AOS North American Checklist and South American Checklist Committees. There are more changes than can be covered in a short article so we will focus on those that directly impact birders in the Pacific Northwest.
REDPOLLS ARE NOW ALL TOGETHER
For several years the separation of Common, Hoary, and Arctic (Eurasia) Redpolls has been questioned and recent evidence has shown that the color differences are due only to a flipped gene sequence, and not to any other difference which would qualify these three redpolls as separate species. Now all redpolls will be known simply as Redpoll (Acanthis flammea).
THE BROWN BOOBY IS SPLIT
Many birders are aware that Brown Boobies seen off the west coast of North America have white heads and bluish bare parts, and those in other places have brown heads and yellow bare parts. The split results in a new name for the North American bird and it is now known at the Cocos Booby (Sula Brewsteri) named after the Cocos tectonic plate on which sits Costa Rica’s Cocos Island.
THE SPLIT OF AMERICAN PIPIT
The American Pipit is regularly seen all over North America. The newly split off Siberian Pipit (Anthus japonicus), labled as “Asian” in the Sibley Guide to Birds, has records as a subspecies in western states and in Mexico and El Salvador. Those records will now be renamed as Siberian Pipit and will be considered a new life bird for those who have seen it. West coast birders now will have opportunities to see this new species, but identification can be challenging and referring to Sibley will be helpful.
There are many other changes which will affect Northwest birders who travel. Changes were made to many Middle and South American birds, and also to birds in Asia. The full review article by Michael Retter of the American Birding Association (ABA) can be read at https://www.aba.org/aos-supplement-2024/ . I am grateful for his work each year to publish a summary of the AOS decisions.
Photo Credit: Brown Booby by Mark Yokoyama