Alvaro Patricio Jaramillo <jaramill at sfu.ca> writes
> At the same time I feel as if some good species may have been
> overlumped
> within these highly variable species. My version of a good species is
> kind
> of a mix between the biological and phylogenetic, not very satisfying,
> and
> only a personal opinion.

Without repeating your entire message, I don't believe you're as alone
in this as you think you are. As a fact your concept sounds completely
on the biological side of the species concept. I think somewhat of what
we're all reacting to is the over-lumping inspired apparently by Lester
Short 20 years ago. A new group is beginning to question some (a lot?)
of the calls made back then.

> Perhaps birders should take
> hold of this idea and create a "Birding species concept", if you can
> ID it
> then you can count it! How does that sound?

The herp lovers (or whatever you call them, I'm married to one) have
always done it this way. Possibly because species definitions for them
change as regularly as the sun comes up in the morning.

Jerry Tangren, Wenatchee WA
<gsw$en at wsuvm1.csc.wsu.edu>