I don't believe anyone answered Teresa Michelsen when she asked:

"One final question - "loons" are listed as "divers" on the world bird list
provided with Bird Recorder. Names with "loon" are added in red, which
means "pending" according to the manual. Does the rest of the world call
loons divers? If so, are they reconsidering and planning to call them
loons? What name do most people use to be consistent with the "official"
world lists? I'm also curious who creates these lists. Are there world
records committees?"

Yes, loons are called divers in Britain, and thus that is their English
name in Eurasia, all the way east to Japan (although the recent Japanese
field guide uses "loons"). I don't know what "pending" would mean in that
context. I'd say if you were in Britain you'd call it a Great Northern
Diver, in North America a Common Loon; you might try _Gavia immer_
anywhere, but you might not be understood. I really like perusing the
common names in Dutch, German, French and Swedish in the Peterson European
field guide, and I would have been happy if they'd added names in another
half-dozen languages (you have to buy the book in those languages to get
the names). I personally would love to say at some time, "there goes a
Rothalsziegenmelker" or "I just spotted a fauvette passerinette."

There has not been a committee for world common names until just recently,
when one was formed for English names. There has never been one for
scientific names; the several one-volume world lists that have been
published have been the work of single authors or co-authors. We have not
heard much from the English-name group, which has its work cut out for it.
Will they be loons or divers? Bank Swallow or Sand Martin? Brent Goose or
Brant? Common Gallinule or Moorhen? Stay tuned. One thing will be sure;
dissatisfaction will reign, if I know anything about birders (or people).

Dennis Paulson phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416