The July 1995 Auk just came to me in the mail (the last 3 issues came
within a week, a repeat of last year's weird situation). In it is the 40th
supplement to the AOU Check-list. Those rumors that have been circulating
for quite a long time are now cast in concrete (at least until next time).

These changes affect North American birders' lists:

Northern Flicker split into:
Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
Gilded Flicker Colaptes chrysoides
Scrub Jay split into:
Florida Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma coerulescens
Island Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma insularis
Western Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma californica
Gray-cheeked Thrush split into:
Gray-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus
Bicknell's Thrush Catharus bicknelli
Rufous-sided Towhee split into:
Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus
Sharp-tailed Sparrow split into:
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow Ammdramus caudacutus
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow Ammodramus nelsoni
Northern Oriole split into:
Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula
Bullock's Oriole Icterus bullockii
Abeille's Oriole Icterus abeillei (Mexico)

By these changes you can see that what goes around comes around. You can
also see that the check-list committee has no qualms about coining
godawfully long common names (didn't they learn from American Black
Oystercatcher and other names that they subsequently shortened [see
below]?). You can also see that rumors outstrip reality by quite a
distance (no vireo changes, no sparrow changes, no gull changes, etc.).
Conservatives are on top everywhere.

Also a few common name changes, most of which won't affect our daily field
trips:

American Swallow-tailed Kite becomes Swallow-tailed Kite (about time!)
Northern Hobby becomes Eurasian Hobby
Greater Golden-Plover becomes European Golden-Plover
Rufous-necked Stint becomes Red-necked Stint
Common Black-headed Gull becomes Black-headed Gull
Eurasian Skylark becomes Sky Lark
Brown Tree-Pipit becomes Tree Pipit
Olive Tree-Pipit becomes Olive-backed Pipit
Pallas' Reed-Bunting becomes Pallas' Bunting
Common Reed-Bunting becomes Reed Bunting

All but the first are changed to agree with the official British
Ornithologists' Union names. No Great Northern Divers or Sand Martins
(yet).

For the Neotropically oriented, there are quite a few taxonomic changes in
West Indian/Middle American birds too, almost all of them splits.
Miscellaneous scientific name changes (e.g., the Common Egret is now an
Ardea) and new records of vagrants complete the list.

Nary a word is said about any upcoming new check-list.

Dennis Paulson, Director 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