HI:
FYI

--
Ian Paulsen
Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
A.K.A.: "Birdbooker"
"Rallidae all the way!"

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 14:17:06 -0400
From: Phil Davis <pdavis at IX.NETCOM.COM>
To: BIRDWG01 at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: [BIRDWG01] 43rd Supplement to the AOU Check-List Released

Chatters:

The July 2003 issue of the Auk is out. It contains the next, now annual,
supplement to the 7th edition of the AOU checklist.

A quick perusal indicates the following highlights for US and Canadian birders:


General:

Lots of changes and corrections to scientific names, corrections to
citations, and some movement of placement and order.


Specific:

The common name of Band-tailed Gull (Larus belcheri) has been changed to
Belcher's Gull.

The common name of Rock Dove (Columba livia) has been changed to Rock Piegeon.

All new world pigeons move into a new separate genus, Patagioenas.

The subgenus Megascops is recognized for New World species of Otus (except
for O. flammeolus). This includes, among others, the Eastern-, Western,
Whiskered-Screech Owls.

The genus Nyctea is merged into Bubo, so the Snowy Owl is now Bubo scandiacus.

The New World and Old World Three-toed Woodpeckers have been split. The New
World species is now called the American Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides
dorsalis).

Some rearrangement of the placement of the genera Euphonia and Cholorophonia.

The Hispaniola Crossbill (Loxia megalaga) has been split from the
White-winged Crossbill.


Changes still under consideration:

A possible split of Seaside Sparrow.


The changes are not yet posted to the AOU Checklist web site
(http://www.aou.org/aou/birdlist.html)

Phil


==================================
Phil Davis Davidsonville, Maryland USA
mailto:PDavis at ix.netcom.com
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