Hello Tweeters,
The attached was forwarded to me by a birding buddy in Phelps, NY. What
other changes should we pencil in to our bird guides? I don't happen to
subscribe to The Auk. And the "last, but not least" instructions have me a
bit baffled. My wife, Bunny, is happy to see me poring over the giant bird
books, relieving our bookshelves of their constant strain.
Happy birdbooking!
Fran Wood (male)
412 - 36th Ave., Seattle
98122
fbwood at u.washington.edu

Changes in the AOU Checklist Relevant to New York State

The July 2003 issue of The Auk contained the 44th Supplement to The American
Ornithologists? Union Check-List of North American Birds. There were several
changes which apply to the current official New York State checklist , one
of which is dramatic and which will take a lot of ?getting used to.? The,
shall we say, ?routine? changes are:

Change the English name of Rock Dove to Rock Pigeon
Change the genus of Eastern Screech-Owl from Otus to Megascops
Change the Latin name of Snowy Owl from Nyctea scandiaca to Bubo scandiacus
Delete entirely- Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus
Replace with - American Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides dorsalis
Change the Latin specific name of Black-capped Chickadee from Poecile
atricapilla to Poecile atricapillus
Change the Latin specific name of Ovenbird from Seiurus aurocapillus to
Seiurus aurocapilla

And last, but certainly not least, the Order Anseriformes and the Order
Galliformes will now be placed BEFORE the Order Gaviiformes.

The December issue of The Kingbird will carry a full discussion on these
changes and their rationale as put forth in the 44th Supplement of The Auk.

For those of you who would like to know more and now, we refer you to:

The Auk 120 (3): 923?931, 2003

? Manny Levine, Editor of The Kingbird