List of Migratory Birds

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published in the Federal Register today, a proposed rule (PDF file) to revise the list of birds protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

An excerpt from the proposed rule reads as follows:

Why Is This Amendment to the List of Migratory Birds Necessary?

The proposed amendment is needed to (1) add 2 species covered by Japanese and Russian treates that were mistakenly omitted from previous lists; (2) add 26 species of accidental or causal occurrence documented prior to April 1985, but not included in prior lists; (3) add 60 species based on new distributional records documenting their occurrence in the United States since April 1985; (4) add 27 species that occur naturally in the United States only in the Pacific Island territories of American Samoa, Baker and Howland islands, Guam, or the Northern Mariana Islands; (5) add 37 species newly recognized as a result of taxonomic changes; (6) remove 11 species not known to occur within the boundaries of the United States; (7) remove 1 species that is now treated as a subspecies; (8) change the common (English) names of 47 species to conform with accepted usage; (9) change the scientific names of 64 species to conform with accepted usage; (10) change the common and scientific names of 7 species to conform with accepted ussage; (11) change the scientific names of 4 species in the alphabetical list to conform with accepted usage and to correct inconsistencies between the alphabetical and taxonomic lists; (12) correct errors in the common (English) names of 2 species; (13) correct errors in the scientific names of 3 species in the taxonomic list; and (14) change the status of 1 taxon [Barbary Falcon] from protected subspecies to non-protected species (due to lack of natural occurrence in the United States and its territories).

The public is invited to submit comments on or before October 23, 2006.