Changes to the Birds of North America

The “Forty-ninth supplement [.pdf] to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American birds” includes a total of 18 changes to the list of birds known from North America north of Mexico.

Six species are added to the avifauna on the basis of new distributional records, while the remaining 12 changes affect only the names by which species are known, including English name (4 species), scientific name (7 species), and both English and scientific name (1 species).

Individual changes are highlighted below:

ADDITIONS (6 species)

Parkinson’s Petrel, Procellaria parkinsoni (California);

Gray Heron, Ardea cinerea (Alaska, Newfoundland);

Swallow-tailed Gull, Creagrus furcatus (California);

Loggerhead Kingbird, Tyrannus caudifasciatus (Florida);

Pallas’s Leaf-Warbler, Phylloscopus proregulus (Alaska); and

Song Thrush, Turdus philomelos (Greenland, Quebec).

CHANGES IN ENGLISH NAMES (4)

Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) becomes American Flamingo,

Green Violet-ear (Colibri thalassinus) becomes Green Violetear,

Clay-colored Robin (Turdus grayi) becomes Clay-colored Thrush, and

Troupial (Icterus icterus) becomes Venezuelen Troupial.

CHANGES IN SCIENTIFIC NAMES (7)

Larus philadelphia (Bonaparte’s Gull) becomes Chroicocephalus philadelphia,

Larus cirrocephalus (Gray-hooded Gull) becomes Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus,

Larus ridibundus (Black-headed Gull) becomes Chroicocephalus ridibunda,

Larus minutus (Little Gull) becomes Hydrocoloeus minutus,

Larus atricilla (Laughing Gull) becomes Leucophaeus atricilla,

Larus pipixcan (Franklin’s Gull) becomes Leucophaeus pipixcan, and

Hemignathus parvus (Anianiau) becomes Magumma parva.

CHANGE IN ENGLISH AND SCIENTIFIC NAME (1)

Spot- tailed billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha) becomes Eastern Spot-tailed billed Duck (Anas zonorhyncha).