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World Checklists, Grasswrens and such

To:
Subject: World Checklists, Grasswrens and such
From:
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2011 21:24:40 EST
Does Australia really not have a checklist committee?  Here in the  U.S., 
the American Birding Association provides the "official" checklist for the  
U.S., although to large extent they follow the broader AOU.  Of course that  
does not stop people from disagreeing and keeping their own  lists  
according to whatever criteria they prefer (so long as they do not submit them  
to 
the ABA).  The whole concept of the Committee is to pass judgment on  things 
such as proposed lumps/splits, whether proposed new records are  acceptable, 
etc.
 
Eric Jeffrey
Falls Church, VA
USA
 
 
In a message dated 1/3/2011 9:18:39 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
 writes:

Precisely, well said Jeff. I am not advocating a scientific  discussion by 
whoever would be on the committee so much as an editing of data  for the 
sake of differentiating various species in a universally accepted way.  That 
way everybody is reading from the same page.

Cheers

David  Kowalick


G'day Philip,

"Allow me to express what I hope is  obvious", you haven't quite explained
yourself here Philip or I suspect you  don't really understand the reasons
for a committee as outlined by David.  Evolution has got absolutely nothing
to do with this, David wasn't  suggesting a committee that would change the
Australian list to keep pace  with the evolution of new species as they
evolve!!!
What would be your  process that would deliver on "Suggesting a consistent
list would be  helpful", it's our evolving understanding of how many species
there are  through published research that is driving this issue and leading
to an  ongoing need to reassess the list.
I am all for David's suggestion, it's  way overdue.

Cheers Jeff.




-----Original  Message-----
From:  
  On Behalf Of Philip Veerman
Sent: Tuesday, 4 January 2011 12:18 PM
To:  'David Kowalick'; 
Subject: World  Checklists, Grass wrens, Official list of Oz
birds etc...

I don't  quite understand the concern. Allow me to express what I hope is
obvious.  Evolution is an ongoing process, which means it is happening
now. At any  one time, most species are and should be distinct but some
small number of  species will be in various stages of separation.
Suggesting a consistent  list is helpful but suggesting that there should
always be a correct answer  is flawed. Then impose our various ways
(differences of opinions etc) on  what constitutes enough distinction, of
interpreting these dividing lines  and of course there would be troubles.
I would hate the idea of a different  list every year and wouldn't be too
comfortable about the costs of doing  the committee David suggests,
relative to the expenditure of those funds on  more practical things. Of
course knowing about species diversity is  important to doing the
conservation etc.  

Philip

-----Original Message-----
From:  
  On Behalf Of David Kowalick
Sent: Tuesday, 4 January 2011 11:11 AM
To:  
Subject: World Checklists, Grass  wrens,Official list of Oz
birds etc...


Hi everyone,

This  is all very confusing. What constitutes an accepted split? Where 
does the  Myall subspecies of the Thick-belled Grasswren fall? Western or

what?  And what of the the C&B list? What do we take as the official 
list?  The world list or C&B? These days I always try to tick every  
sub-species just in case it ends up being split later on. It seems  
splitting very much back in fashion but it seems impossible to keep  
abreast of all the developments. Surely there could be a committee set  
up by Birds Australia to review the official Australian list on an  
annual basis that takes into account all the latest developments? I  have

always lived and died by C&B but recently that seems to no  longer be the

case.In the meantime I will try not to drown in the  data.

Cheers

David  Kowalick
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