| Yes, & so we can share in the real delight of something like a Lynx’s 2018(?) poster of the “Orders and Families of the Birds of the World” – clearly not derived only from Taxonomy, but also from such post-Linnean thrills as phylogenetics, zoogeography, ontogeny, the intersecting work on fossils & genetics, & so on. This “illuminated” family tree fascinates all viewers with its revelations of broader relationships that, once named & pictured in this way, can be explored in ever-developing & ever-finer detail …
But yes, your excitement dies when the interest takes a turn to becoming just another tedious job. I reckon pull back then – plus take a look at other branches of biology, where the taxonomy seems vague or underdeveloped, deterministic or unstable or confusedly disputatious. … Looking, indeed, exasperatingly blurry to birders.
And this is all without ever considering that any species (or subspecies or genus, etc.) is simply a chronospecies, & Taxonomy only our way of naming-to-understand today. So why not redefine your own level of Listing – maybe to species-level only (as campout Birdcalls do), or subspecies in TripLists only… Or what about a print-&-tick revision once each year or more, by printing out the latest download from a preferred authority – or just upgrading a software version of your records – which could then leave just the latest List-changes as exciting avenues of research?—
But I’m thinking aloud now, not being a Lister myself.
Looking at shorebirds, I no longer try to identify them: I know that this turns an exhilarating day into a tedious frustration for me. That is a limitation I’d rather be without, & so now a shorebird outing is a joy again. Most other birds I relish recognising /naming, but I don’t push beyond pleasure any more, & am more likely to study a species closely for a while, & observe bird behaviour around me generally, & record the birds on my place (when something’s to be added,) by season & by species.
Each to their own, & we’d be much poorer without the Taxonomists no matter what your angle is.
Cheers Judith SEQ 500m JLA This note's from the mobile. Here, here John – a worthy reminder that there is good [and bad] in everything. Best to look for the positives. Suffice to say those people researching taxonomy are not particularly concerned with any individual’s list. Funny that. Ken Cross From: Birding-Aus <m("birding-aus.org","birding-aus-bounces");">> On Behalf Of calyptorhynchus .
Sent: Sunday, 11 August 2019 9:53 AM
To: <m("birding-aus.org","birding-aus");">> <m("birding-aus.org","birding-aus");">>
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] 2019 eBird Taxonomy Update Well I find further investigations into bird taxonomy extremely inspiring. For example in 2009 in Taiwan I saw a bird then known as the Scaly-breasted Wrenbabbler. It was a corker of a bird, so small and so feisty. But at the time it was only a subspecies. Later it was split and became a Taiwan endemic, then it was redscribed entirely as Taiwan cupwing (Pnoepyga formosana) in the family Pnoepygidae. So not a babbler at all, and in a family that no one had suspected existed until this century! The whole story of the Australasian origin of passerines is of extraordinary interest too. Of course the fact that we are living at the moment when we are beginning to understand the taxonomy of birds at the same time as we are wiping out whole swathes of bird species and biodiversity in general is deeply tragic and a problem we all need to think about and find ways around. hi All, I'm finding these incessant alterations to avian taxonomies a real pain in the lower regions. I try to keep my records right but some of the ( proposed ) changes are quite complex and often inadequately described such that the outcome is a muddle, hence the frequent lengthy debates over who is right and who is wrong. I'm sick of it, as I'm sure many others are too. Of course your attempts are meant to help people keep accurate records in regards to their species/subspecies listings but I've got to the point of "who gives a stuff any longer". I know which birds I've seen where and for me that's all that matters. Except that at the moment we’re in a splitting phase so you’re in little danger of losing ticks! My main beef is why have different taxonomies: HBW, IOC, EBird ? Everyone should agree to follow one taxonomy. These changes you’re talking about on EBird were made years ago in the other two. Personally, speaking as someone whose job it is to enthuse people in a hobby (in this case my other love, astronomy), I think there are few more efficient ways of sucking the enjoyment out of birding than taxonomy. You know that bird you celebrated ticking off last year? Doesn’t count any more, it got lumped. Sure, the trip and the hunt and the observation were still great, but it’s one fewer enjoyable aspect of birding. FWIW ebird got their history a bit wrong - parent species of boobook was novaeseelandiae not boobook and of rainbow lorikeet was haematodus not moluccanus. Still, not an issue as past anyway.... Cas see https://ebird.org/news/2019-ebird-taxonomy-update
Southern Boobook Ninox boobook and Morepork Ninox novaeseelandiae are separated at the species level (formerly known as Southern Boobook Ninox boobook). Southern Boobook is widespread in Australia, New Guinea, Timor, and Indonesia, while Morepork is restricted to Tasmania, New Zealand, and Norfolk Island (a Lord Howe Island subspecies is extinct). We expect more splits in Southern Boobook in the future, since the subspecies groups Southern Boobook (Alor) Ninox boobook plesseni, Southern Boobook (Rote) Ninox boobook rotiensis, and Southern Boobook (Timor) Ninox boobook fuscaeach probably deserve species status. Stay tuned!
• Southern Boobook Ninox boobook [map] [species page] [my records]
• Morepork Ninox novaeseelandiae [map] [species page] [my records]
The two can both occur in southern Victoria, Australia, where it seems that some Tasmanian Moreporks (sometimes separated as a species in their own right) seem to move to the mainland in winter. For this reason, we retain a slash option to promote conservative reporting.
• Southern Boobook/Morepork Ninox boobook/novaeseelandiae [map] [species page] [my records]
Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus moluccanus is split into six species as listed below with their ranges:
• Sunset Lorikeet Trichoglossus forsteni [map] [species page] [my records]
• Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa (Lesser Sundas), and Tanahjampea and Kalaotoa Islands (Flores Sea)
• Leaf Lorikeet Trichoglossus weberi [map] [species page] [my records]
• Flores Island (Lesser Sundas)
• Marigold Lorikeet Trichoglossus capistratus [map] [species page] [my records]
• Sumba, Timor and E Lesser Sundas (Wetar and Romang)
• Coconut Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus [map] [species page] [my records]
• New Guinea and adjacent islands (including some off s New Guinea administered by Queensland, Australia), Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu,New Caledonia, and Loyalty Islands; introduced and established in Singapore
• Red-collared Lorikeet Trichoglossus rubritorquis [map] [species page] [my records]
• norhern Australia from w. Queensland to n. West Australia
• Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus moluccanus [map] [species page] [my records]
• Widespread in eastern Australia, including Tasmania; introduced and established around Perth, Western Australia
Rufous Fieldwren Calamanthus campestris is split into a widespread Rufous Fieldwren Calamanthus campestris found across much of Australia and a range-restricted Western Fieldwren Calamanthus montanellus restricted to just the southwestern corner of Western Australia.
• Rufous Fieldwren Calamanthus campestris [map] [species page] [my records]
• Western Fieldwren Calamanthus montanellus [map] [species page] [my records]
In perhaps the most surprising taxonomic revision for this update, subspecies melanorhyncha, previously classified as a subspecies of Little Shrikethrush Colluricincla megarhyncha (in the group Little Shrikethrush (Arafura) Colluricincla megarhyncha [megarhyncha Group]), in fact is a whistler (Pachycephala)So the genus was not even right! Correcting this taxonomic issue, we now recognize melanorhyncha as a species, Biak Whistler Pachycephala melanorhyncha.
• Little Shrikethrush Colluricincla megarhyncha [map] [species page] [my records]
• Biak Whistler Pachycephala melanorhyncha [map] [species page] [my records]
Pacific Robin Petroica pusilla is fairly widespread in the south Pacific, but the population on Norfolk Island has always stood out as having a distinctive plumage. It is now split as Norfolk Robin Petroica multicolor and is no longer thought to be most closely related to Pacific Robin.
• Norfolk Robin Petroica multicolor [map] [species page] [my records]
• Pacific Robin Petroica pusilla [map] [species page] [my records]
Lumps
Two subtly different gulls, the Red-billed Gull Chroicocephalus scopulinus and Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae are lumped as a single species known as Silver GullChroicocephalus scopulinus. The two are retained as identifiable subspecies groups, but as is the case with many subspecies of gulls, the two are barely identifiable and only the extreme “larophiles” claim they can separate them reliably.
• Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae [map] [species page] [my records]
• Silver Gull (Silver) Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae novaehollandiae/forsteri [map]
• Silver Gull (Red-billed) Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae scopulinus [map]
The Lord Howe White-eye Zosterops tephropleurus is now considered to be “just” a subspecies of Silvereye Zosterops lateralis, now Zosterops lateralis tephropleurus. It is not even considered distinctive enough to be retained as an identifiable subspecies group, so is addition to the loss of a Lord Howe Island endemic the main result is a tiny expansion in the range of Silvereye to include Lord Howe Island.
• Silvereye Zosterops lateralis [map] [species page] [my records]
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Australia
www.jleonard.net ‘There is kinship between people and all animals. Such is the Law.’ Kimberley lawmen (from Yorro Yorro)
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