This is going to simmer for a bit. There are many lists
and more will appear. I suggest it be kept in mind that the aim of
some lists is to produce a reasoned, working synthesis of taxonomic opinions.
C&B1 and C&B2 are in that category, also Sibley/Monroe, Monroe/Sibley
etc. Other lists are directed to the separate issue of proposing English
names that are reasonable and consistent eg the 1978 recs and Gill &
Wright. Others, like Clements, are primarily for the convenience of
tickers, therefore eclectic. It follows that C&B pretty well
took for granted the 1978 recs on English names, along with the reasons given for
them, and as modified by some soundings in the Aus birdwatching
community. The taxonomic changes in C&B2 are accompanied by fair-seeming
reasons, less so the choice of English names. By contrast Gill &
Wright/IOC is directed specifically at the English names issue. Gill
& Wright are content to have the taxonomic ground shift under their feet,
the important thing being the principles , including a fair bit of give
and take, likely to promote consistency in English names.
From: Esme Barker and Bruce Ramsay
[
Sent: Tuesday, 19 February 2008 5:30 PM
To: Canberrabirds
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Spelling of cirrocephalus/cirrhocephalus
Re
the correspondence on and around this topic.
As
Mark mentioned, there is an updated IOC list based on the book "BIRDS OF
THE WORLD Recommended English Names" by Frank Gill And Minturn Wright, Princeton University
Press, 2006.
For
anyone interested, the list can be downloaded as an Excel file or as a csv file
(for database use, eg MS Access) from the IOC website, www.worldbirdnames.org
The
site also has an Excel file which can be downloaded, showing a comparison
between the IOC list (Gill & Wright) and another popular taxonomic list -
Clements 2007.
Happy
pondering of naming traditions and conventions!
