birding-aus

Fw: Christidis & Boles 2008 Australian Checklist

To: "'Mike Carter'" <>, "'BIRDING-AUS'" <>
Subject: Fw: Christidis & Boles 2008 Australian Checklist
From: "Tony Russell" <>
Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2008 09:46:43 +1030
Such detailed analysis could only come from Mike. I'm sure everyone is
grateful - I know it's saved me hours of tedious sorting through the
literature attempting to do the same thing. Thank you Mike, thank you.

Tony.

-----Original Message-----
From: 
 On Behalf Of Mike Carter
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2008 2:03 PM
To: BIRDING-AUS
Subject: Fw: Christidis & Boles 2008 Australian Checklist


The Main List contains 853 species of bird currently extant in
Australia, 9 species from Australia now extinct in the world and 5
species now extinct in  Australia but extant elsewhere in the world,
giving a total of 867 
Australian birds

 COMPARISONS with the 1994 CHECKLIST

 64 species are added to the main list. Of these:
 11 are the result of taxonomic splits -
            Vanuatu Petrel - one specimen but ID not assessed by BARC
            Linchi Swiftlet
            Variable Goshawk
            Short-tailed Grasswren
            Kalkadoon Grasswren
            Kimberley Honeyeater
            Western Wattlebird
            Arafura Fantail
            Pacific Robin
            Buff-sided Robin
            Green-headed Yellow Wagtail
 1 is due to extended coverage to include the Australian Antarctic 
Territory -
            Kerguelen Pintail - specimen record not assessed by BARC  1
introduced bird now with viable established populations -
            Barbary Dove
 2 introduced birds with viable populations upgraded from Supplementary 
List -
            Helmeted Guineafowl
            Green Junglefowl
 9 upgraded from the Supplementary List because of  BARC accepted
records -
            Atlantic Petrel
            Laysan Albatross
            Grey Heron
            Green Sandpiper
            Nordmann's Greenshank
            American Golden Plover
            Brown Shrike
            Pechora Pipit
            Singing Starling
 5 upgraded from the Supplementary List though not assessed by BARC
            Kerguelen Shag - specimen record
            Corncrake - specimen record
            Lesser Black-backed Gull - band recovered from dead bird
            Buffy Fish-Owl - specimen record
            House Crow - specimens in WA Museum & other reports  2 new
species not assessed by BARC
            Tiger Shrike - specimen record
            Black-billed Magpie - 2 reports but no specimens so NOT 
admissable
 33 BARC accepted new species - too numerous to list here.


 Removals are:
 1. - 4 Species from the Main List on taxonomic grounds -  Snares
Penguin - a peculiar decision?  Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo - always
contentious  Lesser Sooty Owl  Black-backed Wagtail

 2. - 15 Species in 1994 Supplementary List: Their reasons and some
guesses  at possible thinking!  Baikal Teal - likely confusion with
Garganey?  Amsterdam Albatross - not now regarded as full species.
Chinese Egret - no real evidence?  Eastern Marsh Harrier - surprising as
must be a possibility.  Oriental Hobby - confusion over species involved
in claim on Christmas  Island (Eurasian Hobby intended). Another
erroneous claim.  Eurasian Curlew - surprising, as at least one only
just failed acceptance.  Long-billed Dowitcher - original claim shown to
be Short-billed Dowitcher.  Western Sandpiper - lacked even rudimentary
evidence.  Temminck's Stint - several claims not pursued.  Cox's
Sandpiper - shown to be a hybrid.  Rusty-tailed Gerygone - shown to be a
variant of another species.  Tawny Pipit - shown to be an error.  Gray's
Grasshopper Warbler - surprising as there have been several claims.
Pale-bellied Myna - escapees and failed introduction  Hill Myna -
escapees and failed introduction

 3. - Species reported between 1994 and 2008 omitted or overlooked for
inclusion in the Supplementary List:

 Grey-headed Goshawk; [likely confusion with very pale form of local
race of
     another perhaps undescribed Goshawk]
Chinese Goshawk - ID too difficult?
Japanese Sparrowhawk - ID too difficult?
Dark-rumped Swift - ID too difficult?
Mossy-nest Swiftlet - ID too difficult?
Frill-necked Monarch - specific status not confirmed.
Northern Wheatear - surprising because evidence was quite strong.


 So now to my list!
            I've recorded 794 or 795 from the Main List which means
there  are 59 or 60 possibles that I haven't seen - (not sure whether to
count  Bayside's Barbary Doves!) plus 7 from the new Supplementary List
- Western  Reef Egret, Eurasian Hobby, Saunders's Tern, Brown-backed
Needletail (not  accepted by BARC), Middendorff's Warbler, Asian Brown
Flycatcher (already  accepted by BARC) and Streak-headed Mannikin, plus
2 occurrences since the  deadline for this tome, Eurasian Curlew and
Fairy Pitta.
            That totals 802/3.

 Mike Carter
 30 Canadian Bay Road
 Mount Eliza  VIC 3930
 Tel  (03) 9787 7136

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