The new Clements Checklist updates for 2009 have just gone on-lne, and
it is a quantum leap over the previous version, no bringing the
sequence and family numbers much more closely into line with the IOC
Checklist- the latter is available free from worldbirdnames.org and is
up-dated every few months, not just annually.
This new Clements has a revised family sequence and now acknowledges
some 223 families (IOC 226), with new developments being the subsuming
of the large family of Zosteropidae (white-eyes) into babblers and
Drepaniiidae (Hawaiian Honeycreepers) into Fringilliade (Finches). The
only omission is the Cnemophildae ( satinbirds) which they retain
within a broad Paradisaeidae, so the two major and current world
checklists are now broadly congruent.
Frrom an Australasain perspective, we now get some long overdue
movement with the New Zealand taxonomy, acknowledging Nestoridae (NZ
parrots) and Notiomystiidae (Stitchbird), and Australainn is now in
line with Christidis and Boles, though the checklist mow recognized
Macheirirhynchidae (Boatbills) as separate, also Psophodidae
(whipbirds and jewel-babblers)
Have a look and enjoy the information, these are exciting times in
taxonomy for sure:
The 2009 Clements Checklist Updates and Corrections went up this
afternoon. Go to http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/corrections/Dec09
for details, also download the spreadsheet athttp://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.4.xls/view
.
number of families: 223
number of taxa: 31573
number of species: 9995
number of unique subspecies: 21107
Phil Gregory
www.cassowary-house.com.au
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www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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