We all know it as Willy Wagtail but the problem with that, is that there is a
bunch of wagtails in another group. And it is closer to our fantails. So when
doing an index to a bird book, Willy Wagtail would get listed with less-related
wagtails. This is hardly a unique problem though, there are many others in the
same situation, such as our magpie.
-----Original Message-----
From: Birding-Aus On Behalf Of
Phil Gregory
Sent: Thursday, 19 January, 2017 11:41 AM
To:
Subject: Willy Fantail
I just got the excellent new Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago Field Guide by
James Eaton et al, and it is quite piece of work, I am still processing all the
many taxonomic changes, this is drongo and fantail central!
The ever-vexatious English names are noteworthy too, I was very pleased to see
the reappearance of old favourites Satanic Nightjar and Invisible Rail, which
got written out of history a while back for unknown reasons / some checklist
compiler didn’t approve of them, and Wallace’s Standardwing reappears after
long absence, as indeed it will appear in my own Birds of Paradise and
Bowerbirds title.
There are a couple of interesting choices too, notably the use of Monarch for
Myiagra Flycatchers, so we would have Leaden Monarch and Satin Monarch. I know
they are Monarch-Flycatchers but remain unconvinced by the change. The one that
made me smile though was to discover I’d seen Willy Fantail, a bridge too far
if ever there was one surely?
Phil Gregory
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ornithological writer/tour leader/tour facilitator
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