[mou] Recent AOU Check-list Changes

[Tom_Will@fws.gov]

44th Supplement AOU Checklist Changes

The 44th Supplement to the AOU Check-list of North American Birds was
recently published in The Auk 120(3):923-931, 2003.  Only a few of the
changes affect species in the Midwest:

The waterfowl and then the gallinaceous birds now occur before loons in the
checklist sequence.  (Multiple lines of evidence suggest that Anseriformes
and Galliformes are closely related and together form a sister group to the
remainder of the presently recognized Neognathae.)

Rock Dove is now Rock Pigeon.

All the other New World Columba (e.g. Band-tailed Pigeon) are now
Patagioenas.

All Otus (except Flammulated Owl) are now Megascops, so Eastern Screeh-Owl
is now Megascops asio.

Snowy Owl.  Nyctea scandiaca is now Bubo scandiaca.

Three-toed Woodpecker, Picoides tridactylus, is now American Three-toed
Woodpecker, Picoides dorsalis (split from Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker).

Black-capped Vireo.  Vireo atricapillus should be Vireo atricapilla.

Black-capped Chickadee.  Poecile atricapilla should be Poecile atricapillus
.

Ovenbird.  Seiurus aurocapillus should be Seiurus aurocapilla.


You can download a complete copy of the checklist in pdf or Excel format at
http://www.aou.org/aou/birdlist.html.