[mou] Re Canada Goose split

[Dennis/Barbara Martin]

The following was pasted from a message on another list serve that I
subscribe to and was originally written by Phil Davis (I believe from the
Maryland Records Committee.)  Note that the Minnesota records committee will
have to consider the information from the AOU but that is probably a
formality as the AOU is the decider of species determinations in North
America.  The AOU is not into listing and as such is not concerned with
issues such as that.

Dennis Martin
dbmartin@skypoint.com

The 45th Supplement to the AOU Checklist is now out. It was published in the
July 2004 issue of the Auk 121(3):985-995. For those not familiar with the
AOU Checklist, it governs taxonomy (including splits/lumps, common names,
scientific names, and order) of North American species. Note that the ABA
Checklist is what governs the publication of the ABA listers totals; the ABA
typically issues their own report subsequent to the release of AOU
supplements.

Highlights (pertaining only to north of the Mexico border):

1. The species Great-winged Petrel has been added to the checklist, based on
west coast pelagic records.

2. Cackling Goose has been split and is now a separate species from Canada
Goose:

a. Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) [the small forms] includes the former
Canada Goose subspecies hutchinsii [Richarson's], asiatica
[Bering-extinct?], leucopareia [Aleutian], taverneri [part of the Lesser
complex], and minima.

b. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) now includes the subspecies canadensis
[Atlantic], interior [Interior], maxima [Giant], moffitti [Moffit's],
parvipes [the other part of the Lesser complex], fulva [Vancouver], and
occidentalis [Dusky].

The Checklist committee telegraphs that more splits of this complex may be
yet to come. [The separation of the Lesser complex may present a field
challenge.] For a good treatment of Canada Goose subspecies (prior to the
release of this supplement), check Angus Wilson's web site at ...

         http://www.oceanwanderers.com/CAGO.Subspecies.html


3. The common name Mongolian Plover is now Lesser Sand-plover, to agree with
modern Old World literature.

4. Greater Sand-plover is added to the main checklist, based on the
record  from California.

5. The common name Spoonbill Sandpiper has been changed to Spoon-billed
Sandpiper.

6. The common name Jungle Nightjar has been changed to Gray Nightjar to
agree with modern Old World literature.

7. Willow Warbler has been moved from the Appendix and added to the main
checklist, based on the record from Gambell, AK.

8. Lesser Whitethroat is added to the checklist, based on the record from
Gambell, AK.

9. The common name of Siberian Flycatcher has been changed to Dark-sided
Flycatcher to agree with modern Old World literature.

10. The common name of Gray-spotted Flycatcher has been changed to
Gray-streaked Flycatcher to agree with modern Old World literature.

11. Spotted Flycatcher has been added to the checklist base on the record
from Gambell, AK.

12. The western Alaska subspecies of Yellow Wagtail has been split from the
Yellow Wagtail complex and now appears on the checklist as the Eastern
Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla tschutschensis). (This is the only "yellow"
wagtail on the AOU checklist.)

13. Rufous-tailed Robin has been added to the appendix (not the main
checklist) based on a record from Attu.

14. Blue Rock Thrush has been added to the appendix (not the main
checklist) based on a record from British Columbia.

15. There are numerous changes to scientific names.