Larry and Idaho Birders,

The changes in the sequence of bird families is not temporary—it is permanent (at least until next year!) because of changes in the North American bird checklist made by the Committee on Classification and Nomenclature of the American Ornithological Society.

I am attaching my (somewhat critical) commentary on this change below. It was originally made as a comment on a blog entry by Harry Fuller, well-known Oregon bird blogger. Birders, feel free to take potshots either at me or at the AOS Committee if you like!

Wayne C. Weber

Delta, BC, Canada

contopus@telus.net

(Occasional visitor to Idaho, but

long-time member of this group)

________________________________________________________________

Actually, Harry, there have been major changes in the sequence of songbirds, which you seem to have overlooked. Finches now come immediately after waxwings, before warblers and sparrows. The warblers now come AFTER sparrows and blackbirds, and the cardinals and grosbeaks (including North American “tanagers”) now come after the warblers and immediately before weaver finches.. Sheesh!!

The change in the checklist sequence of families this year is the biggest one I have ever seen, but there are some changes every year. Sadly, I do not see any likelihood of this sequence stabilizing anytime soon. The sequence in which families and orders of birds are placed is supposed to reflect evolutionary history, but it is far more arbitrary and based on guesswork than the sequence within a family.

Like you, I groaned when I saw the new sequence. Even though I am a professional ornithologist, I get tired of the never-ending changes in sequence. It will take awhile till I get used to the new sequence, and until then, it will take me longer to fill out eBird checklists because I will be looking for some species.

Incorporating the latest research findings into the North American (and other) bird checklists may be important to the few ornithologists who study evolutionary biology, but the annual changes in sequence are a pain in the butt to amateur birders and to everyone who compiles a local bird checklist or fills out checklists in eBird. For my money, the checklist committee ought to revise the checklist only once every 5 years or so, and give us as chance to get used to the checklist changes before they turn everything upside down again.

From: ible@yahoogroups.com [mailto:ible@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of LARRY ARNOLD larnold47@cableone.net [ible]
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2018 1:33 PM
To: IBLE
Subject: [IBLE] eBird phylo ???

Just since yesterday’s entries, the ordering of bird groups (families, etc.) looks wacko!!

I had to go looking for raptors of all things……

Does anyone know if this is temporary whilst they juggle for a few days, or is this now the order of things avian?

Very strange!

Thanks in advance for any insight,

Larry

—

Thank you, Zeke!
I know we go through this annually, but I don’t recall so much *chaos* in the ordering of families! Egadz!
Shuffling within a family is one thing, but this is crazy stuff. At one point, House Sparrows were spliced into the middle of the list, and mallards were “rarities” all everywhere! (reference other state listservs)
Hoping that when the dust settles we’ll see something akin to what we’re used to seeing, eh?
Larry

—– Original Message —–

From: “Zeke Watkins”
To: “LARRY ARNOLD” , “IBLE”
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2018 8:14:29 AM
Subject: Re: [IBLE] eBird phylo ???

Larry and IBLE,

The annual eBird Taxonomy update is underway and will take a few days for the bugs to be worked out. It should normalize in a day or so. For more information please see: 2018 eBird taxonomy update—IN PROGRESS! – eBird

2018 eBird taxonomy update—IN PROGRESS! – eBird
By Team eBird
The annual eBird taxonomy update IS IN PROGRESS (Tuesday, 14 August). Some records have been changed already in …

Not All Who Wander Are Lost.

Zeke Watkins
Hailey, Idaho
208-731-1471
scottywarbler@yahoo.com

From: “LARRY ARNOLD larnold47@cableone.net [ible]”
To: IBLE
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2018 4:17 PM
Subject: [IBLE] eBird phylo ???

Just since yesterday’s entries, the ordering of bird groups (families, etc.) looks wacko!!
I had to go looking for raptors of all things……

Does anyone know if this is temporary whilst they juggle for a few days, or is this now the order of things avian?

Very strange!

Thanks in advance for any insight,
Larry

—

Larry and IBLE,
The annual eBird Taxonomy update is underway and will take a few days for the bugs to be worked out. It should normalize in a day or so. For more information please see: 2018 eBird taxonomy update—IN PROGRESS! – eBird 

|
| |
2018 eBird taxonomy update—IN PROGRESS! – eBird
By Team eBird The annual eBird taxonomy update IS IN PROGRESS (Tuesday, 14 August). Some records have been changed already in … | |

|

Not All Who Wander Are Lost.

Zeke Watkins
Hailey, Idaho
208-731-1471  
scottywarbler@yahoo.com

From: “LARRY ARNOLD larnold47@cableone.net [ible]”
To: IBLE
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2018 4:17 PM
Subject: [IBLE] eBird phylo ???

 
Just since yesterday’s entries, the ordering of bird groups (families, etc.) looks wacko!! I had to go looking for raptors of all things…… Does anyone know if this is temporary whilst they juggle for a few days, or is this now the order of things avian?
Very strange!
Thanks in advance for any insight,Larry  
—

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Just since yesterday’s entries, the ordering of bird groups (families, etc.) looks wacko!!
I had to go looking for raptors of all things……
Does anyone know if this is temporary whilst they juggle for a few days, or is this now the order of things avian?

Very strange!

Thanks in advance for any insight,
Larry

—

A few photos to peek at =)
Larry

From: texbirds-bounce@freelists.org [mailto:texbirds-bounce@freelists.org] On Behalf Of Justin Bosler
Sent: Monday, August 13, 2018 9:49 AM
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist
Subject: [texbirds] Hybrid Lucifer x Black-chinned Hummingbird, Davis Mountains Preserve

Texbirds,

One of the many highlights from the Open Weekend (10-12 August) at the Davis Mountains Preserve, in Jeff Davis County, was the hummingbird spectacle at the McIvor Visitor Center feeders. Among the 6-7 species of hummingbirds present in the hour that Devin Bosler and I spent ogling the feeding frenzy, we located this apparent adult male Lucifer x Black-chinned Hummingbird:

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47794659

Michael Gray has incredible photos of a similar looking bird from Kelly Bryan’s place the day before! He may post them on one of the Facebook birding pages.

For those of you who were lucky enough to see this spectacular bird and use eBird, I have requested that eBird Central add this hybrid option to the official species checklist ahead of the annual Taxonomic update occurring tomorrow. I/ we may be too late to get that added this year, but hopefully it’ll be available in the near future.

Good birding!

Justin Bosler

Austin, TX

Saw this bird at my feeder this morning with the evening grosbeaks. It was acting more aggressive than the other birds. Sorry about the blurry photo.. It was predawn hours and a long lens. I assume it is just a weird color morph. Any other thoughts?
Dan Richards
New Meadows, ID

Conditions at Camas NWR (Jefferson County) are fantastic for shorebirds. Toomey Pond (at the south end of the auto route) is one big mud flat. There are hundreds of Ibis (including young birds with really short bills), and various shorebird species. I had 15 species today, including several super close Solitary Sandpipers. Also, there are still at least 2 Blue Grosbeaks in the area.

Darren Clark
Rexburg, ID

I always enjoy the postings about hummers! I believe that peak southbound
migration through Ada County and through the South Hills near Twin is during
late July through mid-August, based primarily on sugar-water consumption.
Might be similar for the feeders at Silver City in Owyhee County..?

Our usual peak is 20+ hums fussing over our 10 feeders, mostly Black-chins
with an occasional Rufous and Calliope. During the winter of 2015-16, we
had a peak of 4 Anna’s, and we know this because Heidi and Jessica had come
over for banding. =) I really miss the Broad-tails we had in western
Colorado, and of course all those SE Arizona specialties.

This is the time of year that Ospreys, Collared-doves, and Screech-owls are
doing a lot of yipping and hollering in our hood. I’m thinking it has to do
with fledged birds on the loose, eh?

Larry

Boise

Just some of the thousands of Bank Swallows near the Springfield Fish Hatchery this afternoon.

Kit

Kit Struthers
Idaho Falls, ID
kit619@centurylink.net

Hundreds of them on the wires, in the trees and flying around today at Springfield Ponds. Then thousands of them near the Springfield Fish Hatchery—on the power lines, on the road and flying around over the water. Fall migration starting?

Kit

Kit Struthers
Idaho Falls, ID
kit619@centurylink.net