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 It was originally made as a comment on a blog entry by Harry Fuller, well-known Oregon bird blogger.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)

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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

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