Aves—A Taxonomy in Flux: Recent Changes

The information below includes the date and a brief description of each significant change, a link to the relevant page, and that page's new version number. Neither minor spelling corrections nor additions to the references are noted on this page.

Archives of ‘What's New’ Items

The updates for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 have been archived separately.

2014 Additions and Subtractions

Based on scientific names.

Discoveries and Splits (88)

Taiwan Bamboo-Partridge, Bambusicola sonorivox
Mexican Hermit, Phaethornis mexicanus
Blue-bearded Helmetcrest, Oxypogon cyanolaemus
White-bearded Helmetcrest, Oxypogon lindenii
Buffy Helmetcrest, Oxypogon stuebelii
Falkland Cormorant, Phalacrocorax albiventer
Aztec Rail, Rallus tenuirostris
Clapper Rail, Rallus crepitans
Ridgway's Rail, Rallus obsoletus
Black-backed Swamphen, Porphyrio indicus
Australasian Swamphen, Porphyrio melanotus
Gray-headed Swamphen, Porphyrio poliocephalus
Philippine Swamphen, Porphyrio pulverulentus
Spot-tailed Jacamar, Galbula rufoviridis
Tres Marias Amazon, Amazona tresmariae
Panama Amazon, Amazona panamensis
Southern Red-bellied Pitta, Erythropitta macklotii
White-tailed Tityra, Tityra leucura
Pale-green Tyrannulet, Oncostoma pallens
Acre Tody-Tyrant, Oncostoma cohnhafti
Coopmans's Tyrannulet, Zimmerius minimus
Chico's Tyrannulet, Zimmerius chicomendesi
White-rumped Sirystes, Sirystes albocinereus
Todd's Sirystes, Sirystes subcanescens
Choco Sirystes, Sirystes albogriseus
Negro Stipple-throated Antwren, Epinecrophylla pyrrhonota
Madeira Stipple-throated Antwren, Epinecrophylla amazonica
Predicted Antwren, Herpsilochmus praedictus
Aripuana Antwren, Herpsilochmus stotzi
Bicolored Antbird, Gymnopithys bicolor
Riparian Antbird, Cercomacroides fuscicauda
Manicore Warbling-Antbird, Hypocnemis rondoni
Bahian Mouse-colored Tapaculo, Scytalopus gonzagai
Dusky Leaftosser, Sclerurus obscurior
Andean Leaftosser, Sclerurus andinus
Amazonian Leaftosser, Sclerurus macconnelli
Duida Woodcreeper, Lepidocolaptes duidae
Inambari Woodcreeper, Lepidocolaptes fatimalimae
Rondonia Woodcreeper, Lepidocolaptes fuscicapillus
Layard's Woodcreeper, Lepidocolaptes layardi
Cryptic Treehunter, Cichlocolaptes mazarbarnetti
Viti Levu Honeyeater, Foulehaio procerior
Vanua Levu Honeyeater, Foulehaio taviunensis
Bougainville Whistler, Pachycephala richardsi
Louisiade Whistler, Pachycephala collaris
Rossell Whistler, Pachycephala rosseliana
Rennell Whistler, Pachycephala feminina
Santa Cruz Whistler, Pachycephala vanikorensis
Timor Whistler, Pachycephala calliope
Wetar Whistler, Pachycephala arthuri
Babar Whistler, Pachycephala sharpei
Black-backed Butcherbird, Cracticus mentalis
Silver-backed Butcherbird, Cracticus argenteus
Red-fronted Greenlet, Tunchiornis rubrifrons
Central American Vireo, Vireo notius
Western Warbling-Vireo, Vireo swainsoni
Chivi Vireo, Vireo chivi
Campina Jay, Cyanocorax hafferi
Oriental Magpie, Pica bottanensis
Chestnut-bellied Tit, Sittiparus castaneoventris
Iriomote Tit, Sittiparus olivaceus
Western Subalpine Warbler, Curruca inornata
Siberian Whitethroat, Curruca blythi
Steppe Whitethroat, Curruca halimodendri
Stolzmann's Whitethroat, Curruca margelanica
Yunnan Parrotbill, Sinosuthora ricketti
Kivu White-eye, Zosterops reichenowi
Maputaland Scrub Robin, Tychaedon tongensis
Thicket Flycatcher, Ficedula luzoniensis
Rio Negro Gnatcatcher, Polioptila facilis
Inambari Gantcatcher, Polioptila attenboroughi
Para Gnatcatcher, Polioptila paraensis
Wakatobi Flowerpecker, Dicaeum kuehni
Gosling's Bunting, Emberiza goslingi
Guadalupe Junco, Junco insularis
Choco Brush-Finch, Atlapetes crassus
Taczanowski's Brush-Finch, Atlapetes taczanowskii
Chapman's Yellow-billed Cacique, Amblycercus australis
Western Yellow-rumped Cacique, Cacicus flavicrissus
Scarlet-rumped Cacique, Cacicus microrhynchus
Pacific Cacique, Cacicus pacificus
Northern Mountain-Cacique, Cacicus leucoramphus
Barbados Grackle, Quiscalus fortirostris
Black-eared Warbler, Basileuterus melanotis
Tacarcuna Warbler, Basileuterus tacarcunae
Yungas Warbler, Basileuterus punctipectus
Xingu Cardinal, Paroaria xinguensis
Grand Cayman Bullfinch, Melopyrrha taylori

Lumps (4)

White-throated Whistler, Pachycephala vitiensis
Long-tailed Pipit, Anthus longicaudatus
Kimberley Pipit, Anthus pseudosimilis
Spotted Great-Rosefinch, Carpodacus severtzovi

Comparison with IOC list, version 4.4

As of November 22, 2014, the TIF list contains 10748 species. The differences between the TIF and IOC lists involve around 240 species (93 species removed, 146 species added, compared to IOC 4.4). Of the 93 species on the IOC list that I have not included, about 75% are New World species that neither of the AOU committees has accepted. I will eventually reconsider both these and the extinct species. Adding all of the extras would bring the TIF list to 10841 species, 146 more than the current IOC list. Of those 146, 48 are on IOC's proposed or accepted split/new species list, 9 have been lumped on the IOC list, and 3 are extinct species not on the IOC list. This leaves 86 other splits or new species (some have previously been considered for addition to the IOC list).

IOC English Names

Although I started with the Howard-Moore list, I am now using the IOC list as a baseline. Every species gets an IOC-style name. That doesn't mean its the only name, or that it exactly matches the IOC name. Four percent of the species have two names. This usually happens because of differences between the IOC name and the AOU name (NACC or SACC). In such cases, I usually give the IOC name second. A few other non-IOC names have also been retained.

Some IOC-style names don't exactly match the true IOC name due to differences in taxonomy. For example, IOC recognizes two species of Laniisoma—Brazilian Laniisoma and Andean Laniisoma. In this case, I currently follow SACC taxonomy which has only one Laniisoma. However, their English name is entirely different (Shrike-like Cotinga). Keeping in mind that the species has been known as the Elegant Mourner, I added the IOC-ish English name Elegant Laniisoma.

The IOC-style names have been fully Americanized (gray, not grey; AOU-style hyphenation). I'm also a little more aggressive than AOU in adding hyphens to break up words that don't scan well. I'm also more aggressive than IOC at removing hyphens when they seem unnecessary. They may not always look the same, but they are pronounced the same.

Spreadsheets

Stephen Nawrocki has updated his enhanced excel spreadsheet of the TIF world list to Version 2.79. Numbering now matches the csv files.

Four lists are also available in csv format:

The ABA and AOU lists include only ABA or AOU species, but in TiF order. The South American list has a slightly different species list than the AOU SACC's working list.

November 2014

November 22

Based on the genetic analysis of García-R. and Trewick (2015) and the earlier papers by Sangster, 1998) and Sangster et al. (1999, the Purple Swamphen, Porphyrio porphyrio has been split into 5 species:

Western Swamphen, Porphyrio porphyrio,
Black-backed Swamphen, Porphyrio indicus, including viridis,
Gray-headed Swamphen, Porphyrio poliocephalus, including caspius and seistanicus,
Phillipine Swamphen, Porphyrio pulverulentus,
Australasian Swamphen, Porphyrio melanotus, including the remaining subspecies.

[Rallidae, Pelecanae I, 2.67]

I've made some additional comments on potential splits in the Wood-Wrens, such as the possible altitudinal split in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta analyzed by Caro et al. (2013).

[Troglodytidae, Certhioidea, 2.57a]

Based on Sánchez-González et al. (2015), the Choco Brush-Finch, Atlapetes crassus has been split from Tricolored Brush-Finch, Atlapetes tricolor, and Taczanowski's Brush-Finch, Atlapetes taczanowskii, has been split from Slaty Brush-Finch, Atlapetes schistaceus, Further, the Black-faced Brush-Finch, Atlapetes melanolaemus, has been repositioned. [Passerellidae, Core Passeroidea III, 2.68]

November 16

The names of several genera have been corrected based on the 4th edition Howard and Moore checklist (Dickinson and Christidis, 2014). Thanks go to Peter Kovalik for compiling a list of genus changes.

Arundinax Blyth, 1845 replaces Phragamaticola Jerdon, 1845
[Acrocephalidae, Paroidea & Sylvioidea I, 2.80]
Erythrogenys E.C.S. Baker, 1930 replaces Megapomatorhinus Moyle, Andersen, Oliveros, Steinheimer & Reddy, 2012
[Timaliidae, Sylvioidea III, 2.76]
Laniellus Swainson, 1832 replaces Crocias Temminck, 1836
[Leiothrichidae, Sylvioidea III, 2.76]
Chamaetylas Heine, 1860 replaces Pseudalethe Beresford, 2003
[Muscicapidae, Muscicapoidea II, 2.76]
Lepidopygia Reichenbach, 1862 replaces Lemuresthes Wolters, 1949
[Estrildidae, Core Passeroidea I, 2.60]

November 13

The temporary genus "Hylophilus" is replaced by Tunchiornis (Slager and Klicka, 2014b). This makes Tawny-crowned Greenlet Tunchiornis ochraceiceps and Red-fronted Greenlet Tunchiornis rubrifrons. [Vireonidae, Corvida I, 2.79]

October 2014

October 31

The CSV files have been updated to version 2.98.

October 29

I've made several name changes, both English and scientific, following the release of IOC 4.4.

The Malagasy Turtle-Dove, Nesoenas picturata, becomes Nesoenas picturatus, and the Rodrigues Pigeon, Nesoenas rodericana, becomes Nesoenas rodericanus
[Columbidae, Metaves I, 2.70]
The Blue-eared Barbet, Psilopogon duvaucelii, becomes the Yellow-eared Barbet, and Horsfield's Barbet, Psilopogon australis, becomes the Blue-eared Barbet
[Megalaimidae, Anomalogonates II, 2.73a]
The Costa Rican Warbler, Basileuterus melanotis, becomes the Black-eared Warbler, and the Bolivian Warbler, Basileuterus punctipectus, becomes the Yungas Warbler.
[Parulidae, Core Passeroidea IV, 2.67]
The alternate name of the Bay-winged Cowbird, Agelaioides badius, is now Grayish Baywing.
[Icteridae, Core Passeroidea IV, 2.67]

October 27

Sarothrura has been rearranged based on Livezey (1998).
[Sarothruridae, Pelecanae I, 2.66]

There have been numerous changes to the rails based on García-R. et al. (2014a), Subfamilies and tribes have been added and there are several genus changes. In brackets, I mention other genera that have been used for these species.

The Calayan Rail is now Gallirallus calayanensis, moved from Lewinia.
The Ash-throated Crake is now Mustelirallus albicollis, moved from Pardirallus [Porzana].
Cyanolimnas and Neocrex have been merged into Mustelirallus.
The Spot-flanked Gallinule is now Porphyriops melanops, moved from Porzana [Gallinula].
The Lesser Moorhen is now "Gallinula" angulata, moved from Gallinula.
The Black Crake is now Limnocorax flavirostra, moved from Zapornia [Amaurornis].
The Ruddy-breasted Crake is now Limnobaenus fuscus and Band-bellied Crake is Limnobaenus paykullii, both moved from Zapornia [Porzana].
The Black-banded Crake is Laterallus fasciatus, moved from Rufirallus [Porzana, Anurolimnas].
The Gray-breasted Crake is Limnocrex exilis, and White-throated Crake is Limnocrex albigularis, both moved from Laterallus.
The Inaccessible Island Rail, Atlantisia rogersi, has been returned to its own genus from Creciscus.

[Rallidae, Pelecanae I, 2.66]

October 22

I have integrated Nagy and Tökölyi (2014) into the discussion of Acciptridae. This lead to a comprehensive reexamination of Acciptiridae, culminating in a complete species tree. Parts of it remain a bit hypothetical, but much of it is fairly solid. The subfamily and tribal structure has been altered a bit. The Hieraspizinae have been demoted to a tribe and merged into the now-recognized Melieraxini (Accipitrinae). Harpaginae has also been demoted into a tribe with Buteoninae. The milvine kites and sea eagles are recognized as tribe Milvini (Buteoninae). The crested goshawks have been promoted to a subfamily, Lophospizinae.

Additionally, Asturina has been merged into Buteo and several African sparrowhawks have been separated from Tachyspiza as Aerospiza. Finally, there are a number of minor reorderings.
[Accipitridae, Accipitrimorphae, 2.60]

October 15

The order within Ficedula now follows Moyle et al. (2015), which corrected some problems in Outlaw and Voelker (2006a). Also, I have accepted the split of the Philippine subspecies of the Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Ficedula hyperythra. It turns out they are only distantly related to the nominate. Although not all subspecies were sampled, it seems likely that the non-Philippine subspecies form one clade, and the Phillipine subspecies another. The Phillipine group is recognized as a separate species, Ficedula luzoniensis. The English name presents something of a problem. Philippine Snowy-browed Flycatcher has been suggested, but is a poor choice as they are far from being sister species, and moreover, some of the Philippine subspecies lack the white brow. An alternate name for the Snow-bellied complex is Thicket Flycatcher, and I have pressed that into service for Ficedula luzoniensis.
[Muscicapidae, Muscicapoidea II, 2.75]

October 9

The position of Tschudi's Woodcreeper, Xiphorhynchus chunchotambo, has been adjusted based on Sousa-Neves et al. (2013).
[Furnariidae, Furnariida II, 2.76]

Gutiérrez-Pinto et al. (2012) found that the Santa Marta Warbler, formerly Basileuterus basilicus, belongs in Myiothlypis as Myiothlypis basilica. (I had overlooked this previously.)
[Parulidae, Core Passeroidea IV, 2.66]

October 1

The CSV files have been updated to version 2.97.

September 2014

September 30

The Falconidae have been rearranged based on Fuchs et al. (2015). They found that the two species of Polihierax are not closely related, with the Pygmy Falcon closer to Microhierax and the White-rumped Falcon nearer Falco. Accordingly, the White-rumped Falcon is placed in the monotypic genus Neohierax (Swann, 1922). To further emphasize the deep division here, I've recognized two tribes within Falconinae: Polihieracini and Falconini.
[Falconidae, Falconiformes & Psittaciformes, 2.76]

The Cotingidae have been rearranged based on Berv and Prum (2014). The genus Perissocephalus merged into Cephalopterus and Tijuca has been merged into Lipaugus. I've also adjusted the subfamily structure and added tribes within Cotinginae.
[Cotingidae, Tyrannida I, 2.60]

September 15

I've adjusted the position of Doria's Goshawk, Megatriorchis doriae, and of Henicopernis based on Barrowclough et al. (2014). Further, Erythrotriorchis may eventually need to be submerged into Tachyspiza.

The repositioning of Henicopernis allows me to separate Gypaetinae (African Vultures and Harrier-Hawks) and Perninae (Bazas, Honey-Buzzards, and allies).
[Accipitridae, Accipitrimorphae, 2.60]

Due to a deep genetic division found by Joseph et al. (2014a), all but three Meliphaga have been moved to Microptilotis (Mathews 1912, type gracilis), even though all but the three streaked species (albilineatus, fordianus and reticulatus) are very similar to the three Meliphaga.
[Meliphagidae, Basal Oscines, 2.69]

September 3

The CSV files have been updated to version 2.96.

Based on Maurício et al. (2014), the Bahian Mouse-colored Tapaculo, Scytalopus gonzagai, has been split from the Mouse-colored Tapaculo, Scytalopus speluncae. For now, the latter takes the name Common Mouse-colored Tapaculo. This may change once the SACC decides on proposal #643. I've also slightly adjusted the position of the Rock Tapaculo to better conform to Mata et al. (2009).
[Rhinocryptidae, Furnariida II, 2.75]

August 2014

August 24

Based on Bravo et al. (2014), Myrmochanes has been submerged into Myrmotherula, and Stymphalornis has been submerged into Formicivora. Epinecrophylla and Myrmotherula have been rearranged. As Myrmopagis proved paraphyletic, it has been divided into Myrmopagis, Myrmopagis2, and Myrmopagis3. Finally, Ihering's Antwren, Myrmopagis iheringi (aka Myrmotherula iheringi) and Narrow-billed Antwren, Formicivora iheringi have been placed in Neorhopias. Since F. iheringi has priority, M. iheringi takes a new name, based on the subspecies heteropterus. This may be split (see Miranda et al., 2013), in which case the new subspecies name oreni would be promoted. Note that N. h. iheringi needs a new name, but it would be at the bottom of the priority list.
[Thamnophilidae, Furnariida I, 2.68]

August 23

The English name of Psilopogon chersonesus has been changed to the IOC name, Turquoise-throated Barbet (was Kra Barbet).
[Megalaimidae, Anomalogonates II, 2.73a]

August 17

The Oreoicinae and Cinclosomatinae have been promoted to families, and Falcunculidae has been separated from Cinclosomatidae. The jewel-babblers have been moved to Cinclosomatidae from Psophodidae (it was an error to not move them earlier). These three families and Pachycephalidae are grouped as the superfamily Pachycephaloidea.
[Oreoicidae, Corvida I, 2.78]
[Falcunculidae, Corvida I, 2.78]
[Cinclosomatidae, Corvida I, 2.78]
[Pachycephalidae, Corvida I, 2.78]
[Psophodidae, Corvida I, 2.78]

Slager et al. (2014) has prompted a number of changes in the Vireonidae. The Vireos have been rearranged and subfamilies have been added. The Golden Vireo moves to Pachysylvia. The Red-fronted Greenlet, "Hylophilus" rubrifrons, has been split from Tawny-crowned Greenlet, "Hylophilus" ochraceiceps. The Central American Vireo, Vireo notius (inc. montanus), has been split from Plumbeous Vireo, Vireo plumbeus, and Warbling Vireo, Vireo gilvus, has been split into the monotypic Eastern Warbling-Vireo, Vireo gilvus, and Western Warbling-Vireo, Vireo swainsoni. The text also includes discussion of some potential additional splits.
[Vireonidae, Corvida I, 2.78]

August 11

The Troupials have been reordered based on Powell et al. (2014).
[Icteridae, Core Passeroidea IV, 2.65]

August 4

After some consideration, the Rallus rails have been reordered. I've also added a table to clarify which subspecies of the Clapper/King complex have been genetically tested. Finally, I take note of some unassigned members of the complex from southern Central America.
[Rallidae, Pelecanae I, 2.65]

The Black-backed Butcherbird, Cracticus mentalis, and Silver-backed Butcherbird, Cracticus argenteus, have been resplit from Gray Butcherbird, Cracticus torquatus, based on Kearns et al. (2014).
[Artamidae, Corvida I, 2.77]

July 2014

July 31

The CSV files have been updated to version 2.95.

To better match the changes to the AOU list, several English names have been slightly modified. The Black-Hawks are now Black Hawks, and the primary and alternate English names of both Thalassarche cauta and Lonchura punctulata have been switched.
[Accipitridae, Accipitrimorphae, 2.59c]
[Diomedeidae, Pelecanae II, 2.75a]
[Estrildidae, Core Passeroidea I, 2.59a]

July 30

The often-used name Peristerinae (Reichenbach, 1850) is not available for the American Ground-Doves as it is based on the genus Peristera (Swainson 1827), which is a junior homonym of the mollusc genus Peristera (Rafinesque 1815). The genus Peristera (Swainson 1827) was replaced by Claravis (Oberholser 1899). Richmond then used it to establish the subfamily Claravinae in 1917. I've replaced Peristerinae by Claravinae. Thanks to Norbert Bahr for pointing this out.
[Columbidae, Metaves I, 2.69a]

Based on Maley (2012) and Maley and Brumfield (2013), King Rail, Rallus elegans, has been split into King Rail, Rallus elegans (elegans and ramsdeni), and the monotypic Aztec Rail, Rallus tenuirostris of central Mexico. Further, Clapper Rail, Rallus longirostris, has been split into Clapper Rail, Rallus crepitans, (Caribbean and eastern North America: crepitans, saturatus, waynei, scottii, insularum, pallidus, grossi, belizensis, coryi, leucophaeus, and caribaeus), Ridgway's Rail, Rallus obsoletus, (California and western Mexico: obsoletus, levipes, yumanensis, rhizophorae, and beldingi), and Mangrove Rail, Rallus longirostris, (South America: phelpsi, margaritae, pelodramus, longirostris, crassirostris, and cypereti).
[Rallidae, Pelecanae I, 2.64]

The Rio Negro Gnatcatcher, Polioptila facilis, and Para Gnatcatcher, Polioptila paraensis, are split from the Guianan Gnatcatcher, Polioptila guianensis. Also, the newly described Inambari Gantcatcher, Polioptila attenboroughi, is added to the list. See Whitney and Alonso (2005) and Whittaker et al. (2013). I also took the opportunity to rearrange the gnatcatchers a bit.
[Polioptilidae, Certhioidea, 2.57]

July 29

Based on McKay et al. (2014), the Chestnut-bellied Tit, Sittiparus castaneoventris, and Iriomote Tit, Sittiparus olivaceus, have been separated from Varied Tit, Sittiparus varius. The case for olivaceus is rather marginal. However, Owston's Tit, Sittiparus owstoni, was found to be embedded in the remaining portion of the varius complex and is not recognized, contra McKay et al. (2014).
[Paridae, Paroidea & Sylvioidea I, 2.79]

The scientific name of the Cape White-eye has been changed to Zosterops virens (was capensis). Without a first reviser action, both virens and capensis would have equal priority. I'm not sure whether Moreau (1957) was the first reviser, but he certaintly considered virens and capensis conspecific (as Z. virens) and Z. pallidus a separate species. (Both have often been subsumed in pallidus, which has priority over them.)
[Zosteropidae, Sylvioidea III, 2.75]

July 27

The Red-legged Cormorant is so genetically distant and so distinct that I have moved it to Poikilocarbo. For the rest of the cormorants, I wait to see if the Kennedy and Spencer recommendations (2014) gain any traction.
[Phalacrocoracidae, Pelecanae II, 2.75]

A reconsideration of Voelker et al. (2010b) led to a slight adjustment in the linear order for Laniarius. Further, the tree has finally been updated and the hyphens have been removed from the Sooty Boubous. Note that the split recommended by Nguembock (2014) has not been adopted at this time as the evidence presented is pretty weak (claimed clinal variation, ambiguous genetic distance, minuscule sample size).
[Malaconotidae, Corvida I, 2.76]

Long-tailed Pipit, Anthus longicaudatus, has been lumped into Buffy Pipit, Anthus vaalensis, and Kimberley Pipit, Anthus pseudosimilis, has been lumped into African Pipit, Anthus cinnamomeus. See Davies and Peacock (2014).
[Motacillidae, Core Passeroidea II, 2.67]

July 23

Based on d'Horta et al., (2013) the Dusky Leaftosser, Sclerurus obscurior has been split into three species: Dusky Leaftosser, Sclerurus obscurior (monotypic), Andean Leaftosser, Sclerurus andinus (monotypic), and Amazonian Leaftosser, Sclerurus macconnelli (peruvianus, macconnelli, and bahiae) See also SACC Proposal #603, which currently has 6 votes for subproposal B.
[Furnariidae, Furnariida II, 2.74]

July 22

The Ardeinae have been rearranged based on Zhou et al. (2014).
[Ardeidae, Pelecanae II, 2.74]

Based on Rodrigues et al. (2013) and SACC Proposal #620, the Lineated Woodcreeper, Lepidocolaptes albolineatus, has been is split into 5 species. The others are:

Duida Woodcreeper, Lepidocolaptes duidae;
Inambari Woodcreeper, Lepidocolaptes fatimalimae (new taxon);
Rondonia Woodcreeper, Lepidocolaptes fuscicapillus (includes madeirae);
Layard's Woodcreeper, Lepidocolaptes layardi.

[Furnariidae, Furnariida II, 2.73]

July 20

The bitterns have been rearranged based on Päckert et al. (2014). I've also added subfamilies to the Ardeidae.
[Ardeidae, Pelecanae II, 2.73]

July 19

The Taiwan Bamboo-Partridge, Bambusicola sonorivox, has been split from the Chinese Bamboo-Partridge, Bambusicola thoracicus. See Hung et al. (2014).
[Phasianidae, Galliformes, 2.69]

July 17

The distinctive Yunnan Parrotbill, Sinosuthora ricketti, has been split from the Brown-winged Parrotbill, Sinosuthora brunnea. See Yeung et al. (2011) for genetic support and Wright et al. (2014) for photos.
[Paradoxornithidae, Sylvioidea III, 2.74]

July 16

Based on Sun et al. (2014), Galloperdix has been moved to Polyplectronini.
[Phasianidae, Galliformes, 2.69]

July 15

I've added species trees for several Coraciiforme families: Bee-eaters (Meropidae), Todies (Todidae), Motmots (Momotidae), and part of the Kingfishers (Alcedinidae). As a consequence of this review, the Bee-eaters have been rearranged to better match Marks et al. (2007) and there have been some some minor adjustments to the Kingfishers.
[Coraciiformes, Anomalogonates I, 2.76]

I've also added species trees for the Jacamars (Galbulidae) and Puffbirds (Bucconidae). This led to some minor changes in the linear order for both the Jacamars and Puffbirds (Witt, 2004). Further, I have split the Spot-tailed Jacamar, Galbula rufoviridis (including heterogyna), from the Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Galbula ruficauda. See Witt (2004). [Galbuli, Anomalogonates II, 2.73]

July 13

Added the newly discovered (and possibly extinct) Cryptic Treehunter, Cichlocolaptes mazarbarnetti. See Mazar Barnett and Buzzetti (2014) and Claramunt (2014b).
[Furnariidae, Furnariida II, 2.72]

The White-tailed Tityra, Tityra leucura, was long known only from a single specimen collected in 1829 and was thought to be a form of Black-crowned Tityra, until its rediscovery by Whittaker in 2006. Whittaker (2008) makes the case that it is a separate species.
[Tityridae, Tyrannida I, 2.59]

Campina Jay, Cyanocorax hafferi, is a recent discovery, having been described by Cohn-Haft et al. (2013).
[Corvidae, Corvida II, 2.73]

The Grand Cayman Bullfinch, Melopyrrha taylori, has been split from the Cuban Bullfinch, Melopyrrha nigra (see Garrido et al., 2014). They differ in plumage, morphology, size, and song.
[Thraupidae, Core Passeroidea V, 2.75]

July 5

The gnateaters (Conopophagidae) have been rearranged based on Batalha-Filho et al. (2014).
[Conopophagidae, Furnariida I, 2.67]

July 4

The phylogeny of the Emberiza buntings has been updated based on Ren et al. (2014).
[Emberizidae, Core Passeroidea III, 2.67]

July 1

The cormorants have been rearranged somewhat based on Kennedy and Spencer (2014). Kennedy and Spencer (2014) also found that the King Cormorants from the Falklands are different from continental `albiventer' (labelled atriceps in the paper, and presumed a color morph). Because of this I treat the visually distinct King Cormorant of the Falklands as a separate species, Falkland Cormorant, Phalacrocorax albiventer (the type is from the Falklands).
[Phalacrocoracidae, Pelecanae II, 2.73]

June 2014

June 29

The CSV files have been updated to version 2.94.

Mangrove Reed-Warbler, Notiocichla avicenniae, has been moved ahead of the Eurasian Reed-Warbler, Notiocichla scirpacea. See Arbabi et al. (2014b).
[Acrocephalidae, Paroidea & Sylvioidea I, 2.78]

June 26

Hyliota has been moved to Parioidea (Barker, 2014; Alström et al., 2013) and Callaeoidea (Notiomystidae and Callaeidae) has been merged into Petroicoidea (Barker, 2014; Zuccon and Ericson, 2013). Note that Callaeoidea has priority over Petroicoidea.
[Notiomystidae, Basal Passerida, 2.56]
[Callaeidae, Basal Passerida, 2.56]
[Hylidae, Paroidea & Sylvioidea I, 2.77]

June 23

The American Tree Sparrow has been placed in the new genus Spizelloides (Slager and Klicka, 2014a).
[Passerellidae, Core Passeroidea III, 2.66]

June 22

Päckert et al. (2012b) and Wu et al. (2014) have prompted some minor rearrangement in Garrulax and Trochalopteron and an adjustment of the tree (but not linear order) in Ianthocincla.
[Leiothrichidae, Sylvioidea III, 2.73]

The treecreepers are now arranged as in Päckert (2012b).
[Certhiidae, Certhioidea, 2.56]

A tree has been added for the kinglets (Päckert 2009, 2012b), with no change in linear order.
[Regulidae, Reguloidea & Bombycilloidea, 2.52c]

June 21 (revised)

Kirwan (2007) argues that the white-breasted subspecies of Abyssinian White-eye ((Z. abyssinicus) are closely related. These include socotranus, arabs, and omoensis. Based on Cox et al. (2014), who included socotranus, and the yellow-breasted flavilateralis and jubaensis, the Abyssinian White-eye is two species: the white-breasted Abyssinian White-eye and the yellow-breasted Kenya White-eye (Z. flavilateralis) including jubaensis. These were already recognized on the TiF list, but the subspecies allocation was unclear. I've split Kivu White-eye (Z. reichenowi) from African Yellow White-eye (Zosterops senegalensis) and changed the English name of Zosterops stierlingi to Southern Yellow White-eye to reflect hypothesized species limits, which rather speculatively include the senegalensis races kasaicus, heinrichi, quanzae, anderssoni, and tongensis. This means that the African Yellow White-eye, Zosterops senegalensis, is assumed to include demeryi, gerhardi, toroensis, stuhlmanni. Cox et al. found that jacksoni groups with senegalensis. Finally, The Montane White-eye, Zosterops poliogastrus is assumed to include kaffensis and kulalensis (although I have doubts about the latter). I take no position on eurycricotus.

This has been revised as comments on BirdForum brought Kirwan (2007) to my attention.
[Zosteropidae, Sylvioidea III, 2.72a]

June 20

Oriental Magpie, Pica bottanensis, including andersoni and serica has been split from Eurasian Magpie, Pica pica based on Lee et al. (2003), Kryukov et al. (2004), Haring et al. (2007a), and Zhang et al. (2012). The race camtschatica remains in Eurasian Magpie.
[Corvidae, Corvida II, 2.72]

June 18

Although the Moas and Elephant Birds are not part of the main TiF list, a genus-level phylogeny of both is given in the tree diagram. The Moa tree is based on Bunce et al. (2009).
[Paleognaths, 2.55]

June 16

Based on a reconsidereation of Barker and Lanyon (2000) and Moyle (2004), the Toucan-barbets are now treated as sister to the Toucans, even though there is some uncertainty about this.
[Semnornithidae, Piciformes, 2.72]

June 13

The monotypic Riparian Antbird, Cercomacroides fuscicauda has been split from the Blackish Antbird, Cercomacroides nigrescens. See Mayer et al. (2014) and Tello et al. (2014).
[Thamnophilidae, Furnariida I, 2.66]

The Three-striped Warbler, Basileuterus tristriatus, has been split into four species:

Costa Rican Warbler, Basileuterus melanotis, including chitrensis.
Tacarcuna Warbler, Basileuterus tacarcunae (monotypic).
Three-striped Warbler, Basileuterus tristriatus, including pariae, bessereri, meridanus, auricularis, daedalus, baezae, as well as undescribed forms from San Lucas and southern Peru.
Bolivian Warbler, Basileuterus punctipectus, including inconspicuus and canens.

The split is based on Donegan (2014a) and Gutiérrez-Pinto et al. (2012).

[parulidae, Core Passeroidea IV, 2.64]

June 12

The spelling of the tribe Pulsatrigini has been corrected to Pulsatricini.
[Strigidae, Anomalogonates I, 2.75a]

June 9

I've switched to the Ornelas et al. (2009) arrangement of the trogons. Note that Pharomachrus has also been rearranged, and the order has been tweaked in a couple of other places.
[Trogonidae, Anomalogonates I, 2.75]

June 7

The Wakatobi Flowerpecker, Dicaeum kuehni, has been split from Gray-sided Flowerpecker, Dicaeum celebicum, based on Kelly et al. (2014). The two differ in plumage, and mitochondrial DNA differs by over 2.5% (2.53-2.83% for COI). The DNA separation is in a range that offen indicates species status. Moreover, there are noticable plumage and morphological differences as documented by Kelly et al., (2014). To me, this combination justifies the split. See the text for further comments on barcoding thresholds.
[Dicaeidae, Basal Passeroidea, 2.76]

June 6

There have been some minor changes in the order of the Acrocephalidae based on Arbabi et al. (2014a). Note that the Thick-billed Warbler is now placed in Phragamaticola. Also, the genus name Titiza Billberg, 1828 replaces Calamodus Kaup, 1829 for priority reasons. Both have the same type: schoenobaenus.
[Acrocephalidae, Paroidea & Sylvioidea I, 2.76]

I've included 3 subfamilies for Cettiidae: Erythrocercinae, Scotocercinae, and Cettiinae.
[Cettiidae, Sylvioidea II, 2.71a]

The Socotra Bunting, Emberiza socotrana, has been repositioned based on Schweizer and Kirwan (2014).
[Emberizidae, Core Passeroidea III, 2.65]

June 3

The megapods have been rearranged based on a multi-gene analysis of all 22 taxa by Harris et al. (2014b).
[Megapodiidae, Galliformes, 2.68]

Based on Gibb et al. (2013), I've separated the ibises and spoonbills at ordinal level (Plataleiformes) and made some rearrangement of the Aequornithes.
[Threskiornithidae, Pelecanae II, 2.72]

Oressochen (Bannister 1870) replaces Andichenodes (Boetticher 1950) due to priority.
[Anatidae, Paleognaths & Anseriformes, 2.64a]

June 2

There have been a number of changes to the duck family. The Andean Goose has moved to Andichenodes from Chloephaga and the remaining Chloephaga have been rearranged. See McCracken et al. (2010) and Bulgarella et al. (2014). The Steamer-ducks (Tachyeres) and basal Anatidae have been rearranged based on Fulton et al. (2012). Branta, Tadorna, and Aythya have been rearranged based on Gonzalez et al. (2009). Salvadori's Teal has been moved to an indeterminate position at the end. Kear (1975) made the case it is not in Anas, but could not pin down its true affinities. Querquedula and Punanetta have been merged in Spatula, as in Dickinson and Remsen (2013 = H&M-4). Finally, the arrangement of Anas itself has been modified based on Lavretsky et al. (2014).
[Anatidae, Paleognaths & Anseriformes, 2.64]

May 2014

May 30

The CSV files have been updated to version 2.93.

May 28

Following IOC I have split Tres Marias Amazon, Amazona tresmariae from Yellow-headed Amazon, Amazona oratrix. Based on the available phylogenies, this implies that the Panama Amazon, Amazona panamensis should also be separated from Yellow-headed Amazon, Amazona oratrix. I have done so.
[Psittacidae, Falconiformes & Psittaciformes, 2.75]

May 27

Following SACC and Howard and Moore 4th ed., I have split the Psittacidae into two families: Psittacidae and Psittaculidae, bringing the family total to 246.
[Psittacidae, Falconiformes & Psittaciformes, 2.74]
[Psittaculidae, Falconiformes & Psittaciformes, 2.74]

The Vireonidae have been rearranged based on Battey (2014). Tepui Greenlet, Hylophilus sclateri, becomes Tepui Vireo / Tepui Greenlet, Vireo sclateri. The remaining Hylophilus has been split into three pieces: Hylophilus, "Hylophilus", and Pachysylvia.

Also, I have split the South American Chivi Vireo, Vireo chivi from Red-eyed Vireo. Battey (2014) sampled Red-eyed Vireos from 6 locations and 18 Chivi Vireos and found that they are not sister taxa.
[Vireonidae, Corvida I, 2.75]

May 26

I have done a partial refresh of the TiF essay and included a new section on Mesozoic birds.
[TiF essay: Introduction, Version 2.9]
[TiF Essay: Mesozoic Birds, Version, 2.9]

May 25

The White-bellied Spinetail becomes Mazaria propinqua. It had been Schoeniophylax propinquus. See Claramunt (2014a).
[Furnariidae, Furnariida II, 2.71]

May 22

Using ancient DNA, Mitchell et al. (2014) confirmed that the elephant birds are sister to the kiwis. As a result, I have included a tree that includes extinct paleognath families. Note that is not a change of any sort, as it is identical to the text-based tree I have used for the paleognaths for several years.
[Paleognaths, Paleognaths and Anseriformes, 2.63a]

Abrornis and Rhadina have been separated from Phylloscopus; Pindalus, Pycnosphrys, "Pycnosphrys", Acanthopneuste, and Cryptigata have been separated from Seicercus, based on a combination of genetic distance from Johanssen et al. (2007a) and plumage characteristics (HBW-11). For more, see
[Phylloscopidae, Sylvioidea II, 2.71]

May 21

A tree based on Sprengelmeyer (2014) has been added to the loon account. There is no change in the linear order.
[Gaviidae, Pelecanae II, 2.71a]

Copsychini has been rearranged a bit based on Voelker et al. (2014). The genera Saxicoloides, Trichixos, and Kittacincla have been separated from Copsychus. Also, the Maputaland Scrub Robin, Tychaedon tongensis, has been split from the Brown Scrub-Robin, Tychaedon signata. See Ribeiro et al. (2014).
[Muscicapidae, Muscicapoidea II, 2.74]

May 17

The Pternistis spurfowls have been rearranged based on the almost complete phylogeny by Mandiwana-Neudani et al. (2014).
[Phasianidae, Galliformes, 2.67]

May 16

Raty, in another BirdForum post, found that Trewick and Kirchman used quite different DNA for Megacrex. One of the birds is probably mislabelled. Given the DNA of Trewick's bird is almost identical to other DNA of Gallirallus lafresnayanus, it is probably Trewick who is wrong. Accordingly, Megacrex inepta is placed sister to the Poliolimnas-Amaurornis clade.
[Rallidae, Pelecanae I, 2.63]

May 15

The name Creciscus (Cabanis 1857, type jamaicensis) has priority over Atlantisia.
[Rallidae, Pelecanae I, 2.62a]

May 14

Laurent Raty's post on BirdForum has led to reconsider the available literature on the Rallidae. As a result, I've made a number of changes.

Canirallus has moved to Sarothruridae
Megacrex has been merged into Gallirallus
Atlantisia expanded to include black rails
The Ash-throated Crake moved from Porzana to Pardirallus
The Speckled Rail moved from Coturnicops to Atlantisia
The Dot-winged Crake moved from Porzana to Atlantisia
The Galapagos and Black Rails moved from Laterallus to Atlantisia
The Spot-flanked Gallinule moved from Porphyriops to Porzana

[Rallidae, Pelecanae I, 2.62]

May 10

Based on Sigurdsson and Cracraft (2014), I have slightly adjusted the Nightjar tree and restored the genus Podager.
[Caprimulgidae, Strisores, 2.60]

May 9

The spelling of Donegan's Ortalidaini has been corrected to Ortalisini (David, Zootaxa 2016).
[Phasianidae, Galliformes, 2.66a]

The English name of Western Sirystes has been changed to Choco Sirystes / Western Sirystes to include current SACC usage.
[Tyrannidae, Tyrannida II, 2.66b]

May 3

The CSV files have been updated to version 2.92.

Based on Irestedt et al. (2013), the Red-bellied Pitta, Erythropitta erythrogaster, has been split into Northern Red-bellied Pitta, Erythropitta erythrogaster, and Southern Red-bellied Pitta, Erythropitta macklotii.
[Pittidae, Passeriformes I, 2.54]

The recent paper by Klicka et al. (2014) has led to some changes in the Passerellidae. Except for Atlepetes, which gets its first comprehensive phylogeny, most of the changes are minor. The Yellow-green Chlorospingus, Chlorospingus flavovirens, returns to the tanagers. The Guadalupe Junco, Junco insularis, has been split from J. hyemalis (it is actually sister to hyemalis + phaeonotus) and Melozone has been merged into Aimophilia. As for Atlapetes, it absorbs Pselliophorus and gets thoroughly rearranged.
[Passerellidae, Core Passeroidea III, 2.64]
[Thraupidae, Core Passeroidea III, 2.74]

May 2

The English name of the Upper Magdalena Tapaculo, Scytalopus rodriguezi, has been changed to Magdalena Tapaculo following SACC. (SACC #614)
[Rhinocryptidae, Furnariida II, 2.70s]

April 2014

April 30

I've made a number of changes in the hummingbirds. There is one split: Mexican Hermit, Phaethornis mexicanus, is spilt from Long-billed Hermit, Phaethornis longirostris. See Howell (2013), and Arbeláz-Cortés and Navarro-Sigüenza (2013).

The rest of the changes are due to the recent analysis of the hummingbirds by McGuire et al. (2014). Various genera and species have been moved around, for a net loss of 2 genera (7 lost, 5 added). This involves the following changes:

Anthracothorax has been merged into Eulampis.
Loddigesia has been merged into Eriocnemis. This causes a name conflict as two species are mirabilis. The Marvelous Spatuletail gets to keep the name, and the Colorful Puffleg needs a new name. As none is available, I refer to it as Eriocnemis "mirabilis" for now.
Clytolaema has been merged into Heliodoxa.
Philodice and Nesophlox have been separated from Calliphlox, which is left with a single species.
Atthis has been merged into Selasphorus.
Part of Campylopterus has been separated as Platystylopterus.
Two Leucippus have been separated as Thaumasius.
One Leucippus has been separated as Talaphorus.
The Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird moved to Saucerottia from Amazilia.
The Sapphire-spangled Emerald moved to Hylocharis from Juliamyia.
Cyanophaia and Cynanthus have been merged into Chlorostilbon.
The remaining Juliamyia have been merged into Chlorestes.

[Trochilidae, Apodiformes, 2.69]

April 29

The CSV files have been updated to version 2.91a.

The scientific name of Golden-backed Whistler has been corrected to Pachycephala dahli, which has priority over Pachycephala aurea and the scientific name of Santa Cruz Whistler has been corrected to Pachycephala vanikorensis, which has priority over Pachycephala utupuae. Finally, Pachycephala vitiensis is now used as advertised.
[Pachycephalidae, Corvida I, 2.74a]

The nuthatches have been rearranged based on Pasquet et al. (2014).
[Sittidae, Certhioidea, 2.55]

April 27

The CSV files have been updated to version 2.91.

Bearded Helmetcrest, Oxypogon guerinii is split into Green-bearded Helmetcrest, Oxypogon guerinii, Blue-bearded Helmetcrest, Oxypogon cyanolaemus, White-bearded Helmetcrest, Oxypogon lindenii, and Buffy Helmetcrest, Oxypogon stuebelii based on Collar and Salaman (2013). Other hummingbird changes are under consideration.
[Trochilidae, Apodiformes, 2.68]

The Procellariidae have been restructured based on Gangloff et al., (2012) and Welch et al. (2014). Further, the St. Helena Petrel has been moved to Pterodroma from Pseudobulweria.
[Procellariidae, Pelecanae II, 2.71]

Stipple-throated Antwren, Epinecrophylla haematonota is split into Napo Stipple-throated Antwren, Epinecrophylla haematonota, Negro Stipple-throated Antwren, Epinecrophylla pyrrhonota, and Madeira Stipple-throated Antwren, Epinecrophylla amazonica based on Whitney et al. (2013d).
[Thamnophilidae, Furnariida I, 2.65]

Tawny-throated Leaftosser, Sclerurus mexicanus is split into Tawny-throated Leaftosser, Sclerurus mexicanus (mexicanus + pullus) and Dusky Leaftosser, Sclerurus obscurior (andinus, obscurior, peruvianus, macconnelli, and bahiae) based on d'Horta et al., (2013).
[Furnariidae, Furnariida II, 2.70]

Sirystes, Sirystes sibilator is split into Sibilant Sirystes, Sirystes sibilator, White-rumped Sirystes, Sirystes albocinereus, Todd's Sirystes, Sirystes subcanescens, and Western Sirystes, Sirystes albogriseus, based on Donegan (2013).
[Tyrannidae, Tyrannida II, 2.66]

The whistlers have been rearranged based on Jønsson et al. (2008c, 2014) and Andersen et al. (2014b). This change has been in the csv file for a while, but was delayed due to my illness. I have not strictly followed the phylogeny in Anderseen et al., but have kept several lumped together several closely related taxa that may their phylogeny splits. Even so, I recognize 8 additional species:

Bougainville Whistler, Pachycephala richardsi, split from Hooded Whistler, Pachycephala implicata.
Louisiade Whistler, Pachycephala collaris, split from Bismarck Whistler, Pachycephala citreogaster.
Rossell Whistler, Pachycephala rosseliana, split from Bismarck Whistler, Pachycephala citreogaster.
Rennell Whistler, Pachycephala feminina, split from Oriole Whistler, Pachycephala orioloides.
Santa Cruz Whistler, Pachycephala utupuae, comprised of subspecies utupuae and ornata from the White-throated Whistler, Pachycephala vitiensis, and vanikorensis from the Melanesian Whistler, Pachycephala caledonica.
Timor Whistler, Pachycephala calliope, split from Yellow-throated Whistler, Pachycephala macrorhyncha
Wetar Whistler, Pachycephala arthuri, split from Yellow-throated Whistler, Pachycephala macrorhyncha. Note that arthuri is often synonymized with calliope.
Babar Whistler, Pachycephala sharpei, split from Yellow-throated Whistler, Pachycephala macrorhyncha.

Further, the remainging (i.e. Fijian) races of the White-throated Whistler, Pachycephala vitiensis, are lumped into the Fiji Whistler, Pachycephala graeffii. The name vitiensis has priority, so the Fiji Whistler is now Pachycephala vitiensis.

Several whistler subspecies also move around. The Yellow-throated Whistler, Pachycephala macrorhyncha, loses dammeriana which joins the Mangrove Golden Whistler, Pachycephala melanura. On the other hand, the Yellow Throated Whistler gains balim from the Australian Golden Whistler, Pachycephala pectoralis. The Mangrove Golden Whistler, Pachycephala melanura loses dahli, which joins the Golden-backed Whistler, Pachycephala aurea.
[Pachycephalidae, Corvida I, 2.74]

April 23

Based on Kimball and Braun (2014), several groups in the Phasianidae have been gathered together as Pavoninae. The Koklass Pheasant has been moved to a basal position in Tetraonini, and is followed by the turkeys, which are now only a clade within Tetraonini.
[Phasianidae, Galliformes, 2.66]

The higher-level taxonomy of the Meliphagidae have been rearranged to reflect Joseph et al. (2014a). Thanks to John Penhallurick who pointed out that although I said I used Joseph et al. (2014a), I actually used Andersen et al. (2014a), which is based on fewer genes. That has now been corrected.
[Meliphagidae, Basal Oscines, 2.68]

April 18

Following IOC, the Groundscraper Thrush (Psophocichla) has been moved into Turdus.
[Turdidae, Muscicapoidea II, 2.73]

April 12

The lack of recent postings is due to a serious illness. I am recovering now, but it may be a while before regular postings resume.

March 2014

March 12

Tello et al. (2014) found that Cercomacra was not monophyletic. They proposed splitting Cercomacra into Cercomacra (type brasiliana) and a new genus, Cercomacroides, type tyrannina. That suggestion is followed here.
[Thamnophilidae, Furnariida I, 2.64]

After reconsideration, 3 of the species moved to Vosea were returned to Melidectes.
[Meliphagidae, Basal Oscines, 2.67]

March 9

The Honeyeaters have been rearranged based on Andersen et al. (2014a) and Joseph et al. (2014a). Some highlights include, merging Glycifohia into Gliciphila; moving 4 species of Melidectes to Vosea; moving Kadavu Honeyeater, Xanthotis provocator, Mao, Gymnomyza samoensis, and Giant Honeyeater, Gymnomyza viridis, into Foulehaio; splitting Wattled Honeyeater, Foulehaio carunculatus, into three species: Viti Levu Honeyeater, Foulehaio procerior, Vanua Levu Honeyeater, Foulehaio taviunensis, Polynesian Honeyeater, Foulehaio carunculatus.
[Meliphagidae, Basal Oscines, 2.66]

The Giant Conebill is usually placed in the genus Oremanes as Oremanes fraseri (Sclater 1860). However, it turns out to be nested in Conirostrum, and so has been changed. This creates a bit of a nomenclatural complication as fraseri is preoccupied by Conirostrum cinereum fraseri (Sclater 1859). As pointed out by Liam on BirdForum, the next oldest available name for the Giant Conebill appears to be binghami (Chapman 1919).
[Thraupidae, Core Passeroidea V, 2.73c]

March 6

Added Spotted Elachura as primary name of Spotted Wren-babbler.
[Elachuridae, Reguloidea & Bombycilloidea, 2.52a]

March 5

Based on Alström et al. (2014), the Rufous-throated Wren-babbler caudatus and Rusty-throated Wren-babbler badeigularis are returned to Spelaeornis (Timaliidae) from Elachura (Pnoepygidae).
[Pnoepygidae, Paroidea & Sylvioidea I, 2.75]
[Timaliidae, Sylvioidea III, 2.71]

Further, Elachura now has its own monotypic family, Elachuridae, in Bombycilloidea.
[Elachuridae, Reguloidea & Bombycilloidea, 2.52]

March 2

The flamingos have been slightly reordered based on Torres et al. (2014).
[Columbidae, Metaves I, 2.69]

Gender corrections have been made to various species names in Masius, Sporathraupis, and Trichothraupis.
[Pipridae, Tyrannida I, 2.58a]
[Thraupidae, Core Passeroidea V, 2.73a]

February 2014

February 28

The tanagers have been restructured based on Burns et al. (2014). Two new tribes are recognized: Catamblyrhynchini (Plushcap) and Orchesticini (Grosbeak-Tanagers). The Inca-Finches get an official name (Porphyrospizini), replacing Incaspizini. This makes 18 tribes.

Several species are transferred to different genera. Transfers involving new genera are:

Masked Mountain-Tanager to Tephrophilus from Anisognathus (or Buthraupis)
Blue-capped Tanager to Sporathraupis from Anisognathus
Common Diuca-Finch to Hedyglossa (was Diuca), tribe Cissopini
Create Trichothraupis from several ex-Lanio, Eucometis, and Tachyphonus
Returned Pileated-Finches to Coryphospingus from Lanio
St. Lucia Black Finch and Black-faced Grassquit to Melanospiza from Tiaris or Loxigilla
Cuban Grassquit to Phonipara from Tiaris or Loxigilla
Dull-colored Grassquit and Sooty Grassquit to "Loxigilla"

Several genera have also been eliminated.

Giant Conebill (Oreomanes) has been merged into Conirostrum
Blue Finch (Porphyrospiza) has been merged into Rhopospina
Peg-billed Finch (Acanthidops) has been merged into Haplospiza
Rufous-bellied Saltator (“Saltator”) merged into Dubusia
Idiopsar, including 2 ex-Phrygilus species has been merged into Diuca

The Crimson-fronted Cardinal, Paroaria baeri, has been split into Xingu Cardinal, Paroaria xinguensis, and Araguaia Cardinal, Paroaria baeri (Lopes and Gonzaga, 2013).

The CSV files have been updated to version 2.90.
[Thraupidae, Core Passeroidea V, 2.73]

February 23

To match recent SACC changes, Hylocryptus has been merged into Clibanornis. [Furnariidae, Furnariida II, 2.69b]

February 9

The scientific name of Bush Blackcap is corrected to Sylvia nigricapillus, from nigricapilla.
[Sylviidae, Sylvioidea III, 2.70b]

February 5

Two species move to new genera based on Winkler et al. (2014). The Brown-fronted Woodpecker moves to Leiopicus from Dendrocopos and the Crimson-breasted Woodpecker moves to Dryobates from Dendrocopos.
[Picidae, Piciformes, 2.71]

Several scientific names are corrected per H&M 4.

Sri Lanka Junglefowl is Gallus lafayettii, not lafayetii [Phasianidae, Galliformes, 2.65c]
Mindanao Bleeding-heart is Gallicolumba crinigera, not criniger [Columbidae, Metaves I, 2.68b]
Rueppell's Vulture is Gyps rueppelli, not rueppellii [Accipitridae, Accipitrimorphae, 2.59b]
Mascarene Parrot is Mascarinus mascarin, not mascarinus [Psittacidae, Falconiformes & Psittaciformes, 2.73f]

Also,

Siberian Whitethroat is Curruca blythi, not blythii.
[Sylviidae, Sylvioidea III, 2.70a]
Fiji Bush-Warbler is Horornis ruficapilla, not ruficapillus.
[Cettiidae Sylvioidea II, 2.70b]

January 2014

January 31

The scientific name of the Green-and-white Hummingbird is corrected to Hylocharis viridicauda (was viridicaudus).
[Trochilidae, Apodiformes, 2.67c]

January 26

Two English names are changed to comform with the latest IOC list.

Pink-rumped Rosefinch / Stresemann's Rosefinch, Carpodacus waltoni, becomes Pink-rumped Rosefinch
[Fringillidae, Core Passeroidea II, 2.66a]
Fatuhiva Monarch, Pomarea whitneyi, becomes Fatu Hiva Monarch.
[Monarchidae, Corvida II, 2.71c]

Several scientific names are corrected per H&M 4 and IOC.

Black-billed Capercaillie becomes Tetrao urogalloides (was parvirostris)
[Phasianidae, Galliformes, 2.65b]
Rubeho Forest Partridge becomes Xenoperdix obscuratus (was obscurata)
[Phasianidae, Galliformes, 2.65b]
Tapajos Hermit becomes Phaethornis aethopygus (was aethopyga)
[Trochilidae, Apodiformes, 2.67b]
Steely-vented Hummingbird becomes Saucerottia saucerottei (was saucerrottei)
[Trochilidae, Apodiformes, 2.67b]
Yellow-wattled Lapwing becomes Vanellus malarbaricus (was malabaricus)
[Charadriidae, Charadriiformes, 2.68a]

January 15

Gosling's Bunting, Emberiza goslingi, has been split from Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, Emberiza tahapisi. See Olsson et al. (2013b). [Emberizidae, Core Passeroidea III, 2.63]

January 13

I've followed Svensson (2013) and split the Subalpine Warbler into Western Subalpine Warbler, Curruca inornata, and Eastern Subalpine Warbler, Curruca cantillans. Further, I have changed the scientific name of Moltoni's Warbler, to subalpina instead of moltonii as consensus seems to be that it is correct.

I've also decided that it is better to treat the 6 major clades of lesser whitethroat as separate species rather than grouping four of them as Hume's Whitethroat. Thus the curruca complex includes:

Lesser Whitethroat, Curruca curruca (inc. caucasica)
Desert Whitethroat, Curruca minula
*Siberian Whitethroat, Curruca blythii
*Steppe Whitethroat, Curruca halimodendri (inc. jaxartica)
Mountain Whitethroat / Hume's Whitethroat, Curruca althaea (inc. monticola)
*Stolzmann's Whitethroat, Curruca margelanica (inc. telengitica, chuancheica)

where the asterisks indicate the new species. The main text has additional comments on the choice of English names.
[Sylviidae, Sylvioidea III, 2.70]

January 11

The Acre Tody-Tyrant, Oncostoma cohnhafti, was described by Zimmer et al., (2013), although they use an older taxonomy and place it in Hemitriccus. Although they don't discuss it, their genetic results support separating Oncostoma pallens from Snethlage's Tody-Tyrant, Oncostoma minor, as a distinct species. Since pallens refers to the pale-green color, we can call it Pale-green Tyrannulet (Todd's Tyrannulet is an alternative).
[Rhynchocyclidae, Tyrannida I, 2.58]

Coopmans's Tyrannulet, Zimmerius minimus, comprising minimus and cumanensis has somewhat speculatively been split from Golden-faced Tyrannulet, Zimmerius chrysops, based on comments in Rheindt et al., (2013). I continue include the Loja Tyrannulet, Zimmerius flavidifrons. Rheindt et al., (2014) describe a mosiac population that is linked to both the Golden-faced and Peruvian Tyrannulets. Also, Chico's Tyrannulet, Zimmerius chicomendesi, newly described by Whitney et al., (2013c), has been added to the list.

The English name of Knipolegus signatus has been changed from Andean Tyrant to Jelski's Black-Tyrant.
[Tyrannidae, Tyrannida II, 2.65]

I've added 4 antbirds (2 splits, 2 newly described).

Manicore Warbling-Antbird, Hypocnemis rondoni, is split from Spix's Warbling-Antbird, Hypocnemis striata. See Cohn-Haft et al., (2013).
The newly described Aripuana Antwren, Herpsilochmus stotzi, is added to the list. See Whitney et al., (2013a).
The newly described Predicted Antwren, Herpsilochmus praedictus, is added to the list. See Whitney et al., (2013b).
Bicolored Antbird, Gymnopithys leucaspis, is split into Bicolored Antbird, Gymnopithys bicolor and White-cheeked Antbird, Gymnopithys leucaspis. See Brumfield et al., (2007).

[Thamnophilidae, Furnariida I, 2.62a]

I have lumped the Great Rosefinches following Tietze et al. (2013).
[Fringillidae, Core Passeroidea II, 2.66]

January 10

Back after a lengthy holiday break... The Icteridae have been updated based on Powell et al. (2014). Besides some rearrangement of taxa, Cuban Blackbird moves to genus Ptiloxena and Forbes's Blackbird moves to Anumara. There are also several splits.

Yellow-billed Cacique is split into Prevost's Yellow-billed Cacique, Amblycercus holosericeus and Chapman's Yellow-billed Cacique, Amblycercus australis
Yellow-rumped Cacique is split into Western Yellow-rumped Cacique, Cacicus flavicrissus and Amazonian Yellow-rumped Cacique, Cacicus cela
Scarlet-rumped Cacique has been split into Scarlet-rumped Cacique, Cacicus microrhynchus, Pacific Cacique, Cacicus pacificus, and Subtropical Cacique Cacicus uropygialis
Mountain Cacique is split into Northern Mountain-Cacique, Cacicus leucoramphus and Southern Mountain-Cacique, Cacicus chrysonotus
Finally, Barbados Grackle, Quiscalus fortirostris is split from Carib Grackle, Quiscalus lugubris.

[Icteridae, Core Passeroidea IV, 2.63]