Date: 7/30/25 10:21 am From: Wayne Hoffman (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Check-List Changes
Regarding the Yellow Warbler split: The Yellow Warbler complex includes 3 main groups: Yellow Warbler (migratory, breeds in temperate and boreal North America, Golden Warbler (non-migratory, lives mainly in the West Indies) and Mangrove Warbler (non-migratory, breeds mainly in coastal areas of Mexico, Central America, northern South America.
The split Kent described separates out the migratory Yellow Warbler from all the tropical non-migratory forms; in other words keeps Mangrove Warblers and Golden Warblers together under the name "Mangrove Warbler."
One detail that is important to North American birders: (Cuban) Golden Warblers colonized the Florida Keys in the 1940s, and have spread north at least to the north shores of Florida Bay (including Flamingo in Everglades National Park). They pretty much confine themselves to mangrove and Buttonwood habitats. So that "Yellow" Warbler you saw on a winter trip to south Florida was probably a Golden Warbler, therefore a Mangrove Warbler, and a stealth North American lifer. If you saw Yellow Warblers on a spring trip to the Dry Tortugas they were likely true Yellow Warblers in their migration north.
Wayne Hoffman
Wilmington
From: "Kent Fiala" <carolinabirds...>
To: "carolinabirds" <carolinabirds...>
Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2025 10:33:24 AM
Subject: Re: Check-List Changes
I share Steve's mystification over what is happening with the AOS checklist committee. But note that the AviList taxonomy is published and is pretty definitely what eBird will follow in its October update. The AOS committee is generally seen as stodgy and slow moving so I think it's unlikely that they will lead the way on any changes that AviList has not made.
So you can rest easy about the changes that Steve suggested: the titmice are not lumped and Warbling Vireo is not split. Not this year anyway. I'm sad to say that Myrtle and Audubon's Warblers likewise still are not split. I'm a little surprised that even Green-winged Teal is not split since that is a split that other taxonomies have made in the past.
I see about three changes that do apply in the ABA area:
Fea's Petrel split into Cape Verde Petrel and Desertas Petrel
We get Coppery-tailed Trogon back (those of use old enough to remember it); split from Elegant Trogon.
Northern Yellow Warbler and Mangrove Warbler split.
Kent Fiala
On 7/30/2025 9:57 AM, Steve wrote:
BQ_BEGIN
Hi all-
I think many are aware that in the world of check-lists this is a big year as a “new” unified list of birds (AviList) will become the backbone of eBird, replacing the Clements list that many of us are “used to”.
eBird/Cornell offers a webinar tomorrow morning to discuss the new checklist. Information below on registering/attending.
Along the same lines, folks may have noticed that the normally standard July release of the AOS Check-List committee decisions appears to be delayed. We typically see these in July, but it will soon be August, and I have not seen any concrete info on when the 66 th supplement will be publicized. It seems possible that due to the AviList changes, the AOS update could be affected, but I am just speculating. While most of the anticipated changes affect Middle and South American birds, or realign order, etc, the two potential changes that might be most recognized by U.S. birders are the suggested split of Warbling Vireo and the suggested lump of Tufted Titmouse. Many US listers would experience a net zero (one split, one lump) if both of these are accepted.
Happy listing,
Steve Shultz
Apex NC (not likely to be split soon)
Introducing AviList: a unified global avian checklist
Join us for a deep discussion about AviList, a unified global avian checklist that provides the most current and authoritative taxonomy of birds. AviList was released in June 2025 by experts in taxonomy, nomenclature, and bioinformatics, including researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, American Ornithological Society, BirdLife International, International Ornithologists’ Union, and Avibase (Birds Canada), among others.
The new checklist recognizes 11,131 species of birds in the world, classified within 252 families. This effort was the culmination of thousands of hours of effort over four years to harmonize the global checklist of birds with the aim of providing a single list of species names that will make it easier to compile and share information on bird species to improve conservation and scientific outcomes. This massive collaborative effort resulted in a single current consensus taxonomy for the birds of the world, along with key information on taxonomy and nomenclature.
THIS WEBINAR WILL COVER:
What were the goals of AviList? How will it affect scientific progress in ornithology? What problems does it solve? And what are some interesting species concepts the team had to resolve to reach this new consensus? And finally, how will AviList impact and improve birding tools and resources such as eBird and Birds of the World?
PANELISTS INCLUDE:
Members of the AviList Executive Committee will join us: Paul Donald (BirdLife International), Pamela Rasmussen (The Cornell Lab, Birds of the World), and Marshall Iliff (The Cornell Lab, eBird).
