Clements 2021 Update Coming! (1 Viewer)

[raymie]

It looks it will be fully implemented sometime after August 17:

Taxonomy Update Coming! - eBird

August is always an exciting time of year for eBird, since we update all eBird records with the latest scientific advances in bird taxonomy. You might even get some ‘armchair lifers’ as species are split!

ebird.org

71 splits (resulting in a gain of 94 species), a loss of 8 species due to lumps, and the addition of 17 newly described species. Any guesses?

 

[raymie]

It looks like changes are confirmed for Sedge Wren, Mew Gull, Rufous-capped Warbler, Scrub Euphonia, Black-eared Wheatear, and Subalpine Warbler.

 

[Mysticete]

Yeah I think its a given that all of the NACC/SACC splits from the last two years will be in. More curious what if any splits are from other parts of the world, which Clements usually is playing a bit of catch-up on.

Although my real interest is the groups, since that lets me know what if any adjustments I need to do to my future potential splits page

 

[njlarsen]

It looks like changes are confirmed for Sedge Wren, Mew Gull, Rufous-capped Warbler, Scrub Euphonia, Black-eared Wheatear, and Subalpine Warbler.

Those certainly would not make up the numbers mentioned in the previous post.

71 splits (resulting in a gain of 94 species), a loss of 8 species due to lumps, and the addition of 17 newly described species.

Niels

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

I just checked a couple things, e.g. the species mentioned in post #2. The changes appear to have started.

 

[raymie]

Those certainly would not make up the numbers mentioned in the previous post.

Niels

That wouldn't be a full list, just where we know for a fact changes are happening.

 

[pbjosh]

IOC 11.2 is on 10912. Clements 2021 will be on 10824 apparently. I am really pleased to see Clements and IOC converging finally - mostly so that eBird will make more sense in the E Hemisphere. They are already very close to aligned in the W Hemisphere. I wonder how many species will remain where Clements actively maintains difference instead of just needing to catch up further (ie in countries like Indonesia).

 

[Nightjar61]

Since its last update in August 2019, Clements is going to add 71 splits. However, according to my rough count, in that same period the IOC has added 146 splits, 97 from version 11.2 alone. I didn’t count new species or lumps.

Although it’s nice to see Clements accepting new splits, its clear that they still have a very long way to go to catch up. Makes me wonder if they’re even interested in converging with other checklists.

Dave

 

[jts1882]

Cornell are well represented on the working group looking at more alignment between the checklists. It could be that their recent focus has been aligning Clements and Birds Alive.

Working Group Avian Checklists | International Ornithologists' Union

Working Group Avian Checklists Update (January 2024) Progress on the Checklist Work is continuing on the Checklist and it expected that the final draft will be completed by late 2024. There will be a period of cross-checking before it is made public in early 2025. As part of the release the...

www.internationalornithology.org

 

[pbjosh]

As well there was presumably a cut off date for including taxonomic changes in the annual update.

 

[Mysticete]

It will be interesting to see if working group Avian checklist down the line ends up being closer to IOC or to other checklists. In particular, there are several noticeable deviations from Clements, including the usage of whitestart vs redstart for some New World warbler, and splits of things like Fox Sparrow and Yellow-rumped Warbler, followed by IOC but not NACC

 

[bonxie birder]

The Eurasian/Green-winged Teal taxonomy habitually seems to go under the radar. For British birders it is probably the commonest tick that causes variation between Clements and the BOU official, I’m 444 on eBird.

 

[Paul Clapham]

I'm hoping for Iberá Seedeater to be declared a species. With 17 newly-described species I'd say it has a good chance.

 

[Andy Adcock]

It will be interesting to see if working group Avian checklist down the line ends up being closer to IOC or to other checklists. In particular, there are several noticeable deviations from Clements, including the usage of whitestart vs redstart for some New World warbler, and splits of things like Fox Sparrow and Yellow-rumped Warbler, followed by IOC but not NACC

Never understood why they used Redstart?

 

[Mysticete]

Never understood why they used Redstart?

Purely tradition and presumably they thought it was closely related to American Redstart, which the name is a bit more accurate for.

 

[jmorlan]

It will be interesting to see if working group Avian checklist down the line ends up being closer to IOC or to other checklists. In particular, there are several noticeable deviations from Clements, including the usage of whitestart vs redstart for some New World warbler, and splits of things like Fox Sparrow and Yellow-rumped Warbler, followed by IOC but not NACC

So instead of having two standards (Clements/eBird & IOC) there will be a third standard from the Avian Checklist Working Group. Wonderful! The nice thing about standards is you have so many from which to choose.

 

[Mysticete]

So instead of having two standards (Clements/eBird & IOC) there will be a third standard from the Avian Checklist Working Group. Wonderful! The nice thing about standards is you have so many from which to choose.

Actually I think we have 4 standards, because you also have Howard & Moore and Birdlife International

I believe the idea is for these checklists, or at least some of these, to merge into one new one, versus all of the old ones hanging around.

 

[Paul Clapham]

I believe the idea is for these checklists, or at least some of these, to merge into one new one, versus all of the old ones hanging around.

I will be keenly interested to see which (if any, as you say) of the checklists are going to merge into the One List To Rule Them All.

 

[Mysticete]

I will be keenly interested to see which (if any, as you say) of the checklists are going to merge into the One List To Rule Them All.

I got the impression IOC was going to transition to this, as I seem to recall key IOC folks being behind the implementation of this.

I will be more interested in what BIRDERS are going to transition over, and if we do get universal adoption, what degree of gnashing of teeth will we see...

 

[TomDerutter]

will be more interested in what BIRDERS are going to transition over

I guess a lot depends on what ebird will do...