BARC Checklist v2013July is released

BARC Checklist v2013July is released Greetings birders, A new version of the BARC Australian Checklist v2013July is now available on the BARC website as a downloadable Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (BARC_Australian_Checklist_v2013July.xls). The BARC Website is at: http://www.tonypalliser.com/barc/barc-home.html Like previous versions, this checklist is intended to follow the IOC World Bird Names checklist to the letter, in terms of species taxonomy, scientific and English names, spelling and sequence. As with previous versions, subspecies are not included. There are no intended deviations from the IOC list (other than abbreviating it to species and Australia) and there are no novel taxonomic opinions expressed by BARC in that regard. This upgrade includes changes to the IOC up to 1 July 2013 (Gill, F & D Donsker 2013; IOC World Bird List v 3.4; http://www.worldbirdnames.org/). It also includes some corrections to spelling and species sequence from the previous BARC Checklist (v2.0). If you download the spreadsheet you will find two worksheets. One worksheet is the full v2013July. The second worksheet is an upgrade tool for those who are already using the BARC Checklist (v2.0) and would prefer to modify their personalised lists rather than start with a blank checklist again. It contains a set of instructions for converting the old BARC Checklist v2.0 to this new v2013July. Upgrading involves inserting 7 new species, replacing 6 rows due to changes or corrections, changed scientific names and sequence to 18 species of honeyeater and removal of the supplementary list. The upgrade worksheet will also allow users to identify the changes that have been made in v2013July. Summary of changes: One new species has been split by the IOC (Lesser Sooty Owl). Six species new for Australia have been accepted by BARC since v2.0 (Eurasian Wigeon, Purple Heron, Chinese Sparrowhawk, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Mugimaki Flycatcher). The genus Lichenostomus has been split into seven genera, affecting 18 species. Only the generic names and the sequence of species change. One species (Crested Bellbird).is moved to a new (uncertain) family. There are name changes or spelling corrections for four species (Watercock, Greater Sooty Owl, Northern Boobook and Nullarbor Quail-thrush). The sequence of Middendorff’s and Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler is reversed.   The Supplementary List has been disbanded. It has proven impossible to be consistent about which species deserve inclusion, and there seems to be little point in maintaining a list for consolation purposes. Thus all unverified species have been deleted. Extinct native species and extirpated introduced species have been returned to the main list, but are still listed at the end rather than in taxonomic sequence. These changes bring the total Australian list to 918 confirmed species, 20 of which are extinct or extirpated. There are several other changes to BARC lists and the BARC website coinciding with this new version of the checklist. BARC_Index_of_Cases_v2013July.xls The former “Index of decisions and case summaries” html page is now an Excel spreadsheet and downloadable. It has been updated to follow the taxonomy of the checklist v2013July. It now includes all cases starting from case 1 in 1975. The spreadsheet format allows searching (using the Excel ‘Find” function) sorting and filtering by species, case, date, state, etc. There are hyperlinks to most but not all cases. Many early case summaries are not available electronically. Note that the case summaries have not been altered and still follow whatever taxonomy was used when the case was in progress. BARC_Review_List_v2013July.xls The BARC Review list has been updated to match the IOC taxonomy. It is also in an Excel spreadsheet and downloadable.  BARC_Unsubstantiated_List_v2013July.xls A new list has been prepared, the “Unsubstantiated Species List”. It contains species which might be added to Australian list in the future, but which BARC has so far not reviewed. To qualify for inclusion there needs to be some evidence such as published and unambiguous photos, reports of a museum specimen, a submission that BARC is reviewing, etc. The intention is that the BARC Australian Checklist will be updated every 6 months (in Approximately January and July). The other three lists will all be updated at the same time. The versions of each will be identified by year and month as follows: [list]_v2013July.xls, [list]_v2014Jan.xls, etc. Why BARC Follows the IOC With the recent release of Birdlife Australia’s Australian Checklist, it is worth recording why BARC uses the IOC sequence. As noted by Tony Palliser recently, BARC has been following the IOC checklist to some extent since 2006. Prior to that BARC had followed Christidis & Boles (1994) for species already recorded in Australia and Sibley & Monroe (1993) for species that might be new to Australia. By 2006 both these lists were out of date and Dr Walter Boles (from the former Taxonomic Advisory Committee of Birds Australia) recommended that BARC follow the then new IOC list instead. Soon after that Christidis & Boles (2008) was published, so BARC followed that for species already recorded in Australia and the IOC for potential new species. However, Christidis & Boles (2008) became dated much faster than its predecessor, not least of all due to increased birding close to Asia and frequent reports of Asian species not treated in Australian texts. By 2011 C&B (2008) was well out of date and it was inconvenient for BARC to follow two checklists that sometimes clashed. Therefore BARC decided to prepare an Australian list based on a world-wide list. We did not automatically choose the IOC list as the base list, but considered a number of criteria. We wanted a base list that covered the whole world, was widely used, was dynamic and frequently updated, was publicly available for free (non-commercial), had transparent decision making processes, and provided potential for some input from Australia. The Clements and Howard & Moore (etc) checklists are produced for commercial purposes and therefore potentially unsuitable for BARC to copy. The Birdlife International checklist is, like the IOC checklist, downloadable from the internet, and it ran a close second. However, the taxonomic decisions in that checklist are made by staff at Birdlife International in the UK and there seems to be no process for outside input. It is an aim of BARC that there should be some Australian input into our country’s checklist and we hope to contribute to the IOC checklist process in some manner in the future. The IOC World Bird List site contains more information about the open processes, dynamic revisions and cooperative approach of the IOC checklist system. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/ The BARC Australian Checklist v1 was first released in November 2011 and this current version is the 3rdupdate. Good birding to you all, David James =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au http://birding-aus.org ===============================