BARC Checklist v2015Jul is released (21 Jul 2015)

BARC Checklist v2015Jul is released (21 Jul 2015) Greetings birders, A new version of the BARC Australian Checklist v2015Jul is now available (30 January 2015) via a link at Tony Palliser’s web site. It is downloadable as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (BARC_Australian_Checklist_v2015Jul.xls). The website address is:  http://www.tonypalliser.com/barc/barc-home.html Updated versions of the Unsubstantiated List, the BARC Review List and the Index of BARC cases (with hyperlinks to case summaries) are also available. However, these have now been moved to the Rarities Committee page on the Birdlife Australia site at: http://birdlife.org.au/conservation/science/rarities-committee 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. Usually, 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. However, in this edition, there is one deviation, the continued inclusion of the extinct Norfolk Ground Dove Gallicolumba norfolciensis on the BARC Checklist. This upgrade includes changes to the IOC list up to 26 April 2015 (Gill, F & D Donsker 2015; IOC World Bird List v 5.2; http://www.worldbirdnames.org/).  If you download the spreadsheet you will find two worksheets. One worksheet is the full v2015Jul. The second worksheet is an upgrade tool for those who are already using the BARC Checklist (v2015Jan) 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 v2015Jan to this new v2015Jul. Upgrading involves inserting three new species (two splits by the IOC and a new species accepted by BARC), splitting one family into two, and updating or correcting a few species names. The upgrade worksheet will also allow users to identify the changes that have been made in v2015Jul. These changes bring the total Australian list to 931 confirmed species, 19 of which are extinct or extirpated. Summary of changes: One species new for Australia has been accepted by BARC since v2014Jul (Hodgson’s Hawk-Cuckoo). The IOC has split two species since v2015Jan was released (Naretha Bluebonnet and Copperback Quail-thrush). The storm petrels are split into two families, Oceanitidae and Hydrobatidae. The former move to the beginning of the Procellariiformes sequence.  Name changes caused by splits affect two species (Purple Swamphen becomes Australasian Swamphen and Bluebonnet becomes Eastern Bluebonnet). One minor name change (Coconut Lorikeet) and a split of the extinct Cyanoramphus parrots that have been updated previously were nevertheless missing from the full v2015Jan and some users may need to make this upgrade.  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 5th update. Thanks are due to Tony Palliser and Nikolas Hass for assistance with this update.  Good birding to you all,  David James Cheers, David James Sydney ==============================