![]() ![]() Pearl Kite and White-tailed Kite are now in the subfamily Elaninae. KITESįive kites have been reorganized and now have their own subfamilies. LeConte’s, Seaside, Nelson’s, and Saltmarsh Sparrows are now in the genus Ammospiza. Baird’s Sparrow and Henslow’s Sparrow are now in their own genus Centronyx. ![]() As a result, North America now has only one species in this genus: Grasshopper Sparrow ( Ammodramus savannarum). The sparrow genus Ammodramus has been split. The following nine species of woodpecker are now in the genus Dryobates: Downy, Nuttall’s, Ladder-backed, Red-cockaded, Hairy, White-headed, Smoky-brown (Mexico and Central America: Moved from genus Veniliornis), Arizona, and Strickland’s (Mexico). American Three-toed and Black-backed Woodpeckers remain in Picoides. WOODPECKERSįormerly ten North and Middle American woodpeckers were in the genus Picoides. This genus has been split and one new species has been added to the new genus. ![]() The other species resulting from the split is Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater ( Sporophila Torgueola, sensu stricto) which is endemic to the Pacific slope and interior of Mexico, from Oaxaca north to southern Sonora and in a disconnected manner in southern Baja California Sur. If you have birded in San Blas or Oaxaca, Mexico this is the seedeater you have likely seen. However, if you have seen this species in Arizona, it will not longer be recognized, since these birds are now considered escaped caged birds. Morelet’s Seedeater ( Sporophila morelleti) ranges from along the Rio Grande in Texas south to Panama. See also the Audubon Guide description. The former White-collared Seedeater has been split into two species. There is a long-standing tradition of not changing common names of birds unless there is a species-level change such as a split, but it was waived in this case. Canadian birders really wanted this change. This reverses a committee action from 1957 and will likely lead to the adoption of the Canada Jay as the official bird of Canada. The bird retains its scientific name of Perisoreus canadensis. The big news for North America is that the Gray Jay is now the Canada Jay. However, some of these changes mean that some of us will have to learn some birds in their new genera. Most of these changes are based on genetic testing of birds. Last summer the American Ornithological Society’s Committee on Classification and Nomenclature of North and Middle American Birds (also known as NACC) released its annual report of changes to bird taxonomy. Notations for these changes can seem arcane, but the goal for the changes is to try to group birds to conform with their evolutionary development. Learning birds by their genus is a helpful way of grouping similar birds. Canada Jay and Other Changes in Bird Classification By Andy McCormick ![]()
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