47th Supplement to The Check-list of the Birds of North America

The most recent supplement to the Checklist of North American Birds was published in July by the AOU Check-list Committee. You can download a copy of the report at: http://www.aou.org/checklist/Suppl47.pdf

Two splits are reported in this supplement. First, the Cape Verde Shearwater , formerly considered a form of Cory’s Shearwater, has been split off as a valid species. The Cape Verde Shearwater is now called Calonectris edwardsii. Some nice photographs of the two species can be seen at: http://www.patteson.com/CVShearwater.htm. To date, there is only one North American record of Cape Verde Shearwater.

A second split is the recognition of Blue Grouse as two different species. The Sooty Grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus) is found in the Pacific Northwest while the Dusky Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus occurs in the Rocky Mountains. Earlier workers noted differences in plumage and vocalizations between the Blue Grouse in the two different areas. Recent DNA comparisons support the split of Blue Grouse into two species.

Some changes in scientific names affect Maine birds. The Willet is transferred from the genus Catoptrophorus to Tringa. The two species of tattlers (genus Heteroscelus) found in western North America are also transferred to Tringa.

The skuas and jaegers are elevated from the subfamily Stercorariinae within the family Laridae to their own family, the Stercorariidae. This change was made because recent research indicates the skuas and jaegers are more closely related to the auks (Alcidae) than the gulls.

A number of terns formerly in the genus Sterna are assigned to different genera to better reflect our understanding of the evolution of the group. Here are the new names if you want to update your field guide.

Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus
Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus
Aleutian Tern Onychoprion aleuticus

Least Tern Sternula antillarum

Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica

Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia

Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
Elegant Tern Thalasseus elegans

Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Forster’s Tern and Roseate Tern remain in the genus Sterna.

One final change affecting North American birds is the transfer of Gray Hawk from the genus Asturina to Buteo. The scientific name of the Gray Hawk is now Buteo niditus.