EBird taxonomic updates 2022

[IKLland]

https://ebird.org/news/2022-taxonomy-update

[Colton V]

I got a new lifer but I can’t figure out which one it is!

edit: and in a few months the number will go back down to the same as it was before because Mandarin Duck will be removed 

Edited October 25, 2022 by Colton V

[Colton V]

Oh, it’s Muscovy Duck. So I will actually lose a number on my list ?

[chipperatl]

1 hour ago, Colton V said:

I got a new lifer but I can’t figure out which one it is!

edit: and in a few months the number will go back down to the same as it was before because Mandarin Duck will be removed 

Yeah I just looked and was up 4 birds.  They are all domestics though; Muscovy Duck, Helmeted Guineafowl, Indian Peafowl and Graylag Goose.  

[Zoroark]

Mine went up by 3, but because exotics will be removed from the total, I'll probably lose more than that. The three I gained were Graylag Goose, Swan Goose, and Indian Peafowl. (I gained those three plus the Muscovy Duck in Clark County.) Besides those, I'll probably also lose the Muscovy Duck (had "Established Feral" in Florida) and African Collared-Dove (escapee).

For now, I'll update the first three numbers in my signature. I wonder if I can break 400 lifers before the number goes back down. ? I have a solid chance in November.

Edited October 26, 2022 by Zoroark

[IKLland]

Mine went up by one, but I can’t figure out what it is….

[IKLland]

Pretty sure it’s Indian Peafowl because I enter those as domestic type. 

[Colton V]

33 minutes ago, Zoroark said:

Besides those, I'll probably also lose the Muscovy Duck (had "Established Feral" in Florida) and African Collared-Dove (escapee)

It says in IKLland’s link that established feral Muscovies in Florida will still count for your life list. You’ll only lose the bird from your life list if it’s an unestablished escapee. 

[IKLland]

My eBird reviewers want us to report the Indian Peafowl here as Indian Peafowl (domestic type). On the ABA website, it says that the Los Angeles region (which includes my area) Indian Peafowl are countable. Will the (domestic type) option for Indian Peafowl in eBird count on life lists after the update?

[Connor Cochrane]

I think my list will go up 2 after the update (Chihuahuan Meadowlark, Muscovy Duck), but we'll see. It's currently up 5.

[Avery]

9 hours ago, IKLland said:

My eBird reviewers want us to report the Indian Peafowl here as Indian Peafowl (domestic type). On the ABA website, it says that the Los Angeles region (which includes my area) Indian Peafowl are countable. Will the (domestic type) option for Indian Peafowl in eBird count on life lists after the update?

No. They are temporarily added to your lists, but will be removed. Like Muscovy (Domestic Type) is on my list, and the escapee Ruddy Shellduck still is, but they will both be removed

Edited October 26, 2022 by Avery

[IKLland]

1 hour ago, Avery said:

No. They are temporarily added to your lists, but will be removed. Like Muscovy (Domestic Type) is on my list, and the escapee Ruddy Shellduck still is, but they will both be removed

Then why am I supposed to report them as domestic type to eBird if they are ABA countable? Thanks.

[Avery]

42 minutes ago, IKLland said:

Then why am I supposed to report them as domestic type to eBird if they are ABA countable? Thanks.

With established populations of wild birds that are domestic in physical traits, I think they would still count for lists. It would make sense if eBird added established options for birds to make it easier to interpret reports. But with the changes to how domestics and escapees are shown on eBird maps I think that would play into how they can be listed. 

[IKLland]

2 minutes ago, Avery said:

With established populations of wild birds that are domestic in physical traits, I think they would still count for lists. It would make sense if eBird added established options for birds to make it easier to interpret reports. But with the changes to how domestics and escapees are shown on eBird maps I think that would play into how they can be listed. 

Aha! See this screenshot.

 

[Avery]

3 hours ago, IKLland said:

Aha! See this screenshot.

 

Exactly!

[DLecy]

I got one armchair lifer....Chihuahuan Meadowlark.

[Charlie Spencer]

Is eBird stable yet?  I've picked up two and I'm not sure which ones they are.  I'm not going to bother determining which ones until everything has settled down.

EDIT Never mind.  The web page says they're still in progress.

Edited November 1, 2022 by Charlie Spencer

[chipperatl]

I still have 4 domestics showing on my list for my county.  Checklist has them right though.  I think there is still some cleanup happening on those.  

[Charlie Spencer]

5 hours ago, chipperatl said:

I still have 4 domestics showing on my list for my county.  Checklist has them right though.  I think there is still some cleanup happening on those.  

I re-read the web page earlier this week.  Splits, lumps, and transfers are complete.  Those are routine changes they make every year.  The change to the method of listing exotics, domestics, ferals, etc is a one-time change, so programmers and database managers probably have to develop new processes.  The page says it may still be a few months before those are fully implemented. 

So for those of us with a couple of extras in our totals, snapshot them before they go away