Report of the ABA Checklist Committee for 1984-1985 In the past we have published the annual Supplement to the ABA Checklist, giving only the results of the Committee's deliberations. However, many members have inquired about the process by means of which the decisions are made. Are the annual changes mere whims of afew elitists whose majorfunction is tofoul up thousands of lifelists?Are thesepeoplejust coming up with arbitrary opinions to satisfv their own egos? Or do they actually work at this d~$cuIt problem? We have deciakd to intercept just a few of the communications among this year's Committee so that our members can gain some sense of the scholarly investment which these dedicated expen3 make in their annualsearch for an accurate, correct, and defensibleList of the birdr which have positively occurred in the ABA Checklist Area.

The ABA Checklist Committee completed judged in comparison with Lesser Golden- detailed reviews of the first substantiated Plovers and Killdeers; (2) its slender build records of four species and has approved and small-headed look; (3) the shortness their addition to the ABA Checklist: and relative lack of curvature of the bill; (4) Little Curlew (Numenius minutus) the extensive pale area at the base of the bill; 0 Caribbean Elaenia (Elaenia mam'nica) (5) the presence of fine streaks, rather than 0 Brown-chested Martin (Phaeoprogne chevrons, on the breast; (6) the overall lack topera) of buff coloration; and (7) the 'off-white', 0 Yucatan Vireo ( Vireo magister) rather than cinnamon, wing-linings." Of the characters listed above, the ones Discussions which rule out Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis) are Nos. 4,5,6, and 7.All of these Little Curlew, Numenius minutus characters except the last are visible in the Whew Santa Maria (Santa Barbara Co.), photographs, a fact that provides confirma- California. tion of the written descriptions and also makes possible future verification of the When. September 16 to October 14, 1984. record. The delicate proportions and the buff color of the eyebrow mitigate against Observers: P. Lehman, D. Roberson, G. the bird's being a "runt" Whimbrel. The McCaskie. delicate proportions and the lack of buff Published Details: American Birdr 39: tones mitigate against the unlikely possibility 25 1-254; Birding 17:15- 18. of an extreme "runt" Long-billed Curlew. &umentaLion. Photos; detailed field de- [Courtesy J. Farrand, comments (edited) in scriptions by Lehman, McCaskie, Roberson. letter of March 29, 1985.1 VLREO/ABA Records File: Photos by S. LaFrance. Motion to Add SmalVMcCaskie. Expert Opinions: J. Farrand and S. Vote: 9 For, 1 Against, 1 Abstain. Moon (Wales). Dissenting Opinion: Descriptions do Identification: "The most convincing not completely eliminate the possibility of a details are (1) the (small) size of the bird as runt Whimbrel.

Volume XVII. Number 6 Brown-chested Martin, Phaeoprogne Ident@ation: The other vireos with tapera which this species might be confused are the Where: Monomoy Island (Barnstable Black-whiskered Vireo (Vireo altiloguus) Co.), Massachusetts. and the flavovidis group of Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus). When: June 12, 1983. The drab color and the prominent dark Obserwrs: Blair Nikula, D. Holt, Wayne loral stripe separate the Texas bird from Petersen. Red-eyed Vireos. Warbling Vireos are Published Details: American Birds smaller, proportionally smaller-billed, and 37:969. lack the prominent dark loral stripe. Black- Documentation: Specimen at Smith- whiskered Vireo resembles Yucatan Vireo sonian Institution (NMNH #599678). in being heavy-billed and drab in color, VIREO/ABA Records File: Photo by some individuals having only faint dark B. Nikula. malar stripes. But Black-whiskered Vireos lack the combination of a vely bold dark Expert Opinions: Specimen identi- Ioral stripe and no apparent rnalar stripe fication verified by M.R. Browning and K. Kaufman. evident on the Texas bird. Also, the Texas bird was duskier and more monochrome Identification: The specimen is a well- overall than are normal Black-whiskered marked immature of the migratory southern Vireos. [Courtesy K. Kaufman, written race P. t. fusca, with a clear demarcation comments (edited) of January 1985.1 between the white throat and the brown Motion to Add: TuckedGill. breast-band and prominent blackish-brown spots on the white lower breast and upper Vote: 11 For, 0 Against. belly. None of the brownish martins of the Dissenting Opinion: None. Southern Hemisphere duplicates the distinc- tive ventral pattern of this species. [Courtesy K. Kaufman, written comments (edited) of June 5, 1985.1 Caribbean Elaenia, Elaenia martinica Motion to Add: Vickery/Gill. Where: West end of Santa Rosa Island Vote: 11 For, 0 Against. (Escambia Co.), Florida. Dissenting Opinion: None. When: April 28, 1984. Observers: E.V. Barbig, H.T. Barbig, F.T. Griffin, R.A. Duncan, 0.Fang, S. Duncan. Yucatan Vireo, Vireo magister Published Details: American Birds 38:923. Where: Bolivar Peninsula (Galveston Documentation: Photo; description Co.), Texas. of song; detailed field description by Barbig When: April 29 to May 31, 1984. and Gfin. Observers: J.G. Massey, J.G. Morgan, VIREO/ABA Records File: Photo by T.L. Eubanks, V. Eubanks, L. White, R.A. R.A. Duncan. Behrstock, D. E. Wolf. Expert Opinions: R. Ridgely, M. Rob- Published Details: American Birds 39: bins, J. Bond, J. Fitzpatrick. 2456. Identification: This record really put Documentation: Photograph; banding the Checklist Committee to the test. Not measurements; detailed field description. only is this an extremely difficult group of VZREO/ABARecords File: Photos by flycatchers to identify in the field, but also D. Cunningham, R. Behrstock, G. hsley. the documentary evidence was marginal in Expert Opinions:J. Barlow, K.C. Parkes. quality. We were unwilling to assume that

BIRDING, December 1985 this flycatcher necessarily came from the observer notes that concur). I believe that nearby West Indies or Mexico, realizing that the photo does place the bird in a subset of it could have been any one of many possible the genus Elaenia, and that the voice descrip Neotropical flycatchers. In addition to the tion rules out all species of Elaenia but E. field descriptions and the rather poor photo- martinica. I am familiar with several species graph, the Committee had the benefit of of Elaenia (and have seen E. martinica in critical reviews by experts on this and Mexico almost annually since 1977) and related Neotropical flycatchers (names given have some acquaintance with many other above). genera of tropical flycatchers, and I feel that The Committee thus faced three separate the photo establishes the bird as an Elaenia: questions: Was the identification correct- there is sufficient discussion of this generic or only 99% so? Was a 99% probability placement in the written commentary from good enough? Was the supporting documen- Fitzpatrick, Ridgely, Robbins, and Bond. tation adequate? The careful voice description provided by Presented here are (I) a critical review of Evelyn Barbig for the Florida bird is a good the identificaton by Dr. John W. Fitzpatrick, match for some of my transcriptions of E. (2) a dissenting opinion by Dan Gibson, martinica song from Cozumel. The critical and (3) Kenn Kaufrnan's soul-searching element here is the assurance (gleaned from evaluation, which summarizes the majority the notes of Fitzpatrick, Ridgely, and others) opinion of this Committee. Not included that no similar species gives a vocalization here is Bob Ridgely's reply to John Fitz- that would fit this description. Voice would patrick's query, in which he stated that the not seem such a convincing character if the voice of Elaenia albiceps is unlike that Florida bird had called only once or twice, described for the vagrant individual. or only under stress, but it was evidently (1) Fitzpatrick's letter (see Appendix). singing all afternoon. The identification as (2) Gibson dissenting opinion: "The Caribbean Elaenia is indicated by voice, and expert testimony which we have read cer- is backed up by the known details of tainly makes clear that, for several reasons, plumage and behavior. The proximity of the the Elaenia is not at all likely to have been species' range is not a factor in the identifica- any species but martinica. But 99%is just not tion; a migratory species from South America good enough. If we had an appendix of would be as likely as a sedentary Caribbean 'unsubstantiated' or 'hypothetical' species, bird, and even a non-migratory species as does the AOU Check-list, I would vote to could have reached Florida on a boat." place Elaenia martinica in such an appendix, 2. Acceptance with Slim Documenta- until such time as it can be unequivocally tion. "I believe that any accepted record added to the avifauna of our checklist area." must be based upon solid evidence of some (3) Comments on Record of Caribbean kind, evidence that remains available for Elaenia in Florida, 1984, by Kern Kaufman: re-evaluation in the future. In that regard, "This is probably one of the most difficult the current record presents a borderline records that we will ever have to consider. It case. We have a photo to prove that the bird requires two decisions: (1) Am I convinced was either a Caribbean Elaenia or something that the bird was a Caribbean Elaenia?, very similar. And we have voice descriptions and (2) Is the record defensible enough that which, ifaccepted, prove that the bird was I can vote for it? These two questions are indeed a Caribbean Elaenia. So . . . do sufficientlydifferent that I will address them the voice descriptions qualify as solid separately." evidence? 1. Identification. "The identification has "My judgment is that they do. We have to be based almost entirely on one rather descriptions that indicate pattern, tone poor photograph (backed up by some brief quality, and approximate pitch; fifty years plumage descriptions) and on one good from now it will still be possible for experts voice description (backed up by other to compare these descriptions to all known

Volume XVII. Number 6 Elaenia vocalizations and say whether or not Appendix the identification is conclusive. Of course, this outcome requires that we believe the Letter of Dr. John W. Fitzpatrick to Chairman descriptions. But there is always an element of the ChecWist Committee, concerning the of faith involved: even with distributional Elaenia situation: records backed by specimens we have to Field Museum of Natural History simply believe the locality data entered on Chicago, IL 60605 the label by the collector. (This assumption Dr. Frank B. Gill is not always safe-the specimen record Chairman, ABA Checklist Committee includes many cases of accidental mis- Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia labeling and a few instances of outright 19th and The Parkway fraud.) In the present case several observers Philadelphia, PA 19103 agreed on the voice of the bird, and there is Dear Frank, no reason to doubt them. Finally, I've gotten to the Elaenia problem. "In summary, I believe that the record Sorry about the delay. has received proper scrutiny from the leading This is another borderline situation, which will experts in the field, and that they have be standard for small tropical flycatchers unless effectively considered and ruled out every an actual specimen is taken. To summarize my similar species, confirming the Florida bird opinion, elaborated below, this bird was unequiv- as a Caribbean Elaenia. Although the nature ocally an Elaenia, and it was 99% surely E. of the evidence makes this a borderline case, martinica. Unexpectedly, my only remaining for me it falls on the positive side of the line, doubt rests upon the song of E. albiceps, which and I am voting to accept the record." I've never heard. My reasoning follows: Motion to Add. SykedTucker. (Revote) 1. Elaenia The photograph positively confirms Vote: 9 For, 1 Against, 1 Abstain. the small-headed, short-billed, medium-crested look of a standard Elaenia. Both the photo and Dissenting Opinion: (Given above.) the numerous observers' records indicate an extensive semi-concealed white wronal patch, typical of numerous Elaenia species and virtually unknown in the rest of the family (coronal patches of other colors are wmmon, of course). I have absolutely no doubts whatsoever that the bird belonged to the genus Elaenia 2. White Coronal Patch. Only about halfthe species in the genus have a crown-patch that is sufficiently welldeveloped to fit the descriptions Other Business and photo. A few additional spp. have small, illdefined crown-patches, and these I eliminated Now under review by the Checklist (actually, in each case other fieldmarks wrrobo- Committee are the following 16 species, on rate their elimination). The following species any and each of which we welcome written show sufficient white in the crown to be wn- opinions andlor documentary evidence from sidered further: ABA members: EIaenia martinica chiriquensis fivogmter pallatangae Eurasian Jackdaw Great Frigatebird albiceps fallax Flame-colored Tanager Rufous Turtle-Dove parviros& Greenish Elaenia Muscovy Duck gigm Green Parakeet Shining Cowbird Oriental Pratinwle *Cuban Emerald 3. Lack of Conspicuous Yellow on Under- Brown Flycatcher *Cape Petrel parts. This character cannot be confirmed by the Siberian Blue Robin *Slender-billed Curlew photo because of the blurry yellowish leaf Mugimaki Flycatcher *Stejnegerls Petrel obscuring the ventral side of the bird. However, various observers noted either "no yellow" or *Delete from Checklirr? (more accurately for virtually all flycatchers)

BIRDING, December 1985 "very slight yellowish tinge". This character Barbig. Furthermore, I was impressed by the definitively eliminates flavogaster (also has peculiar behavior of madnica compared to conspicuous eye-ring, very bushy crest, and most other Elueniasit seems much more to spend distinctively harsh, burry voice), gigas (also its time within the foliage rather than above it or huge, with peculiar "double" crest, or "horns", apart from it. The analogy had not come to my surrounding a massive coronal patch, and with mind before reading the material you sent, but in distinctive song: perCHEEEER.9, chiriquensis this sense my experience with mam'nica indeed (also shows BOLD white wing-bars, a noticeable- likens it to vireo behavior rather than to more though narrow-eye-ring, usually not much typical Eluenia behavior, an observation made white in crown, and has a simple one- or by several observers of the Pensacola bird. I must two-syllable voice), pallahngae (conspicuously add, however that albiceps also is less prone to yellow-green all over, with eye-ring and bold using conspicuous perches than are many other whitish to yellowish wing-bars on black coverts). Elaenias! This leaves only mam'nica, albiceps, parvirostrir, Given the geographic picture (mam'nica is and fallax to consider. spreading and is close by, and albiceps has never been recorded outside of South America), the 4. Size. Field comparisons indicated the bird behavioral evidence (complex, warbling songs to be noticeably larger than Vireo olivaceus. This are unusual in Eluenia), and the fact that nothing is important, because it eliminates Elaenia fallax, seems wrong for mrtinica, I am quite pitive the other West Indian Elaenia, which would about this bird's being a Caribbean Elaenia-but have looked about the same size as or even a bit only 99%positive. Because the photograph itself less robust than the vireo. (E. fallax also is quite cannot conclusively confirm the identity of the yellow below, and mwt probably would not be species, the AOU Committee on Classification referred to as lacking yellow on the underparts. and Nomenclature presumably cannot assign an Its song, which I have heard, is a short, rather AOU number to this species on the basis of the nondescript note with an abrupt ending.) Also one photograph. I shall send them copies of all eliminated is E. parvirostrir, which also is about this material and my letter, and we will discuss the size of Vireo olivaceur. (It also has a pearly- the matter again. gray breast and very green upperparts that would Allow me to conclude by once again voicing have been described as more grass-green than my humble hope that birders and ornithologists "brownish-grayish olive"; I do not know its song; join forces on such records, occasionally sacrificing it is a very delicate Eluenia, and quite distinctive specimens in the interest of continued advance- within this uniform group.) ment of our knowledge of sources and causes of 5. E. martinica versus E. albiceps? I tend tropical vagrants to North American soil! I hope toward the conservative on such issues (see my that these comments have been useful. comments on the Myiopagis record, which Best regards, included hand-held photos), but I still am con- (signed)John W. Fitzpatrick fident that the Pensacola Eluenia was one of only two species, marhh or albiceps. The photograph cannot separate these two, nor can the descriptions. ABA Checklist Committee These species are very similar, and E. albkeps is highly migratory within South America (mainly Prior to May 1,1985: the Andes). Unfortunately, I do not know the Frank B. Gill, Chairman Chandler S. Robbins song of albiceps; it seems to remain pretty quiet Lawrence G. Balch Arnold Small or with a simple, single-syllable note where I D.D. Gibson Paul W. Sykes, Jr. have seen it in migration. Both species share Kenn Kaufman James A. Tucker indistinct wing-bars, whitish underparts, and the G. Stuart Keith Peter D. Vickery crest with much white in it. Many populations of Guy McCaskie albiceps have conspicuous eye-rings, but unfor- tunately some populations and some individuals After May 1,1985: do not. Frank B. Gill, Chairman J.V. Remsen Concluding remarks: I have heard E. mam'nica Lawrence G. Balch James A. Tucker on several islands in the Lesser Antilles. While Laurence C. Binford Alan Wormington not identical in detail to their notes, my own D.D. Gibson 9 notes indicate a distinctive, warbling, three-part Kenn Kaufman - song remarkably similar to the one described by

Volume XVII, Number 6