Brit. Birds 81: 355-377; Ibis 130: Supplement), the Ibritish Ornithologists' Union's Records Committee Put Forward Proposals (Based on Groundwork by the Late P
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British Birds VOLUME 85 NUMBER 6 JUNE 1992 English names of West Palearctic birds T. P. Inskipp and J. T. R. Sharrock on behalf of the BOU Records Committee and 'British Birds' n a previous paper [Brit. Birds 81: 355-377; Ibis 130: Supplement), the IBritish Ornithologists' Union's Records Committee put forward proposals (based on groundwork by the late P. J. Grant, TPI and JTRS) for revising the names of birds on the West Palearctic list and invited comments and counter proposals from the world's English-speaking ornithologists. Over 200 people responded, with suggestions and mostly constructive criticism. In December 1990, a Round Table Discussion on the world standardisation of English names was convened by P. William Smith at the XX International Ornithological Congress held in Christchurch, New Zealand. As a result, a Working Group on English names was officially formed, under the auspices of the IOC and the chairmanship of Burt L. Monroe Jr, with the remit from the IOC to make proposals for a single list of standardised English names for the world's birds. It was agreed that the base-line for these names should be those in the recently published book, Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the \lirit. Bird* 85: 263-290, Jura- 1992| 263 264 English names of West Pakarctic birds World (1990) by Charles G. Sibley & Burt L. Monroe Jr, which had benefited from advice given by an international group of 15 ornithologists {including JTRS). Following the IOC meeting, TPI and JTRS analysed the responses to the earlier paper, and made modified proposals, taking into consideration not only the comments received from BOU members and British Birds readers, but also the implications of the names adopted by Sibley & Monroe (1990). These re vised proposals were discussed by the BOU Records Committee and, with a few exceptions, were presented to the BOU Council in late 1991. The Council agreed that these names should go forward as the BOU's recommen dations to the IOC Working Group, accepting that further discussion would inevitably lead to some of the proposed names being changed. In the instances where opinions on names remain divided, both options are listed here. Thus, whereas the earlier BOURC paper {Brit. Birds 81: .'355-377; Ibis 130: Supplement) explained reasons for suggesting changes from current British practice {The 'British Birds' List of Birds of the Western Pakarctic, 1984, and the BOU's 'The Status of Birds in Britain and Ireland, 1971 with modifications as noted in BOURC reports), this present paper aims to give publicity to the relevant names in Sibley & Monroe (1990), of which the BOU has accepted 88.0% and British Birds has accepted 87.2%. and to explain the reasons for suggesting that 117 of the Sibley & Monroe names (less than 14%) might be bettered. The resulting list of proposed names is, dius, a combination of proposals re sulting from work by the BOURC, by Sibley & Monroe (1990) and their 15 international contacts, by the even-wider international forum resulting from the BOURC's earlier correspondence request, and by British Birds. Anyone viewing these proposed names should be aware of the significant moves towards resolving differences between American and British names which have already been made by Sibley & Monroe (1990) and, earlier, by the American Ornithologists' Union {Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edn, 1983). Some problem areas remain (e.g. loons versus divers, jaegers versus skuas), and these will have to be resolved within the next few years. The list presented here contains 200 changes from current British practice which have been agreed by both the BOU and British Birds. On the outstanding differ- ences- -26 names over which the BOU and British Birds differ- we now seek to determine readers' opinions by means of a postal vote spage vii). On the re maining discrepancies between the list published here and the Sibley & Mon roe names, we hope that readers with constructive comments will send them, as requested {Brit. Birds 85: 47), to Burt L. Monroe Jr. The opportunity has been taken here to update the West Pakarctic list maintained by British Birds, with additions and corrections up to 31st August 1991. The sequence and scientific nomenclature continue to follow the long- established and familiar order (K. H. Voous, 1977, list of Recent Hohrctk Bird Species), apart from the following changes adopted by the BOURC: Ptiffimts velkouan is separated from P. puffinus, Moms bassanus replaces Sula bassana, Pluvialis fuha is separated from P. deminwa, and Anthus petrosus and A. rubescens are separated from A. spinoletia; and the splitting of one non-British species: Aquila nipalensis is separated from A. rapax. English names of West Palearctic birds 265 The 'British Birds' /British Ornithologists' Union List of Birds of the Western Palearctic: proposed new English namest Where the recommended new name or the taxonomy differs from that used by Sibley & Monroe (1990), explanations are listed under numbers 1-117. An asterisk against the scientific name indicates a species not included in The 'British Birds' List of Birds of Hie Western Palearctic (1984); the basis for each of these additions to the list is given in the Appendix (pages 289-290). Current English name used by British Birds OJ Name in Siblcs & the British Ornithologists' Monroe ;199(};, Scientific name Proposed formal English name Union, irdiflerem if different Note s'I rUTHIOMDAI. Shvthio aimehi- Ostrich (iAVIinAl. (iavia sleltata Red-throated Dive! Red-throated Eoon 1 daiia ardica Arctic Diver j/M Black-throated Diver -BOU; Black-throated Diver Arctic ljoon 1 (m-m immer Great Northern Diver Common Eooti 1 (iai'ia adnm.su Yellow-billed Diver White-billed Diver Yellow-billed liOon 1 rnoiui'i-niDAi. Padihmbus pttdkeps Pied-billed Grrhr lachybaptus ruficollis Little Grebe Podkeps aistatus Great Grested Grebe Podiceps gmegenn Red-necked Grebe Podiceps auntus Slavonian Grebe Horned Grebe 2 Padiceps nigriasliis Black-necked Grebe DIOMKDKmAI. Ihamedea melanophm Black-browed Albatross Dhmedea eauta Shy Albatross Ihomedea exulam Wandering Albatross I'ROCIll.LARIlDAr, Fulmarus giarialis Northern Fulmar Fulmar Daption capense* Gape Petrel ftaodrama mollis; Soft-phimaged Petrel 3 Jierndroma hasttatn Gapped Petrel Black-capped Petrel 4 Pterodmrnti incerta Sehlegcrs Petrel Atlantic Petrol 5 Buiweria htdwmi Bulwer's Petrel Buiweria fallax* Jouanin's Petrel Calonedns dvmiedea Cory's Shearwater (klomctm kucomelas * Streaked Shearwater Puftinus rameipes Flesh-footed Shearwater (BOU) Pale-footed Shearwater (BB) Paie-foot rd Shearwater Flesh-footed Shearwater 6 Ihtffinus gravis Great Shearwater Puffinus paafirus * Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffintt-f gmern Soory Shearwater Pujfmus pujfinus Manx Shearwater Ihtjfinus yelkouan* Mediterranean Shearwater Yelkouan Shearwater 7 Pufjinus thmmnteri* Audubon's Shearwater 8 Pu/jintii assimilis little Shearwater HVDROHAIIDAI, (keanitrs oceatunv, Wilson's Storm-petrel Wilson's Petrel Pekigodroma manna White-Faced Storm-petrel White-faced Petrel (BB) Frigate Petrel {BOU; Fregetta graliaria* White-bellied Storm-pet re! TThese new names are not being adopted immediately, cither by us or by the BOU. to give time for further comments to be received. The British Birds Editorial Board plans, however, to adopt a final version of these names within one or two years. Ef)S 266 English names of West Pakarctk birds Current English name used by British Birds or Name in Sibley & the British Ornithologists' Monroe ;10<M)L Scientific name Proposed forma! English name Union, if diflerem if dirterem Note Hydrobates pelagtcns European Storm-petrel Storm Petrel (keanadroma kucorhoa Leach's Storm-petrel 1-eacfTs Petrel Oimnodmma monorkis Swinhoe's Storm-petrel Swinhoe's Petrel 9 (keanodmma castrv Madeiran Storm-petrel Madeiran Petrel Band-rumped Storm-petrel 10 PHAKTHOXTIDAK Phaethon aethereus Red-billed Tropiebird SIILIDAI: Sula sula* Red-footed Booby Sula dactylatra* Masked Booby Sula Immgrnkr Brown Booby Morns himamis Northern Gannet Gannet Adorns rap&uis* (jape Gannet iJHAI.A<;R<K:ORAt'.[DAK Phakcrocorax carbo Great Cormorant Cormorant 11 Phalanocorax auritus* Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocarax aristatelu European Shag Shag Phaiarmanax nigrogitlffm Soootra Cormorant Phalacrocmax pvgmeus Pygmy Cormorant Phalaaocorax afiimnus 1-ong-tailed (lonnorant ANH1\(JU)AK Anhinga rndmiogaster Darter 12 l'K].r.<:A\il>Ai; Pelecanus onocrotalus Great White Pelican While Pelican Pekcanm crispiis Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus rufescens Pink-backed Pelican muixnww. Fregata magnificem Magnificent Frigafcbird ARDKIDAK Botaurus siellaris Great Bittern Bittern Botaurux lentigino.ms American Bittern hohychus exilis Least Bittern Ixobrychus minutim Little Bittern Ixobrychus mrhytfmim Sehrenck's Bittern Schrenck's little Bittern Ardeimlius sturmii Dwarf Bittern Jtyctkwax nydicarax Black-crowned Night Heron Night Heron Butorides striatus Striated Heron Green-backed Heron ~{BB} VS Green Heron (BOU) Ardeola raUoides Squaeco Heron Ardmk grayii Indian Pond Heron Ardeok bcurhus* Chinese Pond Heron Bubukus this Cattle Egret llydramma camdm little Blue Heron Hydranassa tricolor* Trieolored Heron Hydmnmm ardesiam Black Heron Black Egret Egretta thula* Snowy Egret Egretta gulari\ Western Reef Egret Western Reef Heron Egretta garzetta Little Egret Egretta intermedia Intermediate Egret Yellow-billed Egret Egretta alba Great Egret Great White Egret Ardea cinerea Grey Heron Heron (BOU) * Ardea herodias* Great Blue Heron Ardea purpurea Purple Heron Ardea goliuth Goliath