On January 22 2021 the International Ornithological Congress (IOC) released the latest version of its world bird list (v11.1):

Gill F, D Donsker & P Rasmussen  (Eds). 2021. IOC World Bird List (v11.1). doi :  10.14344/IOC.ML.11.1.

The IOC bird list is hosted on a dedicated World Bird Names website, which provides access to the list in various different formats. The list is updated twice a year, in January and July.

The details of the changes in the v11.1 release can be found by clicking on the Updates tab on the IOC website. Here is a summary of the major amendments:

New to science

Scytalopus Tapaculos  +3 species
Ampay Tapaculo, Neblina Tapaculo, White-winged Tapaculo

Splits

Penelope Guans  +1 species

Chaetura Swifts  +1 species

Campylopterus Hummingbirds (Sabrewings)  +1 species

Gallinago Snipes  +1 species

Otus Scops Owls  +1

Bubo Eagle-Owls  +1

Pitta Pittas  +2

Synallaxis Ovenbirds (Spinetails)  +1

Herpsilochmus Antwrens  +1

Scytalopus Tapaculos  +2

Alaudala Short-toed Larks  +1

Gypsophila Ground Babblers (formerly Wren-Babblers)  +2

Myiomela Blue Robins  +1

Pyrrhula Bullfinches  +1

Chloris Greenfinches  +1

Rhynchospiza New World Sparrows  +1

Arremon New World Sparrows  +1

Lumps

Caprimulgus Nightjars  -1  [Vaurie’s Nightjar]

Chaetura Swifts  -1  [Mato Grosso Swift]

Caracara Caracaras  -1
[Northern/Southern Crested Caracara lumped as Crested Caracara]

Lepidocolaptes Ovenbirds  -1  [Layard’s Woodcreeper]

Revision and resequencing of families

Order Anseriformes has been resequenced to precede Order Galliformes.

Genus Anthracothorax of Mangos, genus Eulampis of Caribs and genus Chalcostigma of Thornbills within Family: Trochilidae – Hummingbirds have been resequenced.

Family: Musophagidae – Turacos has been revised and resequenced.

Family: Spheniscidae – Penguins has been resequenced.

Family: Strigidae – Owls has been revised and resequenced.

Genus Ara of Macaws within Family: Psittacidae – African & New World Parrots has been resequenced.

Family: Calyptomenidae – African & Green Broadbills has a modified English name.

Some species within Family: Thamnophilidae – Antbirds have been assigned to new genera.

Genus Scytalopus within Family: Rhinocryptidae – Tapaculos has been revised and partially resequenced.

Genus Lipaugus of Pihas within Family: Cotingidae – Cotingas has been resequenced.

Genus Rhipidura within Family: Rhipiduridae – Fantails has been partially resequenced.

Family: Bernieridae – Madagascan Warblers has a new English name: Tetrakas & Allies.

Family: Paradoxornithidae – Parrotbills & Allies has a modified English name.

In the IOC bird list there are now 10806 extant species (net +19) ascribed to 251 families.

One of the split species is Lesser Short-toed Lark, which some birders may well have on their UK list. The only accepted UK record was at Portland, for just one day on 2^nd May 1992. The species has now been split into:

Mediterranean Short-toed Lark Alaudala rufescens – a mainly sedentary species resident in the Canary Islands, Spain and south-east Portugal, North Africa and Middle East.

Turkestan Short-toed Lark Alaudala heinei – a partially migratory species that breeds in western Middle Asia, wintering and also resident locally in south-west Asia.

Since the two species are morphologically very similar, and the UK individual was not photographed, it is unlikely that this bird will be attributable to either species. It is thus probable that it will join the growing cohort of historical UK records that can no longer be identified to species level, thereby reducing the British Systematic List (and some birders’ UK species lists) by one.

All the v11.1 changes will be reflected in the 2022 editions of the ATWB Companion Guides. These editions will be released commencing August 2021, after publication of the next version (v11.2) of the IOC bird list.

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Some details …

Each of the ATWB 2021 Companion Guides has a number of important features, including:

– A complete taxonomic listing of bird species

– An indication of where each bird family and species can be found in its native state

– Spotlighted species that have a restricted regional or worldwide range

However, perhaps the key feature of all eBooks in the Companion Guide series is the way you can quickly and simply access relevant, up to date online information about every featured bird species. If your reading device is connected to the internet, a single click will take you to a search results page for a species, from where you can continue to search for additional information to whatever level of detail you desire.

The ‘All the World’s Birds’ series of Companion Guides derives its taxonomy, English names and scientific names from The IOC World Bird List, an open access resource maintained by the International Ornithological Congress (IOC). The IOC bird list is hosted on a dedicated World Bird Names website, which provides access to the list in various different formats.

The version of the IOC bird list used in the ‘All the World’s Birds 2021’ series of Companion Guides is Version 10.2, published July 25 2020.

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