On June 11 2025 the first version of the AviList was formally launched. You can download the list from the AviList website here: The Checklist v2025.

AviList Core Team. 2025. AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025. https://doi.org/10.2173/avilist.v2025

The list will be updated once a year.

The IOC bird list is hosted on a dedicated World Bird Names website. The list has most recently been updated twice a year, usually in January and July. The current version of the IOC bird list is v15.1, released February 28 2025.

My earlier blog post dated July 19 2025 provided a summary of how AviList v2025 differs from IOC bird list v15.1. In that blog post only a detailed analysis at Order/Family level had been completed, although some indications of how species were being treated were also provided.

My blog post of October 11 2025 provided some lower level detail about the Non-Passerine species in AviList v2025 and highlighted the differences from IOC bird list v15.1.

This blog post provides some lower level detail about the Passerine species in AviList v2025 and highlights the differences from IOC bird list v15.1.

Here is a summary of the major amendments:

Extinct species

The following three Passerine species were marked as being extant (or possibly extant) in IOC v15.1 but are annotated as ‘extinct’ in AviList v2025:

Hemignathus Hawaiian Finches  -2  [Kauai Nukupuu, Maui Nukupuu]

Loxops Hawaiian Finches  -1  [Maui Akepa]

Possibly extinct species

The following 12 Passerine species were marked as being extant (or possibly extant) in IOC v15.1 but are annotated as ‘possibly extinct’ in AviList v2025:

Calyptura Calyptura  -1  [Kinglet Calyptura]

Myrmotherula Antwrens  -1  [Rio de Janeiro Antwren]

Pomarea Monarchs  -1  [Ua Pou Monarch]

Pseudochelidon River Martins  -1  [White-eyed River Martin]

Toxostoma Thrashers  -1  [Cozumel Thrasher]

Aplonis Starlings  -1  [Pohnpei Starling]

Myadestes Hawaiian Solitaires  -1  [Olomao]

Cyornis Blue Flycatchers  -1  [Rück’s Blue Flycatcher]

Paroreomyza Alauahios  -1 [Oahu Alauahio]

Dicaeum Flowerpeckers  -1  [Cebu Flowerpecker]

Vermivora Warblers  -1  [Bachman’s Warbler]

Leucopeza Warbler  -1  [Semper’s Warbler]

New to science

None

Splits

Elaenia Elaenias  +1 species

Sakesphorus Antshrikes  +1

Thamnophilus Antshrikes  +1

Tunchiornis Greenlets  +3

Turdus Thrushes  +1

Melozone Ground Sparrows  +1

Granatellus Chats  +1

Lumps

Phibalura Cotingas  -1  [Palkachupa Cotinga]

Pachyramphus Becards  -1  [Yellow-cheeked Becard]

Mionectes Tyrant Flycatchers  -1  [Olive-striped Flycatcher]

Zimmerius Tyrannulets  -2  [Coopmans’s, Loja]

Elaenia Elaenias  -1  [Chilean Elaenia]

Nesotriccus Tyrannulets  -1  [Northern Mouse-colored Tyrannulet]

Pyrocephalus Flycatchers  -2  [Darwin’s, Vermilion]

Melanopareia Crescentchests  -1  [Double-collared Crescentchest]

Myrmotherula Antwrens  -1  [Silvery-flanked Antwren]

Ailuroedus Catbirds  -4  [Huon, Black-capped, Northern, Arfak]

Amblyornis Bowerbirds  -1  [Huon Bowerbird]

Pericrocotus Minivets  -1  [Scarlet Minivet]

Coracina Cuckooshrikes  -1  [Manus Cuckooshrike]

Colluricincla Shrikethrushes  -6  [Variable, Waigeo,
Mamberamo, Tagula, Sepik-Ramu, Rufous]

Pachycephala Whistlers  -2  [Western, Cinnamon-breasted]

Rhipidura Fantails  -1  [Biak Fantail]

Manucodia Manucodes  -1  [Tagula Manucode]

Cyanocorax Jay  -1  [Green Jay]

Corvus Crows  -1  [Hooded Crow]

Certhilauda Long-billed Larks  -2  [Benguela, Agulhas]

Galerida Larks  -1  [Maghreb Lark]

Camaroptera Camaropteras  -1  [Grey-backed Camaroptera]

Apalis Apalises  -1  [Brown-tailed Apalis]

Aegithalos Bushtits  -1  [Black-browed Bushtit]

Phylloscopus Leaf Warblers  -1  [Flores Leaf Warbler]

Arizelocichla Greenbuls  -1  [Kakamega Greenbul]

Phyllastrephus Greenbuls  -1  [Sharpe’s Greenbul]

Zosterops White-eyes  -5  [Anjouan, Aldabra,
Moheli, Black-fronted, Oya Tabu]

Pellorneum Babblers  -3  [Glissando, Leaflitter, Bornean Swamp]

Polioptila Gnatcatchers  -2  [Rio Negro, Inambari]

Gracula Mynas  -1  [Nias Hill Myna]

Aplonis Starlings  -1  [Violet-hooded Starling]

Sturnia Starlings  -1  [Malabar Starling]

Muscicapa Old World Flycatchers  -1  [Mediterranean Flycatcher]

Saxicola Stonechats  -1  [Amur Stonechat]

Myrmecocichla Chats  -1  [Ruaha Chat]

Oenanthe Wheatears  -2  [Maghreb, Basalt]

Cinnyris Sunbirds  -1  [Whyte’s Double-collared Sunbird]

Taeniopygia Finches  -1  [Australian Zebra Finch]

Erythrura Parrotfinches  -1  [Royal Parrotfinch]

Carpodacus Rosefinches  -1  [Chinese Long-tailed Rosefinch]

Chloris Greenfinches  -1  [Bonin Greenfinch]

Passerella Fox Sparrows  -3  [Sooty, Slate-colored, Thick-billed]

Atlapetes Brushfinches  -1  [Merida Brushfinch]

Cacicus Caciques  -1  [Scarlet-rumped Cacique]

Geothlypis Yellowthroats  -1  [Chiriqui Yellowthroat]

Setophaga New World Warblers  -2  [Audubon’s, Goldman’s]

Myiothlypis New World Warblers  -1  [Roraiman Warbler]

Piranga Tanagers  -2  [Tooth-billed, Hepatic]

Dacnis Dacnises  -1  [Yellow-tufted Dacnis]

Ramphocelus Tanagers  -1  [Lemon-rumped Tanager]

Kleinothraupis Hemispinguses  -1  [White-browed Hemispingus]

Revision and resequencing of families

63 Passerine families have a new or modified English name. Family: Eulacestomatidae – Ploughbill has a modified scientific name. The species in 68 families have been resequenced. 32 other families have been partially resequenced. For other revisions and an overview of how the sequencing of Passerine families has changed, see my earlier blog post of July 19 2025.

In AviList v2025 there are 6628 ‘known to be extant’ Passerine species (net -82 vs. IOC v15.1) ascribed to 144 families.

The AviList is being used as the basis for 2026 editions of ATWB Companion Guides. Work is almost complete on the implementation of the extensive changes involved, although two series have been suspended and may be partially reintroduced during 2026. Most of the planned 2026 editions were published in late 2025 and early 2026, with the remaining likely to be released before March.

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Some details …

Each of the ATWB 2026 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.

Henceforth, the ‘All the World’s Birds’ series of Companion Guides will derive its taxonomy, English names and scientific names from The Global Avian Checklist (AviList), an open access resource maintained by the AviList Core Team. The AviList is hosted on The Global Avian Checklist website, which provides access to the list in two different formats.

The version of the AviList that is being used in the ‘All the World’s Birds 2026’ series of Companion Guides is v2025, formally launched on June 11 2025. Alongside the Checklist, the AviList Core Team has provided a register of corrections, v2025 errata, which can be found here. The corrections that were available at the start of February 2026 have been incorporated into the ATWB 2026 series of Companion Guides.

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