The following was pasted from a message on another list serve that I subscribe to and was originally written by Phil Davis (I believe from the Maryland Records Committee.) Note that the Minnesota records committee will have to consider the information from the AOU but that is probably a formality as the AOU is the decider of species determinations in North America. The AOU is not into listing and as such is not concerned with issues such as that.
Dennis Martin [email protected] The 45th Supplement to the AOU Checklist is now out. It was published in the July 2004 issue of the Auk 121(3):985-995. For those not familiar with the AOU Checklist, it governs taxonomy (including splits/lumps, common names, scientific names, and order) of North American species. Note that the ABA Checklist is what governs the publication of the ABA listers totals; the ABA typically issues their own report subsequent to the release of AOU supplements. Highlights (pertaining only to north of the Mexico border): 1. The species Great-winged Petrel has been added to the checklist, based on west coast pelagic records. 2. Cackling Goose has been split and is now a separate species from Canada Goose: a. Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) [the small forms] includes the former Canada Goose subspecies hutchinsii [Richarson's], asiatica [Bering-extinct?], leucopareia [Aleutian], taverneri [part of the Lesser complex], and minima. b. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) now includes the subspecies canadensis [Atlantic], interior [Interior], maxima [Giant], moffitti [Moffit's], parvipes [the other part of the Lesser complex], fulva [Vancouver], and occidentalis [Dusky]. The Checklist committee telegraphs that more splits of this complex may be yet to come. [The separation of the Lesser complex may present a field challenge.] For a good treatment of Canada Goose subspecies (prior to the release of this supplement), check Angus Wilson's web site at ... http://www.oceanwanderers.com/CAGO.Subspecies.html 3. The common name Mongolian Plover is now Lesser Sand-plover, to agree with modern Old World literature. 4. Greater Sand-plover is added to the main checklist, based on the record from California. 5. The common name Spoonbill Sandpiper has been changed to Spoon-billed Sandpiper. 6. The common name Jungle Nightjar has been changed to Gray Nightjar to agree with modern Old World literature. 7. Willow Warbler has been moved from the Appendix and added to the main checklist, based on the record from Gambell, AK. 8. Lesser Whitethroat is added to the checklist, based on the record from Gambell, AK. 9. The common name of Siberian Flycatcher has been changed to Dark-sided Flycatcher to agree with modern Old World literature. 10. The common name of Gray-spotted Flycatcher has been changed to Gray-streaked Flycatcher to agree with modern Old World literature. 11. Spotted Flycatcher has been added to the checklist base on the record from Gambell, AK. 12. The western Alaska subspecies of Yellow Wagtail has been split from the Yellow Wagtail complex and now appears on the checklist as the Eastern Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla tschutschensis). (This is the only "yellow" wagtail on the AOU checklist.) 13. Rufous-tailed Robin has been added to the appendix (not the main checklist) based on a record from Attu. 14. Blue Rock Thrush has been added to the appendix (not the main checklist) based on a record from British Columbia. 15. There are numerous changes to scientific names.
