Southern now Australian Boobook (Ninox boobook) by Ian Montgomery

The new version of the World Bird Names from the I. O. C. raised the count to “10,738 extant species and 158 extinct species of birds of the world (Version 9.1), with subspecies (20,046) and annotations.” These birds are classified into Classification of 40 Orders, 245 Families (plus 1 Incertae sedis), 2313 Genera (World Bird Names)

Version 8.2 had 10, 711 birds listed. That is a total gain of 27 birds. This is one of the largest increases I have noticed since starting to keep track of the versions. With the DNA studies ongoing, they are finding enough differences to raise these birds to species status.

In August of 2009, about the time I started the Birds of the World pages and doing these updates, I wrote: “Considering that there are over 10,300 birds, I may be awhile. Actually, the 224 bird families are the most important. So, that will be the starting place.” That is over 400 new birds that have been added in that time span.

It also helps me understand why the Lord didn’t need to place one pair of every living species in the world on the Ark. We know that the birds and creatures were created “after their kind or families.” They have been reproducing after their kinds and the variations are showing up, but yet a Stork kind is still a Stork kind. Looking through these additions and changes, it appears the “White-eye” kind/family group have been very busy.

“Every animal, every creeping thing, every bird, and whatever creeps on the earth, according to their families, went out of the ark.” (Genesis 8:19 NKJV)

Did every species of White-eyes or Storks need to be on the ark?

Reunion Olive White-eye (Zosterops olivaceus) ©WikiC

I’ll be busy for a while updating my pages again in the Birds of the World section. The Taxonomic changes haven’t even been looked at yet. Updates will be given as they are changed. Stay tuned!

Additions and Deletions:

The code indicates whether the bird was raised from a subspecies (AS), or (NEW), or (DEL) which is usually placed back as a subspecies.

ENGLISH NAME  (SCIENTIFIC NAME) CHANGE  CODE
Chaco Nothura (Nothura chacoensis) DEL AL
Rote Boobook (Ninox rotiensis) ADD AS
Timor Boobook (Ninox fusca) ADD AS
Alor Boobook (Ninox plesseni) ADD AS
Buru Boobook (Ninox hantu) ADD AS
Green-backed Hillstar (Urochroa leucura) ADD AS
Dry-forest Sabrewing (Campylopterus calcirupicola) ADD NEW
Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner (Automolus exsertus) ADD AS
Rufous-breasted Antpitta (Grallaricula leymebambae) ADD AS
Tapajos Antpitta (Myrmothera subcanescens) ADD AS
Spotted Scrubwren (Sericornis maculatus) ADD AS
Erlanger’s Lark (Calandrella erlangeri) DEL SSP
Rufous-capped Lark  (Calandrella eremica) ADD AS
Albertine Sooty Boubou (Laniarius holomelas) ADD AS
Steppe Grey Shrike (Lanius pallidirostris) DEL AL
Chivi Vireo (Vireo chivi) ADD AS
Western Square-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus occidentalis) ADD NEW
Sharpe’s Drongo (Dicrurus sharpei) ADD AS
Fanti Drongo (Dicrurus atactus) ADD AS
Glossy-backed Drongo  (Dicrurus divaricatus) ADD AS
Rote Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus rotiensis) ADD NEW

Montane White-eye (Zosterops poliogastrus eurycricotus) ©WikiC

Mountain White-eye (Zosterops montanus) DEL AL
Swinhoe’s White-eye (Zosterops simplex) ADD AS
Enganno White-eye (Zosterops salvadorii) DEL AL
Hume’s White-eye (Zosterops auriventer) ADD AS
Sangkar White-eye (Zosterops melanurus) ADD AS
Socotra White-eye (Zosterops socotranus) ADD AS
Mbulu White-eye (Zosterops mbuluensis) ADD AS
Pale White-eye (Zosterops flavilateralis) ADD AS
Aldabra White-eye  (Zosterops aldabrensis) ADD AS
South Pare White-eye  (Zosterops winifredae) ADD AS
Southern Yellow White-eye (Zosterops anderssoni)  ADD AS
Broad-ringed White-eye  (Zosterops eurycricotus) ADD AS
Green White-eye (Zosterops stuhlmanni)  ADD AS
Chattering Gnatwren (Ramphocaenus sticturus) ADD AS
Himalayan Shortwing (Brachypteryx cruralis) ADD AS
Chinese Shortwing (Brachypteryx sinensis) ADD AS
Taiwan Shortwing (Brachypteryx goodfellowi) ADD AS
Cherrie’s Tanager (Ramphocelus costaricensis) DEL AL

Lesser Shortwing (Brachypteryx leucophris) ©Flickr Dave Curtis

Additions and Deletions – Version 9.1

Name Changes

PREVIOUS IOC LISTS SCIENTIFIC NAME IOC LIST V9.1
Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook) – Australian Boobook
Hantu Boobook (Ninox squamipila) –  Seram Boobook
Bicolored Mouse-warbler (Aethomyias nigrorufus) –  Bicolored Scrubwren
White-tailed Hillstar (Urochroa bougueri) – Rufous-gaped Hillstar
Square-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus ludwigii)  – Common Square-tailed Drongo
Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonicus)  – Warbling White-eye
Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosa) – Indian White-eye
Montane White-eye (Zosterops poliogastrus) – Heuglin’s White-eye
African Yellow White-eye (Zosterops senegalensis) – Northern Yellow White-eye
Long-billed Gnatwren (Ramphocaenus melanurus) – Trilling Gnatwren
Yellow-throated Petronia (Gymnoris superciliaris) – Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow
Bush Petronia (Gymnoris dentata) – Sahel Bush Sparrow
Yellow-spotted Petronia (Gymnoris pyrgita) – Yellow-spotted Bush Sparrow
Passerini’s Tanager (Ramphocelus passerinii) – Scarlet-rumped Tanager

Name Changes – Version 9.1

Yellow-spotted Petronia Now Yellow-spotted Bush Sparrow (Gymnoris pyrgita) ©WikiC

Plus, there were numerous changes in Taxonomy. Here is the link to those changes and why they were changed:

Taxonomic Updates Version 9.1

Birds of the World