A classification of the bird species of South America
South American Classification Committee American Ornithologists' Union
RECENT CHANGES
(since 1 March 2005; updated 27 June 2008)
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Merge Buteo poecilochrous into B. polyosoma (Proposal 317; passed 27 June 08)
Treat Phoenicopterus roseus as separate species from P. ruber (Proposal 345; passed 5 June 08)
Reassign Dichropogon to Willisornis (Proposal 340; passed 29 May 08)
Recognize Atlapetes blancae as a species (Proposal 332; passed 8 May 2008)
Recognize the genus Dendroplex Swainson 1827 (Dendrocolaptidae) as valid (Proposal 316; passed 6 May 2008)
Change linear sequence of species in the genus Turdus (Proposal 338; passed 1 May 2008)
Change linear sequence of species in the genus Trogon (Proposal 337; passed 1 May 2008)
Change English name of Gallinula chloropus from "Common Moorhen" to "Common Gallinule" (Proposal 335; passed 1 May 2008)
Use of Pyrilia over Gypopsitta (Proposal 333; passed 1 May 2008)
Move Sapayoa aenigma to Eurylaimidae (Proposal 336; passed 24 Apr. 2008)
Modify English names of some Poecilotriccus flycatchers (Proposal 334; passed 24 Apr. 2008)
Add Ardeola ralloides (Squacco Heron) to main list (Proposal 330; passed 24 Apr. 2008)
Recognize Formicivora grantsaui as a valid species (Proposal 325; passed 31 Mar. 08)
Reinstate Ochetorhynchus and merge Chilia and Eremobius into it (Proposal 324; passed 31 Mar. 08)
Recognize the genus Tarphonomus for two "Upucerthia" (Proposal 323; passed 31 Mar. 08)
Remove Saltatricula from Emberizidae (Proposal 322; passed 31 Mar. 08)
Remove Parkerthraustes and Saltator from Cardinalidae (Proposal 321; passed 31 Mar. 08)
Transfer Amaurospiza to Cardinalidae (Proposal 320; passed 31 Mar. 08)
Transfer Granatellus to Cardinalidae (Proposal 319; passed 31 Mar. 08)
Rearrange Neotropical swallow genera (Proposal 314; passed 31 Mar. 08)
Transfer Piranga, Habia, and Chlorothraupis to Cardinalidae (Proposal 318; passed 24 Mar. 08)
Change English name of Chroicocephalus (formerly Larus) ridibundus (Proposal 315; passed 24 Mar. 08)
Modify English name of "Guttulated Foliage-gleaner" (Syndactyla guttulata) (Proposal 331; passed 24 Mar. 08)
Change the English name of Melanodera melanodera from "Canary-winged Finch" to "White-bridled Finch" (Proposal 296: passed 28 Feb. 08)
Split Thalassarche cauta into three species (Proposal 255: passed 28 Feb. 08)
Add Chroicocephalus (formerly Larus) ridibundus (Common Black-headed Gull) to main list (Proposal 311: passed 30 Jan. 08)
Add Tringa glareola (Wood Sandpiper) to main list (Proposal 310: passed 8 Jan. 08)
Add Platalea leucorodia (Eurasian Spoonbill) to main list (Proposal 309: passed 8 Jan. 08)
Add Ardea purpurea (Purple Heron) to main list (Proposal 308: passed 8 Jan. 08)
Adopt the Family Tityridae (Proposal 313; passed 28 Nov 07)
Change linear sequence of species in Thamnophilus (Proposal 305; passed 28 Nov 07)
Change English name of Thalurania colombica (sensu stricto) to "Violet-crowned Woodnymph" (Proposal 303: passed 30 Oct 07)
Elevate subspecies humaythae, brunneiceps, and rufifacies (within Schistocichla leucostigma) to species rank (Proposal 301: passed 30 Oct 07)
Split Hypocnemis cantator by elevating H. flavescens, peruviana, subflava, ochrogyna and striata to species rank (Proposal 299: passed 30 Oct 07)
Change English name of T. nudigenis to something besides "Bare-eyed" (Proposal 295: passed 30 Oct 07)
Change linear sequence of species in Veniliornis (Proposal 292: passed 30 Oct 07)
Change the linear sequence of thamnophilid genera: move Hypocnemis adjacent to Drymophila (Proposal 300: passed 29 Oct 07)
Treat Buteogallus subtilis as a subspecies of B. anthracinus (Proposal 294: passed 29 Oct 07)
291. Change linear sequence in Tangara (Proposal 291: passed 29 Oct 07)
Recognize Eriocnemis isabellae as a species (Proposal 302: passed 24 Oct 07)
Recognize Cnipodectes superrufus as a valid species (Proposal 297: passed 24 Oct 07)
Change English name of Cnipodectes to Twistwing (II) (Proposal 298: passed 1 Oct 07)
Lump the genera Arremon, Buarremon, and Lysurus in an expanded genus Arremon (Proposal 289; passed 1 Oct 07)
Recognize the Cariamidae in their own Order, Cariamiformes (Proposal 290; passed 1 Oct 07)
Change genera and linear sequence within the gulls (Larinae) (Proposal 250: passed 26 Sep 07)
Recognize four species of Sporophila within the Sporophila americana superspecies (Proposal 287: passed 24 Sep 07)
Split Coccycua from Coccyzus (Proposal 229: passed 24 Sep 07)
Merge Nesomimus into Mimus (Proposal 220: passed 24 Sep 07)
Revive the genus Dichropogon (Proposal 286: passed 4 Sep 07)
Change linear order of Cracidae genera (Proposal 285 B: passed 4 Sep 07)
Classification within Falconidae (Proposal 281: passed 4 Sep 07)
Transfer Paroaria to Thraupidae (Proposal 276: passed 4 Sep 07)
Transfer some Sakesphorus species into Thamnophilus (Proposal 278; passed 29 Aug 07)
Recognize sister relationship between Podicipediformes and Phoenicopteriformes (Proposal 274; passed 29 Aug 07)
Split Icterus icterus into three species (Proposal 288; passed 18 July 07)
Use of Agriornis albicauda for Agriornis andicola (Normand David) (Proposal 280; passed 18 July 07)
Change spelling of Phylloscartes paulistus to Phylloscartes paulista (Proposal 279; passed 18 July 07)
Recognize the genus Epinecrophylla (Proposal 275; passed 18 July 07)
Change English names of Turdus nudigenis, T. assimilis. T. grayi, and T. albicollis to "Thrush" (Proposal 260; passed 18 July 07)
Change the English name of Caprimulgus heterurus from Santa Marta Nightjar to "Todd's Nightjar" (Proposal 252; passed 18 July 07)
Macropsalis forcipata has priority over Macropsalis creagra (Proposal 266; passed 8 July 07)
Change linear sequence of genera in the Trochilidae (Proposal 267; passed 8 July 07)
Change spelling of "Cloudforest" to "Cloud-forest" Screech-Owl (Megascops marshalli) (Proposal 269; passed 8 July 07)
Subfamilies and linear sequence in the Furnariidae (Proposal 272; passed 8 July 07)
Recognize Leptodon forbesi (Proposal 273; passed 5 July 07)
Transfer Veniliornis fumigatus to Picoides (Proposal 263: passed 22 June 07)
Transfer Piculus rubiginosus and P. rivolii from Piculus to Colaptes (Proposal 265; passed 22 June 07)
Separate Pelecanus thagus from P. occidentalis (Proposal 271; passed 22 June 07)
Reassign Salvatoria to Alipiopsitta (Proposal 254; passed 25 May 07)
Transfer Picoides mixtus and P. lignarius to Veniliornis (Proposal 262; passed 25 May 07)
Change the English name of Melanodera melanodera from Black-throated Finch to Canary-winged Finch (Proposal 257; passed 21 May 07)
Split Conopias parvus from C. albovittatus (Proposal 251: passed 5 Mar. 07)
Eliminate Kalinowski's Tinamou Nothoprocta kalinowskii from the list of South American species (Proposal 246; passed 14 Feb. 2007)
Remove Melanopareia from the Rhinocryptidae and create family Melanopareiidae (Proposal 239; passed 31 Jan. 07)
Change classification of the Formicariidae, including recognition of family Grallariidae (Proposal 235; passed 31 Jan. 07)
Change linear sequence of genera in Trogonidae (Proposal 230; passed 31 Jan. 07)
Merge Platycichla into Turdus (Proposal 247: passed 29 Dec. 06)
Change the English name of Celeus obrieni to Kaempfer's Woodpecker (Proposal 249: passed 29 Dec. 06)
Change English names of three species of mockingbirds in the Galapagos Islands (Proposal 242; passed 29 Dec. 06)
Merge Catoptrophorus and Heteroscelus into Tringa (Proposal 227: passed 27 Dec. 06)
Include Oroaetus and Spizastur in Spizaetus (Proposal 233: passed 27 Dec. 06)
Transfer "Amazona" xanthops to the monotypic genus Salvatoria (Proposal 234: passed 27 Dec. 06)
Change linear sequence of Henicorhina species (Proposal 236: passed 27 Dec. 06)
Change linear sequence of forest Tinamidae genera (Proposal 237: passed 27 Dec. 06)
Change linear sequence of Nothocercus species (Proposal 238: passed 27 Dec. 06)
Recognize Schistocichla saturata as a species separate from S. leucostigma (Proposal 240: passed 27 Dec. 06)
Eliminate Sporophila insulata from the list of South American birds (Proposal 245: passed 27 Dec. 06)
Remove Cathartidae from Ciconiiformes (Proposal 241; passed 18 Dec. 06)
Change to lower case "s" in English name "Painted-Snipe" (Nycticryphes) (Proposal 225; passed 18 Dec. 06)
Reassign Chordeiles vielliardi to genus Nyctiprogne (Proposal 232; passed 15 Dec. 06)
Change name of Bahia Spinetail from Synallaxis cinereus to S. whitneyi (Proposal 223; passed 15 Dec. 06)
Change English name of Neopipo cinnamomea to Cinnamon Manakin-Tyrant (Proposal 187C; passed 15 Dec. 06)
Merge Asturina into Buteo (Proposal 228; passed 12 Oct. 06)
Recognize Caprimulgus heterurus as a separate species from C. parvulus (Proposal 169; passed 11 Oct. 2006)
Change linear sequence in South American Mimus (Proposal 221; passed 22 August 06)
Remove hyphen from English name "Crescent-chest" (Melanopareia) (Proposal 217; passed 31 July 06)
Remove hyphen from English name "Bamboo-wren" (Psilorhamphus) (Proposal 216; passed 31 July 06)
Split Gypopsitta from Pionopsitta (Proposal 212; passed 31 July 06)
Change linear sequence in Gypopsitta (Proposal 213; passed 31 July 06)
Recognize Politoptila clementsi (Proposal 203; passed 31 July 06)
Remove hyphen in the English name "Violet-ear" (Proposal 199; passed 31 July 06)
Transfer Philydor dimidiatum to the genus Syndactyla (Proposal 198; passed 31 July 06)
Add Gallinula angulata to Main List (Proposal #208; passed 16 July 06)
Add Falco tinnunculus to Main List (Proposal #207; passed 7 June 06)
Recognize Scytalopus pachecoi as a valid species (Proposal #196; passed 1 June 06)
Resurrect genus Helicolestes for Rostrhamus hamatus (Proposal #201; passed 1 June 06)
Change English names of Phaethornis longirostris and P. superciliosus to Long-billed Hermit and Long-tailed Hermit, respectively (Proposal #205; passed 1 June 06)
Treat Amazilia rondoniae as a subspecies of A. versicolor (Proposal #188; passed 25 May 06).
Recognize Scytalopus rodriguezi as a valid species. (Proposal #195; passed 25 May 06)
Recognize Scytalopus stilesi as a valid species (Proposal #193; passed 17 March 06)
Split Pyrrhura griseipectus and P. pfrimeri from P. leucotis (Proposal #181; passed 16 Dec. 05)
Change linear sequence of penguins (Spheniscidae) (Proposal #183; passed 16 Dec. 05)
Recognize Coeligena orina as a species distinct from C. bonapartei (Proposal #185; passed 16 Dec. 05)
Add suborders in Charadriiformes (Proposal #179)
Reassign Propyrrhura to Primolius (Proposal #177)
Change genera and linear sequence within the terns (Sterninae) (Proposal #175)
Change linear sequence of species in Geositta (Proposal #172)
Hydrobatidae divided into two subfamiles (Proposal #167)
Linear sequence of families in Charadriiformes changed to reflect recent findings (Proposal #148)
Urosticte ruficrissa (Rufous-vented Whitetip) treated as a separate species from U. benjamini (Purple-bibbed Whitetip) (Proposal #141)
Puffinus subalaris (Galapagos Shearwater) treated as a separate species from P. lherminieri (Audubon's Shearwater) (Proposal #160)
Amazilia cupreicauda considered conspecific with A. viridigaster (Proposal #168)
Cichlopsis moved in linear sequence of Turdidae from near Myadestes to after Entomodestes (Proposal #165)
Wilsonia pusilla moved from Hypothetical List to Main List based on published photos from Colombia
===============
Proposals that did not pass:
Proposal 147. Recognize Eriocnemis sapphiropygia as a species separate from E. luciani
Proposal 152 to change English name of Chamaeza meruloides to Cryptic Antthrush
Proposal 159 to change English name of Myrmotherula grisea to Yungas Antwren
Proposal 162 to treat H. micraster and H. exortis as conspecific
Proposal 163 to change English name of H. micraster to Flame-throated Sunangel
Proposal 164 to split Philodice from Calliphlox
Proposal 166. Re-lump Thalassarche eremita and Thalassarche salvini with Thalassarche cauta
Proposal 170 to lump the two species of Topaza
Proposal 171 to Change English names of Myioborus redstarts to whitestarts
Proposal 173. Lump Zimmerius chrysops into Z. viridiflavus
Proposal 174. Lump Synallaxis albilora into S. gujanensis
Proposal 176. Split Pionus seniloides from P. tumultuosus
Proposal 178. Change classification of Phaethorninae
Proposal 180. Merge Sternoclyta and Hylonympha into Eugenes
Proposal 184. Change English name of Cnipodectes subbrunneus
Proposal 186. Merge Limnoctites into Cranioleuca
Proposal 187A. Change English name of Neopipo cinnamomea to "Cinnamon Neopipo" (failed to pass 2006)
Proposal 187B. Change English name of Neopipo cinnamomea to "Cinnamon Tyrant" (failed to pass 2006)
Proposal 189. Adopt guidelines for the assessment of introduced species (failed to pass 2006)
Proposal 190. Place Oceanodroma in the synonymy of Hydrobates
Proposal 191. Reassign species in Oceanodroma to other genera (failed to pass 2006)
Proposal 194. Change English name of the Schiffornis (failed to pass 2006)
Proposal 200. New genus name, Procacicus, for Cacicus solitarius (failed to pass 24 Sep 07)
Proposal 202. Resurrect genus Pipromorpha (failed to pass 2006)
Proposal 204. Treat Polioptila guianensis as three separate species (failed to pass 2006)
Proposal 206. Merge Schistes into Augastes (failed to pass 2006)
Proposal 209. Split Crypturellus columbianus from C. erythropus (failed to pass Sep. 2006) Proposal 210. Split Crypturellus idoneus from C. erythropus (failed to pass Sep. 2006)
Proposal 211. Split Crypturellus saltuarius from C. erythropus (failed to pass Sep. 2006) Proposal 214. Remove hyphen from English name "Painted-Snipe" (Nycticryphes) (failed to pass Sep. 2006) Proposal 215. Add hyphen to English name "Softtail" (Thripophaga) (failed to pass Sep. 2006)
Proposal 218. Add hyphen to English name "Anttthrush" (Formicarius) (failed to pass Sep. 2006)
Proposal 224. Change English name of Brotogeris versicolurus to White-winged Parakeet (failed to pass Dec. 2006)
Proposal 226. Change to lower case "p" in English name "Storm-Petrel" (Hydrobatidae) (failed to pass Dec. 2006)
Proposal 231. Split Acestrura from Chaetocercus (failed to pass Dec. 2006)
Proposal 243. Change the name of Least Pygmy-Owl to Glaucidium sicki (failed to pass Dec. 2006)
Proposal 244. Change English name of Sapayoa aenigma to Broad-billed Sapayoa (failed to pass Dec. 2006)
Proposal 248. Change English Name of Xenornis setifrons to Speckled Antshrike (failed to pass Dec. 2006)
Proposal 253. Change English name of Oceanodroma hornbyi to "Hornby's Storm-Petrel" (failed to pass July 2007)
Proposal 256. Move Caprimulgus candicans from Caprimulgus to Eleothreptus (failed to pass June 2007)
Proposal 258. Add hyphen to English name "Flowerpiercer" (Diglossa) (failed to pass May 2007)
Proposal 259. Change English name of Coragyps atratus to "American Black Vulture" (failed to pass May 2007)
Proposal 261a. Split Dysithamnus plumbeus and D. leucostictus (failed to pass May 2007)
Proposal 261b. Split Dysithamnus tucuyensis from D. plumbeus or D. leucostictus (failed to pass May 2007)
Proposal 264. Merge Oryzoborus into Sporophila (failed to pass May 2007)
Proposal 268. Change spelling of "Neotropic" to "Neotropical" Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) (failed to pass June 2007)
Proposal 270. Change spelling of "Lacrimose" to "Lachrymose" Mountain-Tanager (Anisognathus lacrymosus) (failed to pass June 2007)
Proposal 277. Merge Pipile into Aburria. (failed to pass July 2007)
Proposal 282. Merge Geranoaetus into Buteo (failed to pass July 2007)
Proposal 283. Change linear sequence of species in Hemispingus (failed to pass Aug 07)
Proposal 284. Split Hemispingus piurae from H. melanotis (failed to pass Aug 07)
Proposal 285A. Recognize Cracidae subfamilies Cracinae and Penelopinae (failed to pass 24 Sep 07)
Proposal 304. Change English name of Goethalsia bella to "Rufous-cheeked Hummingbird" (failed to pass 1 Oct 07)
Proposal 307. Change the English name of Brotogeris versicolurus to White-winged Parakeet (failed to pass 24 Apr. 08)
Proposal 312. Recognize the genera (A) Dixiphia and (B) Ceratopipra (failed to pass 24 Apr. 08)
Proposal 326. Elevate the subspecies pulsatrix of the Spectacled Owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata) to species (failed to pass 24 Apr. 08)
Proposal 327. Split Schiffornis turdinus into 5 species (failed to pass 27 May 08)
Proposal 328. Elevate Bubo v. magellanicus (Strigidae) to species level (failed to pass 16 May 08)
Proposal 329. Recognize Scytalopus diamantinensis (Diamantina Tapaculo) as a valid species
Proposal 339. Change English name of Phrygilus carbonarius (failed to pass 1 May 08)
Proposal 341 Reinstate Pipromorpha for the rufous Mionectes (2) (failed to pass 8 May 08)
Proposal 342. Split Myiobius barbatus into multiple species (failed to pass 29 May 08)
Proposal 343. Split Myiobius ridgwayi from Myiobius atricaudus (failed to pass 29 May 08)
Proposal 344. Merge Saltatricula into Saltator (failed to pass 6 June 08)
Proposal 346. Remove subfamily names from the Main List (failed to pass 2 June 08)
Proposal 347. Change the linear sequence of orders and families to follow that in Handbook of the Birds of the World (failed to pass 16 May 08)
Proposal 348. Merge Pterconemia into Rhea (failed to pass 17 July 08)
Proposal 349. Split Pyrilia coccinicollaris from P. haematotis (failed to pass 5 June 08)
Proposal 350. Treat Xolmis salinarum as a subspecies of X. rubetra (failed to pass 5 June 08)
Proposal 352. Move Anas platyrhynchos (Mallard) to main list