Proposal (510) to South American Classification Committee

Transfer Oenanthe oenanthe from Hypothetical List to Main List

Effect on the SACC List: This transfers a species from the Hypothetical List to the Main List.

Background: The Hypothetical List currently reads:

Oenanthe oenanthe Northern Wheatear: One unpublished photograph from Bonaire and one sight record from Curaçao (Voous 1983). A published photo from French Guiana (Renaudier et al. 2010) would represent the first acceptable record for the continent.

Renaudier et al. 2010 <www.neotropicalbirdclub.org/.../Renaudier.pdf> stated: “An adult male of the race O. o. leucorhoa was photographed at the village of Kaw on 20 October 2006 (CB, FB; Fig. 9); the first observation for continental South America. It followed an influx of the species into the eastern USA and south-west Canada, where a total of 44 was seen between 6 August and 4 November 2006.”

Photographic evidence: Despite of the numerous often confusing plumages of the 16 known species of Oenanthe, there is absolutely no confusion with a nuptial male Northern Wheatear; the combination of the blue-grey crown and back, black mask and peachy throat and breast is unique in the genus.

Recommendation: There can be no doubt about the identification and there seems to be no controversy over the authenticity of the record. I recommend a YES vote to add this species to the main list as a vagrant to the region.

Literature Cited:

RENAUDIER, A., AND COMITE D’HOMOLOGATION DE GUYANA.  2010.  Rare birds in French Guiana in 2005-07.  Cotinga 32: 95-104.

Mark Pearman, October 2011

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Comments from Pacheco: “YES. Em vista da divulgação da incontroversa evidência e do aval de Pearman.”

Comments from Pérez: “YES. Published evidence, backed up by the Comité d’Homologation de Guyane, supports its inclusion in the regional list.”

Comments from Jaramillo: “YES – I recall seeing the photo from French Guiana at one point, but I should clarify that I do not remember it that well. I trust Mark’s judgment on the identification here.”