T

his is the 20th published report of the

ABA Checklist Committee (hereafter,
CLC), covering the period July 2008

July 2009. There were no changes to committee membership since our previous report
(Pranty et al. 2008). Kevin Zimmer has been
elected to serve his second term (to expire at
the end of 2012), and Bill Pranty has been
reelected to serve as Chair for a fourth year.
During the preceding 13 months, the CLC finalized votes on five species. Four species were accepted
and added to the ABA Checklist, while one species
was removed. The number of accepted species on the
ABA Checklist is increased to 960. In January 2009,
the seventh edition of the ABA Checklist (Pranty et al.
2009) was published. Each species is numbered from
1 (Black-bellied Whistling-Duck) to 957 (Eurasian
Tree Sparrow); ancillary numbers will be inserted for
all new species, and these numbers will be included
in our annual reports. Production of the seventh edition of the ABA Checklist occupied much of Prantys
and Dunns time during the period, and this commitment helps to explain the relative paucity of votes
during 20082009 compared to our other recent annual reports.

New Species Accepted

Swinhoes Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma monorhis).

ABA CLC Record #2009-02. One individual, thought
to be a juvenile in slightly worn plumage, in the Atlantic Ocean at 3457 N, 7505 W, approximately 65
kilometers east-southeast of Hatteras Inlet, Cape Hatteras, North Carolina on 2 June 2008. Discovered and
well-photographed by J. Brian Patteson, Steve N. G.
Howell, and others on an organized pelagic trip (Patteson et al. 2009). Accepted unanimously by the CLC.
The Swinhoes Storm-Petrel breeds in the western
Pacific Ocean, primarily on islands off Japan, and

38

BIRDING NOVEMBER 2009

ranges during the non-breeding season to

the Indian Ocean, with nearly annual reports
recently in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean
(Patteson et al. 2009). Questions remain
about whether there may be a breeding population in the Atlantic. Howell and Patteson
(2008) provide identification criteria for separating Swinhoes Storm-Petrel from other
dark-rumped storm-petrels. The CLC rejected a previous report (#2002-06) of Swinhoes Storm-Petrel off North Carolina on 8
August 1998 (OBrien et al. 1999) because
the photographs submitted were of insufficient quality to rule out a dark-rumped
Leachs Storm-Petrel (Robbins et al. 2003);
this record was likewise rejected by the AOU
(2000) but was accepted by the North Carolina Bird Records Committee (LeGrand et
al. 2001). The record of a Swinhoes StormPetrel off Alaska on 5 August 2003
was added to the unsubstantiated
list by the Alaska Checklist Committee (D. D. Gibson, personal
communication). Flood (2009)
discusses reports of darkrumped storm-petrels in the eastern Atlantic and concludes that
most or all pertain to this species.
Swinhoes Storm-Petrel (146.1) is placed
on the ABA Checklist as a Code 5 species
provisionally between Band-rumped
Storm-Petrel (146) and Wedge-rumped
Storm-Petrel (147), pending acceptance
and placement by the AOU.
White-crested Elaenia (Elaenia albiceps).
ABA CLC Record #2008-10. One calling individual at South Padre Island, Texas on 9
10 February 2008. Found by Daniel Jones
and observed, photographed, and audiorecorded by Martin Reid and several others
(Reid and Jones 2009). Identified as an
Elaenia by its crest and conspicuous white
coronal patch, identified to species by
plumage and vocalizations, and identified
as the migratory subspecies E. a. chilensis by
vocalizations and photographic analysis of
plumage and wing formula (Reid and Jones

WWW.ABA.ORG

2009). Accepted unanimously by the Texas

Bird Records Committee and by the CLC.
The chilensis subspecies of White-crested
Elaenia breeds in the southern two-thirds
of Chile and Argentina and is a long-distant
migrant to its wintering grounds, primarily
in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia, but with
scattered reports over a wide region of central and southern South America. Vagrants
have appeared in Colombia, the Falkland
Islands, and the Drake Passage between
South America and Antarctica (Reid and
Jones 2009).
White-crested Elaenia (554.1) is placed
on the ABA Checklist as a Code 5 species
provisionally between Greenish Elaenia
(554) and Tufted Flycatcher (556), pending
acceptance and placement by the AOU.
Note that Caribbean Elaenia (555) has
been removed from the Checklist
(see next page).

Bill Pranty

Crowned Slaty-Flycatcher
(Empidonomus aurantioatrocristatus). ABA CLC Record
#2009-03. One adult male photographed alive and then collected at Peveto Beach Woods,
Cameron Parish, Louisiana on 3 June 2008.
The bird was observed alive solely by Paul
Conover and Buford Myers (Conover and
Myers 2009). Identified by its size (equivalent to an Eastern Phoebe); pale gray face
and underparts with a yellowish tinge to the
vent and undertail coverts; gray-brown
back and wing coverts; blackish lores, eye
patch, and auriculars separated from the
blackish crown by a gray supercilium; and
blackish soft parts. The specimen, prepared
as a study skin (LSUMNS #180361 at
Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science), was heavily worn with no
molt, and had accumulated heavy fat deposits. Accepted unanimously by the
Louisiana Bird Records Committee
(Dittmann 2008) and by the CLC.
The Crowned Slaty-Flycatcher breeds
from Bolivia to Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay,

University of Florida

8515 Village Mill Row

Bayonet Point, Florida 34667

Jon L. Dunn
R.R. 2, Box 52R
Bishop, California 93514

Steven C. Heinl
P.O. Box 23101
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901

Andrew W. Kratter
Florida Museum of Natural History
P.O. Box 117800

Gainesville, Florida 32611

Paul E. Lehman
11192 Portobelo Drive
San Diego, California 92124

Mark W. Lockwood
402 East Harriet Avenue
Alpine, Texas 79830

Bruce Mactavish
37 Waterford Bridge Road
St. Johns, Newfoundland A1E IC5

Kevin J. Zimmer
1665 Garcia
Atascadero, California 93422

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ABA CH ECKLIST REP O RT

western Mexico, by voice, barring on wing coverts, and pale

(rather than buffy) underparts (Howell and Webb 1995). Accepted unanimously by the Arizona Birds Committee
and by the CLC. A second Sinaloa Wren was found at
Fort Huachuca, Arizona on 1418 April 2009.
The Sinaloa Wren is endemic to the Pacific slope of
Mexico, resident from Sonora to western Oaxaca (Howell and Webb 1995). It may be expanding its range, as
it now breeds north to at least Santo Domingo, about
110 kilometers south of the U.S. border (Russell and
Monson 1998). It is found in thickets in thornscrub
and tropical deciduous forest, particularly areas with
large emergent trees, and in arroyo banks and adjacent
lower slopes where undergrowth is prevalent.
Sinaloa Wren (677.1) is placed on the ABA Checklist
as a Code 5 species between Canyon Wren (677) and
Carolina Wren (678).

After rejecting a previous record off North Carolina because the photographs were of marginal quality, the ABA Checklist Committee unanimously
accepted Swinhoes Storm-Petrel based on this well-photographed individual, shown here flanked by Wilsons Storm-Petrels. Records off the U.S.
Eastern Seaboard follow numerous records from the eastern Atlantic in
recent years. 65 kilometers east-southeast of Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina;
2 June 2008. Steve N. G. Howell.

Species Removed

Caribbean Elaenia (Elaenia martinica). ABA CLC

Record #2009-01, a reevaluation of a previous CLC
record (Gill 1985). One singing individual at Fort Pickand central Argentina. Some individuals migrate northward to
ens, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Escambia County, Florida
winter (during the boreal summer) in Amazonia, north to
on 28 April 1984. Discovered by Evelyn Barbig, photographed
Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil. Coincidentally, this South
by Robert Duncan, and observed by several others. Accepted
American species was just added to the AOU Area on the basis
by the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee
of a record from Panama in December 2007 (Robb et al. 2009).
(FOSRC; Powell 1986) and by the CLC, after much soulCrowned Slaty-Flycatcher (587.1) is placed on the ABA
searching and admission that the identification represented a
Checklist as a Code 5 species between Variegated Flycatcher
borderline case (Gill 1985). The single, marginal photograph
(587) and Tropical Kingbird (588).
shows a rather elongated tyrannid flycatcher with a small
head and short bill. The
Sinaloa Wren (Thryothorus sinaloa).
bird is conspicuously
ABA CLC Record #2008-11. One singing
crested, with white visible at
individual, presumably an adult, at an elthe rear of the crest. The unevation of 4,000 feet at PatagoniaSonoita
derparts are hidden by a
Creek Preserve, Santa Cruz County, Arileaf, but were described
zona found on 25 August 2008 and presas white. The bird shows
ent into August 2009. Discovered and
conspicuous white wingphotographed by Matt Brown and Robin
bars. The song was deBaxter, and observed, photographed, and
scribed as a short series of
audio-recorded by many others (no forpleasant whistles in commal paper published through August
plex phrases, but was not
2009). Distinguished from other medaudio-recorded.
ium-sized wrens by its rich, varied, warHaving strengthened its
bling song; moderate black streaking on The superb documentation that accompanied this
criteria for accepting species
the auriculars and neck; brown back con- record, including high-quality photographs of the
to the official Florida bird
trasting with rusty tail; and plain under- spread wings and audio-recordings, allowed the ABA
list, the FOSRC in 2009
Committee to accept White-crested Elaenia
parts with gray breast. Distinguished from Checklist
reevaluated this record beof the highly migratory chilensis subspecies, which
the similar Happy Wren (T. felix), a po- breeds in Chile and Argentina. South Padre Island,
cause the identification to
tential stray to the ABA Area from north- Cameron County, Texas; 10 February 2008. Erik Breden.
species was based on a des-

40

BIRDING NOVEMBER 2009

cription rather than a

the Florida bird as a definitive record.
recording of the birds song.
The Caribbean Elaenia is a resident of
The FOSRC (Kratter in
islands off the eastern Yucatan Peninsula,
preparation) agrees that the
the Caymans and other islands in the
bird was an Elaenia, but
western Caribbean Sea, and Puerto Rico
cannot rule out the possiand the Virgin Islands south through the
bility that the bird was a
Lesser Antilles to Grenada. It has also
White-crested
Elaenia.
been found on the Yucatan Peninsula,
Thus, the FOSRC has
but whether it is a local resident there is
downgraded the record to
uncertain (Howell and Webb 1995).
Elaenia species. Because
Votes in Progress
the CLC was considering

adding White-crested ElaeThe CLC voted on two other species durnia based on the recent
ing July 2008July 2009 but did not
Texas record (see above),
Slaty-Flycatcher was recently added to the
reach consensus.
the committee could not Crowned
AOUs Check-list of North American Birds, based on one
First, the CLC was prepared to accept
accept an identification to photographed in Panama during December 2007. Soon
Feas Petrel (Pterodroma feae) based on
that genus, as had the thereafter, this South American resident also appeared in
one or more birds well-photographed off
FOSRC. Following the de- the ABA Area. The bird was collected almost immediately,
only the original two observers saw the bird live in
North Carolina in recent years. But the
cision by the FOSRC, the so
the field. Peveto Beach Woods, Cameron Parish, Louisiana;
CLC delayed final action because authors
CLC reconsidered the sta- 3 June 2008. Paul Conover.
of the recently published Petrels Night and
tus of Caribbean Elaenia.
Day (Robb and Mullarney 2008) have split the two populaAlthough one committee member believed that the Florida
tions of Feas Petrels into separate species: Feas Petrel (P. feae)
bird was indeed a Caribbean Elaenia based on the description
breeding on the Cape Verde Islands; and Desertas Petrel (P. deof the song, the CLC unanimously agreed to remove the
serta) breeding on the Desertas Islands about 1,200 miles to
species because the song was not audio-recorded.
In accepting this record originally as Caribbean Elaenia, the
the north. The AOU has not yet acted on this recommended
CLC relied heavily on commentary from John W.
split. Furthermore, quesFitzpatrick and Robert S. Ridgely. Fitzpatrick betions remain as to whether
lieved that on the basis of plumage, the Florida
at-sea identification between
bird could be one of only two species, Caribbean
Feas/Desertas Petrel and
Elaenia or White-crested Elaenia, but he was unZinos Petrel (P. madeira) is
willing to take the identification beyond that. In
unambiguous; see Shirihai
eliminating White-crested Elaenia, the CLC
(2009).
based its conclusion on a statement made by
Second, the CLC could
Robert Ridgely (personal commentary to Frank
not agree on whether a gull
Gill) that White-crested Elaenia could be elimiphotographed in Louisiana
nated by vocalizations. However, the Whitein December 1987 was a
crested Elaenia is a polytypic species composed
Gray Gull (Larus modesof six subspecies in three groups that may repretus) or a melanistic Laughsent two or more species (Rheindt et al. 2009),
ing Gull based on the two
and the described song of the highly migratory
photographs examined. The
subspecies E. albiceps chilensis (Jaramillo 2003,
record of this gull is not
Schulenberg et al. 2007) seems to resemble the A Mexican endemic that is expanding its range
accepted by the Louisiana
northward, Sinaloa Wren was expected to evendescription of the Florida elaenia. Ridgelys assess- tually appear in the ABA Area. What perhaps was
Bird Records Committee as
ment of the song of White-crested Elaenia did not not expected is that two separate Sinaloa Wrens
pertaining to Gray Gull
specify to which group or subspecies he referred, would be found within an eight-month period.
(Dittmann and Cardiff
and is thus ambiguous. Removal of Caribbean The first wren remained for more than a year,
2003). The CLC has thus
while the second wren, at Fort Huachuca, Arizona,
Elaenia (555) from the ABA Checklist brings the was present for a few days in April 2009. Patagofar been unsuccessful in
CLC in accordance with the American Ornithol- niaSonoita Creek Preserve, Santa Cruz County, Ari- tracking down other photoogists Union (AOU 1998), which does not accept zona; 28 September 2008. Brad Carlson.
graphs and an audio record-

WWW.ABA.ORG

41

ABA CH ECKLIST REP O RT

scientific names and the placement of species should be

made to the seventh edition of the ABA Checklist:
ing that another observer has or had in his
possession.

Votes Underway
and Anticipated

The CLC is currently

The ABA Checklist Committee accepted
voting to accept Rufous- Caribbean Elaenia in 1985, but admitted
tailed Robin from Alaska that the identification represented a borderline case. Although the elaenia vocal(DeCicco et al. 2009).
Five other potential ized frequently, its calls were not
audio-recorded. Because the Florida Orfirst records for the ABA nithological Society Records Committee
Area have been reported recently downgraded this record to Elaerecently, and the CLC nia species, the ABA Checklist Committee
will vote on these if they also reevaluated the record and decided
that the lack of audio-recordings left doubt
pass state-committee re- as to its specific identity. Ironically, this bird
view: Cuban Black- may have been a White-crested Elaenia,
Hawk from Georgia, which was added to the ABA Checklist
Sungrebe from New based on a recent Texas record. Fort Pickens, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida;
Mexico (Williams et al. 28 April 1984. Robert A. Duncan.
2009), Solitary Snipe
from Alaska (Bieber and Schuette 2009), and Gray-collared
Becard and Brown-backed Solitaire from Arizona.

Boreal Chickadee (661) becomes Poecile hudsonicus.

Gray-headed Chickadee (662) becomes Poecile cinctus.
The genus Piranga is moved from the beginning of the

family Thraupidae (Tanagers) to the beginning of the

family Cardinalidae (Cardinals and Allies). Hepatic
Tanager (826) becomes (894.1), Summer Tanager
(829) becomes (894.2), Scarlet Tanager (830) becomes (894.3), Western Tanager (831) becomes
(894.4), and Flame-colored Tanager (832) becomes
(894.5). The Western Spindalis (833) is the only ABA
Area species retained in the family Thraupidae.
Nelsons Sharp-tailed Sparrow (867) becomes Nelsons
Sparrow.
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow (868) becomes
Saltmarsh Sparrow.
Common Redpoll (945) becomes Acanthis flammea.
Hoary Redpoll (946) becomes Acanthis hornemanni.
Eurasian Siskin (947) becomes Spinus spinus.
Pine Siskin (948) becomes Spinus pinus.
Lesser Goldfinch (949) becomes Spinus psaltria.
Lawrences Goldfinch (950) becomes Spinus lawrencei.
American
Goldfinch (951) becomes Spinus tristis.

Oriental
Greenfinch
(952) becomes Chloris sinica.

AOU Taxonomic and Nomenclatorial

Changes Aecting the ABA Checklist

Literature Cited

AOU [American Ornithologists Union]. 1998. Check-list of North American Birds,

The 50th supplement to the AOUs Check-list of North American

Birds (Chesser et al. 2009) was published in July 2009. Because
the CLC automatically accepts all nomenclatorial and taxonomic
changes made by the AOU, the following changes to English or

7th edition. American Ornithologists Union, Washington.

AOU [American Ornithologists Union]. 2000. Forty-second supplement to the
American Ornithologists Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk
117:847858.
Bieber, G., and S. Schuette. 2009. First record of Solitary Snipe (Gallinago solitaria) for North America on Saint Paul Island, Alaska. North American Birds
63:178181.
Chesser, R.T., R.C. Banks, F.K. Barker, C. Cicero, J.L. Dunn, A.W. Kratter, I.J. Lovette,
P.C. Rasmussen, J.V. Remsen, J.D. Rising, D.F. Stotz, and K. Winkler. 2009. The
fiftieth supplement to the American Ornithologists Union Check-list of North
American Birds. Auk 126:705714.

Although the identity of this Sungrebe is not in question, the

means by which it arrived in the ABA Area may be a topic of discussion when the ABA Checklist Committee votes on this record. Not
known as a long-distance migrant or vagrant, this Sungrebe was
nearly 1,400 kilometers from its nearest known population in
northern Mexico. However, the species is apparently unknown
in captivity. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New
Mexico; 18 November 2008. Jerry R. Oldenettel.

42

Conover P.E., and B.M. Myers. 2009. First United States record of Crowned SlatyFlycatcher (Empidonomus aurantioatrocristatus) from Louisiana. North American Birds 62:638639.
DeCicco, L.H., S.C. Heinl, and D.W. Sonneborn. 2009. First North American
records of the Rufous-tailed Robin (Luscinia sibilans). Western Birds in press.
Dittmann, D., ed. 2008. Newsletter of the Louisiana Bird Records Committee, Annual Report 2008. <http://tiny.cc/5rF44>.
Dittmann, D.L., and S.W. Cardiff. 2003. Ninth report of the Louisiana Bird Records
Committee. Journal of Louisiana Ornithology 6:41101.
Flood, R.L. 2009. All-dark Oceanodroma storm-petrels in the Atlantic and

BIRDING NOVEMBER 2009

neighbouring seas. British Birds 102:365385.

Canada. American Birding Association, Colorado Springs.

Gill, F.B. 1985. Report of the ABA Checklist Committee for 19841985. Birding
17:261265.

Reid, M., and D. Jones. 2009. First North American record of White-crested Elaenia (Elaenia albiceps chilensis) at South Padre Island, Texas. North American

Howell, S.N.G., and J.B. Patteson. 2008. A Swinhoes Petrel off North Carolina, USA,
and a review of dark storm-petrel identification. Birding World 21:255262.
Howell, S.N.G., and S. Webb. 1995. A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern
Central America. Oxford University Press, New York.

Birds 63:1014.
Rheindt, F.E., L. Christidis, and J.A. Norman. 2009. Genetic introgression, incomplete lineage sorting, and faulty taxonomy create multiple cases of polyphyly in a montane clade of tyrant-flycatchers (Elaenia: Tyrannidae).

Jaramillo, A. 2003. Birds of Chile. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

Zoologica Scripta 38:143153.

Kratter, A.W. in preparation. Eighteenth report of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee: 2008. Florida Field Naturalist.

Robb, M., and K. Mullarney. 2008. Petrels Night and Day. Sound Approach, Dorset.
Robb, R.R., D. Arendt, K. Larsen, and P. Sherrell. 2009. First North American record

LeGrand, H., and the North Carolina Bird Records Committee. 2001. 19992000
report of the North Carolina Bird Records Committee. Chat 65:8389.

of Crowned Slaty-Flycatcher. Cotinga 31:5052.

Robbins, M.B., D.L. Dittmann, J.L. Dunn, K.L. Garrett, S.[C.] Heinl, A.W. Kratter, G.

OBrien, M., J.B. Patteson, G.L. Armistead, and G.B. Pearce. 1999. Swinhoes
Storm-Petrel: First North American photographic record. North American
Birds 53:610.

Lasley, and B. Mactavish. 2003. ABA Checklist Committee 2002 annual report.
Birding 35:138144.
Russell, S.M., and G. Monson. 1998. The Birds of Sonora, University of Arizona

Patteson, J.B., S.N.G. Howell, and K. Sutherland. 2009. Swinhoes Storm-Petrel

(Oceanodroma monorhis) off North Carolina. North American Birds 62:518520.
Powell, P. 1986. FOS Records Committee report. Florida Field Naturalist 14:107109.
Pranty, B., J.L. Dunn, S.C. Heinl, A.W. Kratter, P.E. Lehman, M.W. Lockwood, B.
Mactavish, and K.J. Zimmer. 2008. Annual report of the ABA Checklist Committee, 20072008. Birding 40(6):3238.

Press, Tucson.
Schulenberg, T.S., D.S. Stotz, D.S. Lane, J.P. ONeill, and T.A. Parker III. 2007. Birds
of Peru. Princeton University Press, Princeton.
Shirihai, H. 2009. The Zinos Petrel at sea, expedition IIand the best pelagic
birding in the western Palearctic. Birding World 22:204218.
Williams, S.O., S.A. King, S.M. Fettig, J.R. Oldenettel, and J.E. Parmeter. 2009. A

Pranty, B., J.L. Dunn, S.C. Heinl, A.W. Kratter, P.E. Lehman, M.W. Lockwood, B.
Mactavish, and K.J. Zimmer. 2009. ABA Checklist: Birds of the United States and

Sungrebe (Heliornis fulica) in New Mexico: A first for the United States. North
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Wings
(new)

WWW.ABA.ORG

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