UPDATES: English Name Changes (version 1.5, January 16, 2008)

As expected, we have received strong reactions, both positive and negative, to some of the new English names that appear on our list. Some colleagues prefer no change at all, or continued use of different names for the same species. Others accept the need for some change, but preferably not involving their favorite species. Still others wish that we had improved consistency by changing many more names than we did. We appreciate the spirit and content of these critiques. We plan to revisit and to adjust the most problematic names later this year (2008).

Our first priority is to refine and adjust English names as required by (proposed) changes of species taxonomy or corrections that accompany this update. The list of name changes below respond to this need. The reasons for each change are specified in the Comments (ENG) and linked Footnotes for each species in the Names section of this website.


Page Original IOC List (1.0) Scientific Name Updated IOC List (1.5)
14 Common Piping Guan Pipile pipile Trinidad Piping Guan
16 Blue Grouse Dendragapus obscurus Dusky Grouse
19 Bean Goose Anser fabalis Taiga Bean Goose
21 Brown Teal Anas aucklandica Auckland Teal
22 Rockhopper Penguin Eudyptes chrysocome Western Rockhopper Penguin
26 Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopica African Sacred Ibis
33 Malagasy Marsh Harrier Circus maillardi Reunion Harrier
47 Subantarctic Skua Stercorarius antarcticus Brown Skua
52 Dark-eared Brown Dove Phapitreron cinereiceps Tawitawi Brown Dove
64 Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus Himalayan Cuckoo
65 Vermiculated Screech Owl Megascops guatemalae Middle American Screech Owl
66 Foothill Screech Owl Megascops roraimae  Roraiman Screech Owl 
73 Pale-tailed Barbthroat Threnetes niger Sooty Barbthroat
84 Brown Hornbill Anorrhinus tickelli Tickell's Brown Hornbill
92 White-necked Puffbird Notharchus macrorhynchos Guianan Puffbird
95 White-ruffed Manakin Corapipo leurcorrhoa White-bibbed Manakin
103 Dusky Flycatcher Empidonax oberholseri American Dusky Flycatcher
103 Grey Flycatcher Empidonax wrightii American Grey Flycatcher
109 Warbling Antbird Hypocnemis cantator Guianan Warbling Antbird
111 Rufous-rumped Tapaculo Scytalopus griseicollis Mattoral Tapaculo
118 Scalloped Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes squamatus Scaled Woodcreeper
122 Smoky Honeyeater Melipotes fumigatus Common Smoky Honeyeater
126 Black-headed Batis Batis minor Eastern Black-headed Batis
156 White-tailed Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus davisoni Davison's Leaf Warbler
157 Orphean Warbler Sylvia hortensis Western Orphean Warbler
158 Spot-breasted Scimatar Babbler Pomatorhinus erythrocnemis Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler
159 Rabor's Wren-Babbler Robsonius (Napothera) rabori Rusty-faced Babbler
159 Long-tailed Wren-Babbler Spelaeornis chocolatinus Naga Wren-Babbler
159 Wedge-billed Wren-Babbler Sphenocichla humei Sikkim Wedge-billed Babbler
159 Pygmy Babbler Stachyris plateni Mindanao Pygmy Babbler
160 Striped Tit-Babbler Macronous gularis Pin-striped Tit-Babbler
160 Miniature Tit-Babbler Micromacronus leytensis Visayan Miniature Babbler
161 Hwamei Garrulax canorus Chinese Hwamei
161 Cutia Cutia nipalensis Himalayan Cutia
162 Streak-throated Fulvetta Alcippe cinereiceps Grey-hooded Fulvetta
171 Sunda Whistling Thrush Myophonus glaucinus Javan Whistling Thrush
171 Moluccan Thrush Zoothera dumasi Buru Thrush
176 European Stonechat Saxicola torquata African Stonechat
178 Yellow-eyed Black Thrush Melaenornis ardesiacus Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher
194 Crimson-winged Finch Rhodopechys sanguineus Eurasian Crimson-winged Finch
197 Stripe-crowned Warbler Basileuterus culicivorus Golden-crowned Warbler
200 House Bunting Emberiza striolata Striolated Bunting
208 Tristan Finch Nesospiza acunhae Inaccessible Island Finch
209 Lesser Seed Finch Oryzoborus angolensis Chestnut-bellied Seed Finch

Footnotes: