English Names Version 1

UPDATE ARCHIVES: English Names

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.  For the latest updates, please  use the links above.

Our first priority is to refine and adjust English names as required by (proposed) changes of species taxonomy or corrections that accompany each update. The  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 IOC World Bird List section of this website.

ENGLISH NAME UPDATES-Version 1.7 (September 30, 2008)
Page Original IOC List (1.0) Scientific Name Updated IOC List (version 1.6)
35 Asian Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca Eastern Imperial Eagle
53 Cinnamon Imperial Pigeon Ducula basilica Cinnamon-bellied Imperial Pigeon
94 Broad-billed Sapayoa Sapayoa aenigma Sapayoa
99 Chaco Suiriri Suiriri suiriri Suiriri Flycatcher
99 Chapada Suiriri Suiriri islerorum Chapada Flycatcher
100 Guinanan Tyrannulet Phylloscartes virescens Olive-green Tyrannulet
102 Saffron-crested Neopelma Neopelma chrysocephalum Saffron-crested Tyrant-Manakin
102 Sulphur-bellied Neopelma Neopelma sulphureiventer Sulphur-bellied Tyrant-Manakin
102 Pale-bellied Neopelma Neopelma pallescens Pale-bellied Tyrant-Manakin
102 Wied’s Neopelma Neopelma aurifrons Wied’s Tyrant-Manakin
102 Serra do Mar Neopelma Neopelma chrysolophum Serra do Mar Tyrant-Manakin
102 Dwarf Tyranneutes Tyranneutes stolzmanni Dwarf Tyrant-Manakin
102 Tiny Tyranneutes Tyranneutes virescens Tiny Tyrant-Manakin
145 Long-tailed Bushtit Aegithalos caudatus Long-tailed Tit
173 African Bare-eye Thrush Turdus tephronotus Bare-eyed Thrush
174 Rufous-backed Robin Turdus rufopalliatus Rufous-backed Thrush
174 American Bare-eyed Thrush Turdus nudigenys Spectacled Thrush
Update v 1.5 Atioquia Brush Finch Atlapetes blancae Antioquia Brush Finch
Update v 1.6 Southern Boobook Ninox novaeseelandiae Morepork

ENGLISH NAME UPDATES-Version 1.6 (June 30, 2008)
Page Original IOC List (1.0) Scientific Name Updated IOC List (version 1.6)
22 Fairy Penguin Eudyptila minor Little Penguin
22 Jackass Penguin Spheniscus demersus African Penguin
25 White-vented Storm Petrel Oceanites gracilis Elliot’s Storm Petrel
28 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Western Cattle Egret
28 Great Egret Ardea alba (Western) Great Egret
30 Darter Anhinga melanogaster Oriental Darter
33 Nicobar Serpent Eagle Spilornis minimus Central Nicobar Serpent Eagle
35 Roughleg Buteo lagopus Rough-legged Buzzard
45 Band-tailed Gull Larus belcheri Belcher’s Gull
46 Great Black-headed Gull Larus ichthyaetus Pallas’s Gull
46 Common Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus Black-headed Gull
47 Sooty Noddy Anous tenuirostris Lesser Noddy
47 Angel Tern Gygis alba White Tern
52 Pompadour Green Pigeon Treron pompadora Sri Lanka Green Pigeon
54 Long-tailed Mountain Pigeon Gymnophaps mada Buru Mountain Pigeon
56 White-cheeked Rosella Platycercus adscitus Pale-headed Rosella
62 Green Malkoha Ceuthmochares aereus Blue Malkoha
64 Asian Drongo-Cuckoo Surniculus lugubris Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo
64 Barn Owl Tyto alba (Western) Barn Owl
64 Greater Sooty Owl Tyto tenebricosa Sooty Owl
65 Collared Scops Owl Otus bakkamoena Indian Scops Owl
68 Morepork Ninox novaeseelandiae Southern Boobook
68 Moluccan Boobook Ninox squamipila Hantu Boobook
70 Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus indicus Indian Jungle Nightjar
71 Moluccan Swiftlet Aerodramus infuscatus Halmahera Swiftlet
105 Yellow-billed Grosbeak Eophona migratoria Chinese Grosbeak
129 Melanesian Cuckooshrike Coracina caledonica South Melanesian Cuckooshrike
130 Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus Orange Minivet
139 Jungle Crow Corvus levaillantii Eastern Jungle Crow
143 Black-lored Tit Parus xanthogenys (Himalayan) Black-lored Tit
143 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus (Eurasian) Blue Tit
148 Hill Prinia Prinia atrogularis Black-throated Prinia
150 Black-crested Bulbul Pycnonotus melanicterus Black-capped Bulbul
152 Golden Bulbul Thapsinillas affinis Seram Golden Bulbul
154 Marquesan Reed Warbler Acrocephalus mendanae Southern Marquesan Reed Warbler
161 Nilgiri Laughingthrush Garrulax cachinnans Black-chinned Laughingthrush
163 White-bellied Yuhina Erpornis zantholeuca White-bellied Erpornis
167 Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch Sitta castanea Indian Nuthatch
168 Manipur Treecreeper Certhia manipurensis Hume’s Treecreeper
174 Fire-crested Alethe Alethe diademata White-tailed Alethe
176 White-bellied Shortwing Myiomela (Brachypteryx) major Nilgiri Blue Robin
181 Plain Flowerpecker Dicaeum concolor Nilgiri Flowerpecker
182 Eastern Olive Sunbird Cyanomitra olivacea Olive Sunbird
189 Black-headed Munia Lonchura malacca Tricolored Munia
194 Pink-tailed Rosefinch Urocynchramus pylzowi Przevalski’s Finch
194 Beautiful Rosefinch Carpodacus pulcherrimus Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch
194 White-browed Rosefinch Carpodacus thura Himalayan White-browed Rosefinch
194 Great Rosefinch Carpodacus rubicilla Caucasian Great Rosefinch

English Name Updates-Version 1.5 (January 16, 2008)
Page Original IOC List (1.0) Scientific Name Updated IOC List (1.1)
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
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
96 Vermiculated Screech Owl Megascops guatemalae Middle American Screech Owl
96 Foothill Screech Owl Megascops roraimae Roraiman Screech Owl
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