Taxonomic recommendations for Western Palearctic birds: ninth report

This paper is the Ninth Report of the Taxonomic Sub-Committee of the BOU Records Committee (BOURC-TSC). Previously, the remit of the BOURC-TSC has been restricted to taxonomic issues affecting those species admitted to the British List (for which, see BOU 2013). To facilitate collaboration with other national taxonomic committees and with the objective of taxonomic progress at a continental scale, this report continues our series of recommendations for British birds but its scope extends to the entire Western Palearctic (sensu BWP). The starting point for species not on the British List and which have not been covered in previous reports is Voous (1977). Species-level decisions are based on criteria outlined by Helbig et al. (2002). The Eighth Report of the Sub-Committee was published as Sangster et al. (2012).

Recommendations in this report fall into six categories: (1) changes of the sequence of higher taxa (Falconiformes, Psittaciformes, Upupidae, Meropidae, Coraciidae, Alcedinidae); (2) recognition of higher taxa not recognized by Voous (Bucerotiformes, Malaconotidae, Scotocercidae); (3) changes in genus limits (Ardeirallus sturmii, Anthropoides virgo, Cyclorrhynchus psittacula, Ketupa zeylonensis, Hirundo fluvicola, Riparia cincta, Cercomela melanura, Carpodacus erythrinus, Uragus sibiricus, Carduelis cannabina, Carduelis flavirostris, Carduelis cabaret, Carduelis flammea, Carduelis hornemanni, Carduelis spinus); (4) changes in the taxonomic sequence of species (Oenanthe, Fringillidae); (5) changes in species limits (Thalassarche melanophris, Anhinga melanogaster, Aquila pomarina, Bubo bubo, Passer simplex, Emberiza striolata); and (6) changes in nomenclature (Butorides striatus, Leptoptilos cruminiferus, Porphyrio martinica, Turnix sylvatica, Streptopelia roseogrisea, Tchagra senegala, Cyanopica cyana, Ammomanes cincturus, Turdoides caudatus, Turdoides fulvus, Phoenicurus erythrogaster, Oenanthe alboniger, Rhodopechys sanguinea).