"Wisdom begins with putting the right name on a thing"
(Old Chinese Proverb)

Species Status Codes

AL - Accepted Lumps for species that are deemed to be conspecific and are DELETED

AS - Accepted Splits that we deem valid and ADD to Master List

DEL – Deleted from Master List or from active consideration of Proposed Splits

DIS - Changes or corrections of a species Range

ENG – Changes or corrections of English names

EXT--Extinct Taxon

NEW - a newly described taxon as opposed to a revision of prior taxonomy, splits or lumps

PHY – Change that reflects new information on the phylogenetic relationships of the taxon

PL - Proposed Lumps for species that are likely to be treated as conspecific with another taxon and that may be DELETED

PS - Proposed Splits for splits that are being reviewed

TAX - Change of scientific name, including issues of nomenclature (priority, gender etc) and revisions of genera

Updates

Below are summaries of  recent updates (3.1 and later) to the IOC World Bird List. Versions 1.0 to 2.11 emphasized consistent use of  recommended English names and updated species taxonomy.

Versions 3.1+ expand the content and goals of  the IOC World Bird List.  Additions include subspecies and their ranges as well as the authors of scientific names. We  strive to track in a timely way the latest taxonomic advances in ornithology.

Please click on one of the tabs on the pull down menu above for particular sets of  updates, i.e. Species, Subspecies etc.  All of the updated information and species changes are included in the latest version of the list on this website.

Beginning with version 3.3, we highlight in red corrections and updates on the Master List webpages on an ongoing basis.

Previous versions of the Master List and Updates are available in the Archives.  Click here for tools to help you Update IOC Life Lists.

Version 3.3 ( Jan 2013)

The IOC World Bird List 3.3 contains 10,476 extant species and 149 extinct species classified in 40 Orders,  231 Families (plus 6 Incertae Sedis) and 2268 Genera.  The list also includes 20,992 subspecies, their ranges and  authors.

Changes include:

SPECIES ADDED:         13 + 4 EXT

SPECIES DELETED:     3

ENGLISH NAMES:         6

TAXONOMY:                  14, including revised classifications of  Accipitridae, Caprimulgidae and Fringillidae

 

Version 3.2 (Oct 2012)

The IOC World Bird List 3.2 contains 10,466 extant species and 145 extinct species classified in 40 Orders,  231 Families (plus 6 Incertae Sedis) and 2256 Genera.  The list also includes 20,983 subspecies, their ranges and  authors.

Changes include:

SPECIES ADDED:        16

SPECIES DELETED:     1

ENGLISH NAMES:       15

TAXONOMY:                15, including 3 families (Scotocercidae, Erythrocercidae, Arcanatoridae)

 

Version 3.1 (April 30, 2012; revised counts 5/29/2012)

The IOC World Bird List 3.1 contains 10,451 extant species and 145 extinct species classified in 40 Orders,  228 Families (plus 6 Incertae Sedis) and 2257 Genera.  The list also debuts 20,989 subspecies, their ranges and  authors.

Changes include:

SPECIES ADDED:          7 + 126 extinct; 19 species previously included on the Master List are now assigned to Extinct status

SPECIES DELETED:     5

ENGLISH NAMES:        5

RANGES:                         19

TAXONOMY:                  9, including changes of Family for 5 genera (Chlorothraupis, Paroaria, Amaurospiza, Piranga, Habia)