As a keen Holarctic region lister, I long regretted the absence of an up-to-date checklist covering the entire region providing an easily referenced record of recent and potential taxonomic changes, and taking into account improved distributional knowledge (particularly in Mexico and Himalaya). Consequently over several years I have developed and maintained a working checklist as the core of my personal records database. I have posted it on this website in the hope that it may be a useful resource for other birders with similar interests.
The checklists maintained by regional and national recording authorities are (necessarily) rigorous and conservative. My approach has been more liberal - implementing all splits adopted by at least one relevant authority, and identifying potential splits even where rather questionable. It is intended for use by recreational birders, motivated to seek interesting forms of each species.
Comments, corrections and additions welcome.
Somerset, UK
The checklist (last updated 22 July 2008):
Total 2259 species, of which 1578 regularly occur in the Palearctic (WP 896, EP 1244), and 928 in the Nearctic.
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Microsoft Excel: Holarctic_Birds_2008-07-22a.xls [c1MB - includes subspecies & split definitions]
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Adobe Acrobat: Holarctic_Birds_2008-07-22a.pdf [c400KB - less detailed overview]
Excel version user tips:
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Double-click on a taxon's Subspecies cell to expand its subspecies list (then click on another cell to restore).
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Hover pointer over a taxon's Split by cell to reveal an explanatory comment.
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Temporarily hide the Subspecies column to create a printable checklist format (landscape).
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Temporarily unhide column N to reveal the latest modification dates for all taxa.
Update summary:
2 July 2008: Gill & Wright / IOC Recommended English Names Version 1.6 (Jun 30 2008) taken into account.
19 May 2008: BirdLife International checklist Version 1 taken into account (including IUCN Red List 2008 final changes).
10 May 2008: UK400 Club WP List (11 Apr 2008) taken into account.
14 April 2008: SE Iran now included within Western Palearctic (for purposes of regional distribution summary).
7 April 2008: Splits adopted by Handbook of the Birds of the World Vols. 1-12 indicated. HBW Vols. 9-12 (published subsequent to Dickinson (2003) (Howard & Moore)) taken as revised baseline for subspecies recognition where applicable.
14 March 2008: For additional clarity, comments defining each implemented split added to Excel version.
6 March 2008: Several additional Mexican species marginally occurring within Nearctic region included.
2 March 2008: Splits adopted by BirdLife International indicated.
19 February 2008: UK400 Club WP List (Feb 2008) taken into account (further potential splits identified).
14 February 2008: China Bird Report 2006 taken into account (further splits adopted by China OS indicated).
9 February 2008: Dutch Birding 30(1) 'Editorial notes: Taxa names in Dutch Birding' taken into account.
5 February 2008: Splits identified, but not yet formally recognised, by OBC and by Gill & Wright / IOC indicated.
31 January 2008: Gill & Wright / IOC Recommended English Names Version 1.5 (Jan 16 2008) taken into account.
16 January 2008: BOURC 36th Report taken into account.
21 December 2007: Howard & Moore 3rd Edition Corrigenda 7 taken into account.
20 December 2007: Provisional IUCN Red List 2008 revisions indicated.
24 November 2007: Subspecies added to Excel version. Identifies the forms which regularly occur within the regional limits, and clarifies the racial scope of splits (and potential/historical splits).
29 October 2007: Regional species subtotals evaluated.
24 October 2007: Splits adopted by OSME indicated.
23 October 2007: IUCN Red List status added.
17 October 2007: Additional forms included following review of passerine sections by Daniel Philippe (to whom many thanks).
9 October 2007: BOURC TSC 4th report & Clements Checklist updates (Oct 8) taken into account.
9 September 2007: Mexican potential splits identified by Navarro-Sigüenza & Peterson (2004) included. Additional forms included following review of remaining non-passerine sections by Daniel Philippe.
4 September 2007: Additional forms included following review of Anseriformes, Galliformes and Podicipediformes sections by Daniel Philippe.
13 August 2007: International English names recommended by Gill & Wright / IOC (2006) added.
26 July 2007: 48th supplement to the AOU Check-list of North American Birds taken into account.
9 July 2007: Splits adopted by Clements (2007) indicated.
4 July 2007: Historical AOU splits (subsequently lumped) incorporated (as trinomials) to highlight further interesting forms.
18 April 2007: Regional distribution summary refined: for greater consistency with the approach followed for the Palearctic, most taxa on the ABA Checklist categorised as Code-3 (Rare) now classified as regularly occurring within the Nearctic.
2 April 2007: Authorities adopting each implemented split indicated. PDF abridged version added.
7 March 2007: Website created.
