Because it conflicts with Black-throated Gray Warbler. There are conflicts and rules for resolving them. The codes were developed many years ago as an adaptation by Chan Robbins (I cannot remember the author of the first set). I later used Chan's basic principles and developed a system of 4-letter alpha codes and rules for doing them to be used by the Bird Banding Laboratory and banders. This allowed us to develop a computer edit of alpha code vs species number rather than manually editing common name vs species number -- has saved thousands of hours of manual editing over the years. When the sixth edition of the AOU Checklist was close to publication, I received an advance list from the Checklist committee with names and numbers. This resulted in an overhall of the alpha codes and some changes in existing codes. There have been further additions and changes to reflect changes by the AOU in common names. Danger lies in failure to reflect the conflicts and use the correct alpha code for conflicts -- e.g., an encounter recently received in BBL used NOSH which could be either Northern Shoveler or Northern Shrike. The conflicts also cause confusion to readers -- e.g, BTNW for Black-throated Green because BTGW conflicts with Black-throated Gray Warbler. It is probably best to avoid use of these codes on the list as it causes confusion and not everyone has the codes. The Bird Banding Manual Section with species numbers, common names, and alpha codes can be found on the Internet at www.pwrc.usgs.gov (choose Bird Banding Laboratory, then Resources for Banders, then Bird Banding Manual etc.). If I can answer any other questions regarding these codes, please contact me directly. Thanks. Cheers, Kathy Klimkiewicz Laurel MD Kathy_Klimkiewicz@usgs.gov ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Re: Allegany Co. May count (my part) Author: mdosprey@ARI.Net at NBS-Internet-Gateway Date: 5/11/99 6:43 PM Why does Black-throated Green go under the initials BTNW? I have seen this before and am puzzled. I should think BTGW would be more helpful. Joanna Taylor Arlington, VA At 04:56 PM 5/10/99 -0400, you wrote: >BBC Species Oldtown 15mile Ck Belle Grove Total >GNHE Green Heron 3 3 >CAGO Canada Goose 7 7 >WODU Wood Duck 14 14 >MALL Mallard 2 2 >TUVU Turkey Vulture 2 1 1 4 >BWHA Broad-winged 0 0 1 1 >WITU Wild Turkey 0 0 1 1 >KILL Killdeer 3 3 >SOSA Solitary Sand. 2 2 >MODO Mourning Dove 1 1 >YBCU YB Cuckoo 3 0 1 4 >BBCU BB Cuckoo 2 2 >WPWI Whip-poor-will 0 0 1 1 >CHSW Chimney Swift 0 3 3 >RTHU Hummingbird 1 1 >RBWO Red-bellied WP 5 2 7 >DOWO Downy Woodpkr. 2 0 1 3 >YSFL Flicker 3 3 >PIWO Pileated 1 1 2 >EAPH E. Phoebe 3 2 5 >GCFL Gt. Crested Fly 3 2 5 >EAKI E. Kingbird 3 3 >ACFL Acadian Fly 3 1 4 >BARS Barn Swallow 1 1 2 >NRWS Rough-winged 3 3 >TRES Tree Swallow 5 5 >FICR Fish Crow 2 2 >AMCR A. Crow 4 4 >BLJA Blue Jay 2 1 1 4 >BCCH Chickadee 0 3 2 5 >ETTI Titmouse 7 3 1 11 >WBNU W.B. Nuthatch 3 2 5 >CARW Car. Wren 2 1 3 >HOWR House Wren 3 3 >MAWR Marsh Wren 1 1 >BGGN Blue-gray Gnat. 8 2 10 >EABL Bluebird 2 2 >AMRO Robin 6 1 7 >WOTH Wood Thrush 1 0 1 2 >BRTH B. Thrasher 2 2 >NOMO Mockingbird 2 2 >GRCA Gray Catbird 1 1 2 >CEDW Cedar Waxwings 29 29 >EUST E. Starling 5 5 >REVI R.E. Vireo 7 6 13 >WAVI Warbling Vireo 1 1 >WEVI W-eyed Vireo 1 1 >YTVI Y-throated Vir. 4 1 5 >OVEN Ovenbird 0 9 1 10 >LOWA Louisiana WT 0 2 2 >NOWA N. Waterthrush 3 3 >YBCH Y.B. Chat 1 1 2 4 >YWAR Yellow Warbler 5 2 7 >NOPA N. Parula 1 2 3 >WEWA Worm-eating 0 5 2 7 >AMRE A. Redstart 1 1 2 >YTWA Y-throated War. 1 1 >MYWA Myrtle War. 0 8 2 10 >BTNW B.T. Green Wa. 0 0 1 1 >PROW Prothonotary 1 1 >PRAW Prairie War. 0 3 2 5 >COYE Com. Y-throat 0 2 2 4 >CERW Cerulean 1 1 >SCTA Scarlet Tanager 1 3 1 5 >NOCA N. Cardinal 9 2 1 12 >EATO E. Towhee 1 3 4 >INBU Indigo Bunting 13 4 1 18 >CHSP Chipping Sp. 4 1 5 >SOSP Song Sp. 9 9 >FISP Field Sp. 5 2 7 >WTSP W-throated Sp. 7 1 8 >RWBL Red-winged BB 8 8 >COGR Com. Grackle 8 8 >EAME E. Meadowlark 4 4 >BAOR B. Oriole 4 2 6 >HOFI House Finch 0 3 3 >AMGO Goldfinch 13 3 1 17 > >Party of 1 > >78 species total * >Three miles on foot (2 at oldtown 1 at 15 Mile Creek area). Started birding at >6:30 am and finished ~ 3:00 pm. >Owling (& whippoorwilling and not very successful) >from 8:30 pm until 10:00 pm. > >* Purple Finch (1 female) at Donna's Birdfeeder in Frostburg > >====================================================== > ___ > _________/ \_________ Home (304) 292-5072 > /- - - - - O O - - - - -\ Work (304) 293-4832 > \________'\_v_/`________/ ext. 4456 > /_|_|_\ > ^ ^ > >John B. Churchill, M.S. >GIS Analyst >West Virginia University >Natural Resources Analysis Center > > __ ______ > \___/ \__^_ > [ ) o\ > `__]____)'--'* > ]_ ]_ > >Support Evolution, ... destroy a weakling ! > >http://www.nrac.wvu.edu/users/jbc/ >====================================================== > > > > >