Thanks to Phil for the quick link to the 47th AOU supplement.  Quick 
summaries
of the announced changes are included below (here's hoping
you get a bird or two out of it!)  Cheers,  Dave Z


QUAIL, GROUSE, AND TURKEY (PHASIANIDAE)
*Blue Grouse is split into two species (based on molecular, morphological, 
and
behavioral evidence).  Dusky Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) includes the
formerly recognized "coastal" subspecies group of CA, western OR, and the 
western
quarters of OR, WA, B.C., and AK.  Sooty Grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus)
includes the formerly recognized "inland" subspecies group that occurs 
east of the
range of Dusky Grouse.  Sooty follows Dusky in the species list.

FULMAR, PETRELS, AND SHEARWATERS (PROCELLARIIDAE)
*Cape Verde Shearwater (Calonectris edwardsii) is split from Cory?s
Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) and now follows that species in the 
list.

STORM-PETRELS (HYDROBATIDAE)
*Black-bellied Storm Petrel (Fregetta tropica) is added to the list (based 
on a
sighting off N.C. in 2004) and follows after European Storm-petrel (
Hydrobates
pelagicus) in the species list.

HAWKS AND EAGLES (ACCIPITRIDAE)
*Gray Hawk is moved from the genus Asturina and is placed in the genus 
Buteo
(based on molecular evidence).  It now follows after Broad-winged Hawk (
Buteo
platypterus) in the species list.

SANDPIPERS (SCOLOPACIDAE)
*Willet and Grey-tailed & Wandering Tattlers are moved from the genera
Catoptrophorus and Heteroscelus, respectively, and are now placed (based 
on
molecular evidence) within the "marsh sandpiper" group (i.e., 
"yellowlegs/shanks")
in the genus Tringa.

*The list of sandpipers following Wattled Jacana and preceding Upland
Sandpiper is rearranged (based on molecular evidence).  The new order is:
Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus)
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)
Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)
Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)
Gray-tailed Tattler (Tringa brevipes)
Wandering Tattler (Tringa incana)
Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus)
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)
Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
Willet (Tringa semipalmata)
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis)
Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)
Common Redshank (Tringa totanus)

*The Latin species name for Willet is changed from semipalmatus to
semipalmata.

*The Latin species name for Spotted Sandpiper is changed from macularia to
macularius.

GULLS AND TERNS (LARIDAE)
*The list of tern species is rearranged (based on molecular and plumage
evidence) with some species grouped into five newly revived genera.
The new order is:
Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus)
Black Noddy (Anous minutus)
Blue-gray Noddy (Procelsterna cerulean)
White Tern (Gygis alba)
Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus)
Gray-backed Tern (Onychoprion lunatus)
Bridled Tern (Onychoprion anaethetus)
Aleutian Tern (Onychoprion aleuticus)
Little Tern (Sternula albifrons)
Least Tern (Sternula antillarum)
Yellow-billed Tern (Sternula superciliaris)
Large-billed Tern (Phaetusa simplex)
Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica)
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)
Inca Tern (Larosterna inca)
Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)
White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus)
Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida)
Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii)
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)
Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)
Forster?s Tern (Sterna forsteri)
Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus)
Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii)
Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis)
Elegant Tern (Thalasseus elegans)

SKUAS AND JAEGERS (STERCORARIIDAE)
*Skuas and Jaegers are now elevated from subfamily to the family 
Stercorariidae
(based on molecular evidence).  The family is now situated after the Gulls 
and
Terns (following Black Skimmer) and before the Alcids (before Dovekie) in 
the list.

PIGEONS AN DOVES (COLUMBIFORMES)
*Ringed Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia risoria) is replaced with African
Collared-Dove (Streptopelia roseogrisea) (in recognition of the species 
name
and not the form).

CUCKOOS (CUCULIFORMES)
*Oriental Cuckoo (Cuculus saturatus) is replaced with Oriental Cuckoo
(Cuculus optatus) (recognizing a split based on morphological and 
behavioral
evidence).

*The list of cuckoo species that follow Oriental Cuckoo is rearranged 
(based on
molecular evidence) with both Little Cuckoo (genus Piaya) and the cuckoos 
from
the Antilles (genera Saurothera & Hyetornis) now placed in the genus 
Coccyzus.
The new order is:
Little Cuckoo (Coccycua minuta)
Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana)
Dark-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus melacoryphus)
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)
Pearly-breasted Cuckoo (Coccyzus euleri)
Mangrove Cuckoo (Coccyzus minor)
Cocos Cuckoo (Coccyzus ferrugineus)
Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus)
Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo (Coccyzus pluvialis)
Bay-breasted Cuckoo (Coccyzus rufigularis)
Jamaican Lizard-Cuckoo (Coccyzus vetula)
Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo (Coccyzus vieilloti)
Great Lizard-Cuckoo (Coccyzus merlini)
Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo (Coccyzus longirostris)

FLYCATCHERS (TYRANNIDAE)
*Social Flycatcher (Myiozetetes similis) remains unchanged on the list but 
is
now considered to occur in the United States (based on a sighting in TX in 
2004).

WRENS (TROGLODYTIDAE)
*Socorro Wren is moved from the genus Thyomanes and is placed in the
genusTroglodytes (based on molecular evidence).  It now follows after 
House
Wren (Troglodytes aedon) in the species list.

OLD WORLD FLYCATCHERS (MUSCICAPIDAE)
*Red-breasted Flycatcher (Ficedula parva) is replaced with Taiga
Flycatcher (Ficedula albicilla) (recognizing a recent split based on
morphological, behavioral, and molecular evidence).

THRUSHES (TURDIDAE)
*Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush (Catharus mexicanus) remains
unchanged on the list but is now considered to occur in the United States 
(based
on a sighting in TX in 2004).

FINCHES (FRINGILLIDAE)
*Babados Bullfinch (Loxigilla barbadensis) is split from Lesser Antillean
Bullfinch (Loxigilla noctis) and follows that species in the list (based 
on
molecular, morphological, and behavioral evidence)

The complete updated check-list may be publicly available at:
<http://www.aou.org/checklist/index.php3>

For more detailed information please refer to the original document:
American Ornithologists? Union.  2006.  Forty-seventh supplement
to the American Ornithologists? Union Check-list of North American
Birds. Auk 123(3):926-936.)


---------------------------------------------------------
Dave Ziolkowski Jr.
USGS PWRC - Laurel
dziokowski  at  usgs dot gov