iNaturalist Bird Working Group's Journal

iNaturalist continues to use Clements as its taxonomic reference. @maxkirsch and I spent quite a bit of time earlier this week brining iNat inline with the last August 2017 Clements update, and there haven't been any updates since. As with other 'Compete' taxa, I made project for this working group so we can discuss bird related curation issues. (A conversation I started on my personal journal here.

There continue to be lots of unresolved flags for birds. If folks want to help resolve them they are:
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/802 Pipilo erythrophthalmus the range is still the old, pre P. maculatus range. Needs a split.
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/2175 Gyps fulvus distribution map needs to be updated: thanks to reintroductions griffons are fairly easy to spot in Central Italy mountains, sure it's easier to see these birds there than in Sardinia even if this island is in the "official" map
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/2901 Branta canadensis the range of this species should be extended to reflect the very common feral population in Europe
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/2914 Terpsiphone rufiventer range map only shows Annobon
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/3029 Melaniparus leucomelas distribution map is that of a different species, see map on IUCN Red List: http://maps.iucnredlist.org/map.html?id=22711825
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/3324 Philemon buceroides either has its range switched with Philemon novaeguineae, or is just missing the (very large) Australian part of its range
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/8087 Aramus guarauna El rango de distribución debe extenderse, ya que hay registros de la especie en Jalisco, Colima y Nayarit y me marca una advertencia como "fuera del rango de distribución". Ver http://huitzil.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/HUITZIL-2006-7123-26.pdf
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/5865 Burhinus indicus the range includes that of Burhinus oedicnemus
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/6833 Falco naumanni range map seems to be incomplete and should be re-imported: http://maps.iucnredlist.org/map.html?id=22696357
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/7415 Ptilopsis leucotis range map is that of the white-faced owl before taxonomic split: http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/144591-Ptilopsis-leucotis#taxon_range
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/19220 Eudyptula minor this widespread species has its official range as only being the Chatham Islands. Perhaps a mixup with ssp. chathamensis data?
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/24047 Erythrura psittacea range map is wrong: doesn't occur on Vanuatu
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/24111 Saxicola torquatus the range still includes that of the split Saxicola rubicola
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/36186 Egretta tricolor se encontro en la ciudad de cartagena.

https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/31233 Tringa glareola range map is wrong
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/48667 Apteryx mantelli could someone download the current BirdLife map for this species? the old BirdLife map (which is still showing up on iNat) includes the range of A. rowi
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/49581 Surniculus lugubris Surniculus velutinus split off in Clements so the range is now wrong
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/71256 Branta hutchinsii the range map could use a reality check
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/71718 Anas acuta range show only its North American distribution
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/78604 Trochilidae aparece en el orden de los CAPRIMULGIFORMES
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/78608 Caprimulgiformes no se ha dividido en los tres ordenes, que son ahora CAPRIMULGGIFORMES, STEATORNITHIFORMES Y NYCTIBIIFORMES http://americanornithologypubs.org/doi/pdf/10.1642/AUK-16-77.1?code=coop-site
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/78907 Cyanistes varius now in Sittiparus in Clements, but the EOL source for this taxon is S. varius sensu lato, which Clements split in 2016; what should this be swapped into - the genus Sittiparus, or the now-inactive pre-split S. varius?
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/86143 Branta canadensis Range map updated needed. All Ontario south of 45 degrees latitude should be shown as in range.
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/80345 Falco tinnunculus the map layer of the distribution does not perfectly overlap with the basemap (different coordinate system?) leaving several uncoverd areas
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/80941 Selasphorus "Rufous/Allen's" is a taxonomically valid and useful subcategory of this genus and should be restored PERMANENTLY.
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/88106 Phalacrocorax auritus The range map is very incorrect, at least for Ontario!
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/101598 Pterocliformes it was swapped in the wrong direction - see comment on taxon change 22773
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/101677 Toxostoma curvirostre Me parece que el nombre es Cuitlacoche, no Cuicacoche
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/102680 Icterus galbula map is for Baltimore + Bullock's
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/106918 Prunella montanella something's very wrong with the range map
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/110888 Anas clypeata range map wrong
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/138926 Dinornithiformes it should be active, with conservation status set to extinct
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/133952 Pica pica please add an "introduced tag" to eurasian magpie observation in Taiwan. They are not native to the island. Instead, they were introduced here in the Qing dynasty.
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/133961 Tinamus major zuliensis is it possible to remove a range map?
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/216011 Scytalopus latrans deseo confirmar
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/213934 Anser anser × branta canadensis it's more likely domestic goose hybrid (Anser anser domesticus × Branta canadensis) in most cases, especially outside wild Greylag Goose range
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/142873 Larus canus It makes far more sense to set the default name as that of the nominate subspecies, rather than a non-nominate subspecies which is likely to be split as a separate species in the near future.
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/216213 Junco hyemalis oreganus I'm confused by the way subspecies on this and a few other species are treated in iNat. Clement's recognizes a bunch of subspecies that aren't options in iNat.
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/216162 Anas platyrhynchos domesticus May I suggest changing the common name of this taxon in English to 'Domestic Mallard'? I think Domestic Duck is confusing because at least one other duck species is also domesticated and many others are kept in captivity.
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/216215 Junco hyemalis oreganus If I understand correctly, iNat does not allow polytypic groups as taxons.
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/216267 Passerella iliaca There are several subspecies missing from the taxon tree, and the common names as is are confusing.
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/147465 Quiscalus lugubris Hay que replantear la distribución que aparece en el mapa de esta especie.
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/215545 Rissa tridactyla the new range map omits much of the breeding and wintering range of the species worldwide
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/218219 Acanthis flammea flammea Can a European birder confirm that the name Mealy Redpoll usually and most appropriately applies specifically to the subspecies, and NOT to Carduelis flammea as a whole?
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/211166 Glareola pratincola how do i ad the israel red datta book to the authority list in order to change conservation status ?
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/211223 Aythya collaris × marila Need a taxon for Ring-necked Duck x Greater/Lesser Scaup
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/211234 Setophaga dominica albilora TLDR version: albilora is no longer recognized as a subspecies due to recent molecular and morphological work.
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/211439 Platycercus elegans adelaidae Not a valid subspecies name. Cannot be neatly swapped with another subspecies as the 'Adelaide Rosella' pop is a hybrid swarm. Ideally the name should be deleted but a swap with Platycercus elegans (without subspecies epithet) the most pragmatic solution
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/219189 Torgos tracheliotos please add the nominotypical subspecies
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/219201 Columba larvata please add the nominotypical subspecies
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/219262 Notopholia corrusca please add the nominotypical subspecies
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/224305 Junco hyemalis its several Oregon subspecies use hybrid-lexicon English+scientific names misplaced in the English lexicon.
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/225569 Phyllastrephus leucolepis Lump with Icterine greenbul https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10336-017-1477-0
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/246018 Megascops gilesi Why is inactive this taxa?
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/249176 Turdus merula Map needs updating to remove areas relevant to recently split Turdus mandarinus, T. maximus, T. simillimus