---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Team eBird <ebird@...>
Date: Fri, Oct 11, 2024 at 2:14?PM
Subject: eBird Reviewer Newsletter: Taxonomy Update 2024
To: David <muthdp@...>
Episode II: The Taxonomy Update Strikes Back
View this email in your browser
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Brown Booby (*S.l. plotus*) - soon to still be Brown Booby ? Max Breshears
/ ML620593860
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Dear David,
The 2024 eBird Taxonomy Update
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will be happening on 22 October! Watch the eBird homepage
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and Slack for updates on our progress; a full list of changes will appear
when the new taxonomy goes live.
*VERY IMPORTANT* Submit all Not Submitted eBird Mobile Checklists by 21
October.
We can only apply the new taxonomy to submitted checklists. Mobile
checklists with an outdated taxonomy may cause issues if submitted
later¡ªplease spread the word!
*Clear Out Old eBird Mobile Packs*
Delete old or unused packs eBird Mobile Packs
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to
free up valuable storage space on your phone and ensure an up-to-date
taxonomy when you download those packs again. Win-win! You¡¯ll get a notice
on your phone when new packs are ready. If you use outdated packs, you
might see minor inconsistencies for the changed taxa. Feel free to keep the
packs you plan to use on 22 October, and update afterward.
*Filter Edits Temporarily Disabled ?*
Filter editing and running have been disabled while we update and add new
taxa. This functionality will be restored when the taxonomy update begins
at approximately 9 AM Eastern on October 22. Please check your filters
after the update to ensure everything is functioning correctly.
*Updates Already Underway ?*
Like last year, we're making significant changes to observations in advance
of the taxonomy update. Changes being made include: 1) adding taxa to
filters that will be split; 2) converting records to the subspecies that
will later become a split species.
We've already started converting many Herring Gull records worldwide to the
correct subspecies (soon-to-be species!), and we'll be doing this for other
taxa as well. If you notice records changing, don¡¯t be alarmed. However, if
you see records flagging that should not be, please reach out to us so we
can address any issues.
The former Red-rumped Swallow (*Cecropis daurica*) is now split into *European
Red-rumped Swallow* (*C. rufula*, top left ? Henrik Brings?e ML204522551
<>)
*African Red-rumped Swallow* (*C. melanocrissus, *top right; ? David Bishop
ML611300532
<>)
and *Eastern Red-rumped Swallow* (*C. daurica*, bottom left, ? Rajat
Chordia ML621019353
<>)
while what was Striated Swallow (*C. striolata*) is getting lumped into the
new *Eastern Red-rumped Swallow* (bottom right ? Parthasarathi Chakrabarti
ML609967399
<>)
*Remain Vigilant ??¡â?*
Taxonomy updates can take over a week to trickle through the system; eBird
Mobile pack updates may not be fully complete until mid-November or early
December. We will post an announcement on the eBird front page and Slack
when the process is fully complete. At that time, please check your filters
and regional data for errors.
Some things may look like errors mid-way through the process. Please wait
until Friday, Oct 25 to see if issues work themselves out, then contact
Marshall by Slack or email if you notice anything amiss.
*Check My eBird ???*
Since the release of the Exotics Species treatment in January 2023, your My
eBird
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page has tools that help manage your records that are not identified to
species. If you have records that cannot be safely assumed to be one
species or another based on range, they may be retained as a slash
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(Vega/Mongolian Gull, Cory¡¯s/Scopoli¡¯s Shearwater, Brown/Cocos Booby, or
European/Gray-capped Goldfinch , etc.). You can find a link to all of your
observations of a given slash to see if any can be identified from photos,
field notes, or other details.
You can view your slashes and spuhs
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in
your life list
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under
Additional Taxa.
*Stay Tuned ?*
We¡¯ll be using Slack to post major updates as the taxonomy update
progresses.
As always, we appreciate your hard work and dedication to eBird data
quality. eBird wouldn't be where it is today without the efforts of our
global community of regional editors. Thank you!
Marshall
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, Jenna
<>,
and John
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for
Team eBird
*Copyright ? 2024 Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All rights reserved.*
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--
David P. Muth
