IOC proposed split of Hudsonian Whimbrel

[Michael Szabo]

The International Ornithological Congress (IOC) is proposing to accept Hudsonian Whimbrel as a separate species from Whimbrel. Here is the link to the relevant IOC web page: https://www.worldbirdnames.org/updates/update-diary/

The proposed split is reportedly based on a paper published by Pavel Tomkovich and others in 'Nature Briefing' in December 2019 entitled "Population genomics of two congeneric Palaearctic shorebirds reveals differential impacts of Quaternary climate oscillations across habitats types"
Link to paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598- ... 7Y_PmrCQ1I

Link to photo of Hudsonian Whimbrel (Playa del Rey, California, 7 May 2019): https://scontent.fpmr1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/ ... e=5EA1F9EE

[andrewcrossland]

about time!!

[Michael Szabo]

Steppe Whimbrel - could this be another Whimbrel taxa to keep an eye out for in New Zealand?
It has distinctive extensive white on the underwing (see photo in linked artcile below)

Link: https://www.birdlife.org/worldwide/news ... discovered

[Pat Miller]

So, what do we call the whimbrels we get in NZ now?

[Oscar Thomas]

Eurasian Whimbrel are the common species but we have had records of the Hudsonian Whimbrel as well.

[Michael Szabo]

There are four recognised subspecies of Eurasian Whimbrel, of which two have been recorded in New Zealand: Asiatic Whimbrel N.p. variegatus and American (Hudsonian) Whimbrel N.p. hudsonicus.