Ohio birders may be interested in some potential changes to our bird
checklists, based on the most recent set of proposals to the AOS (formerly
AOU) checklist committee. The full set of proposals can be read at this
link:
http://checklist.aou.org/assets/proposals/PDF/2017-C.pdf

The splits of Brown Creeper and Bell's Vireo described there won't change
the number of species possible in Ohio, since the southwestern forms of
those two complexes are extremely unlikely ever to show up in this part of
the country. (But if they're split, the English names of our local forms
might change.) However, if Nashville Warbler is split, we'll have to look
at these birds a lot more closely, since the western form certainly could
stray here in migration.

Perhaps most interesting locally is the proposed lump of Iceland Gull and
Thayer's Gull -- a move that, in the opinions of many, is long overdue.
It's worthwhile to go to the link and read the full account about this
situation. The back story on the research that led to the current status of
Thayer's is truly astounding. The outline of that story has been well known
to gull experts for more than 25 years, but until now I don't think it has
been published anywhere that would be readily accessible to most birders.

None of these proposed changes will be official until the AOS committee
votes on them, but it's good to know some of the rationale ahead of time.
If Thayer's and Iceland gulls are lumped, it will free us up to simply
enjoy the extreme amount of variation in these birds without having to try
to separate them into two (artificial?) categories.

Kenn Kaufman
Oak Harbor, OH

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