Among birders, listers are sometimes scorned as oblivious to higher concerns, such as the biology of birds, preservation of habitats, etc. All the same, even the most narrow-mindedly acquisitive lister must learn some science along the way. The American Ornithologists' Union, which is pretty much universally recognized as North America's authority on birds, offers listers many opportunities to learn about these less selfish concerns. Because the AOU maintains the lists listers use, they follow its pronouncements, paying attention to the merest rumors among its deliberations. Many listers, for example, keep "escrow lists" of taxa seen that might someday be given full species status so they can add them to their lists, and worry that other changes in taxonomic status might require them to take former species off their lists. The AOU's Check-list Committee, which determines the North American list, has a refreshingly open process. It is possible to learn a lot about birds by consulting its proposals, where Committee members advance cases for changes in the Check-list, and ask for votes. You can see a list of what the Committee is considering by going to http://www.aou.org/committees/nacc/proposals/pending.php3 ; once there, click on the highlighted "PDF" to see many pages of detailed proposals and recommendations, as well as bibliographies offering scientific evidence. Here are some examples. We are all interested in the English names of birds, and there are three relevant votes upcoming, involving the names of the sharp-tailed sparrows (why shouldn't it be just "Nelson's Sparrow," rather than "Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow"?), or certain species we share with Britain even though our vernacular names differ, or the English name of the rhinoceros auklet (would it be more accurate to call it the "Rhinoceros Puffin"?). If you want to add new species to your N. American list while sitting at home, the discussion of Passerculus sandwichensis, the savannah sparrow, will get your attention. Sparrow expert Gerry Rising here proposes it be split into four new species, three of which are found in North America. And no, the "Ipswich" sparrow is not one of them... I recommend these proposal pages. They show how those decisions are made, and share with the public the evidence mustered on their behalf. They serve to give us confidence about the nature of changes that might otherwise seem arbitrary or obscure. Listers should check them out. Bill Whan Columbus ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]