[Tweeters] Northwestern Crow back on the docket

[Peter Mann]

Steve

If I rad the AOS proposal correctly, they recommend reinstating the NW Crow as a separate species in Northern BC and Alaska, while acknowledging that we (Puget Sound) are in a hybrid zone

Peter

Sent from my iPad

On Nov 13, 2021, at 7:16 AM, Steve Hampton <stevechampton at gmail.com> wrote:


The American Ornithological Society (AOS) has released the new proposals for splitting and lumping that it is considering. They are here:
https://americanornithology.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2022-A.pdf<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2famericanornithology.org%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2021%2f11%2f2022-A.pdf&c=E,1,U8p0WbkgHYgdp1bvKD6ekmuBBFcn01XLftMu9_NsQm1BhlWGcgtjpGvblr_CpTHqU_Pmz7yjEU0cbGI_10WQqz6NrXubAfekWVF_aEgwzt4q5ktFS2dd7qED&typo=1>

Most concern splits of extralimital subspecies in the tropics (the AOS covers all of North America thru Panama).

However, the first proposal on the list is to re-merge Northwestern Crow with American Crow.

They were split last year based on research presented in Slager et al (2020). The proposal to re-merge is based on Butler (2021), a re-analysis of Slager's data. And there is a rebuttal from Slager in the pdf as well. It's a bit mind-numbing reading, but that's the scientific process at work. Regardless, both sides seem to agree that Washington is in the hybrid/intergrade zone.

happy crowing,

--
Steve Hampton
Port Townsend (Qatay), WA



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