Changes to the Irish List, October 2008.

The fifth report of the Taxonomic Sub-Committee of the BOU Records Committee (TSC) has been published in Ibis (Knox et al 2008). The report should be consulted for the full exposition of the TSC's decisions. The following recommendations included in the report are applicable to the Irish List and have been adopted by the IRBC.

• The American race of Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago, Wilson's Snipe G. g. delicata is elevated to a full species, G. delicata and is added to Category A of the Irish List after Common Snipe. There is a single record of Wilson's Snipe in Ireland, a juvenile bird shot near Coleraine, Co. Londonderry on the 28th October 1991 (Milne & O'Sullivan 1998).
• The correct spelling of the scientific name of Black-billed Cuckoo is Coccyzus erythropthalmus.
• Rose-coloured Starling, currently Sturnus roseus becomes Pastor roseus which reflects its closer relationship with the Mynas than to Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris. Its position in the list does not change.

Additional recommendations in the report have no relevance to the Irish List at present although they may become applicable in the future. A PDF version of the latest Irish List may be downloaded here.

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