Fine
question, Jerry (in Chicago).
As
brief background, in 2017 the American Ornithological Society (AOS) voted down
a measure that would have split Yellow-Rumped Warbler into different species*
(see two notes, below, for more details related to the aforementioned sentence).
Many of you already know the Yellow-rumped Warbler currently occurs as at least two, three, or four subspecies (varying among taxonomic organization plans). Among the current taxonomic plans, the “Myrtle” group (coronata), and the “Audubon’s” group (auduboni) are accepted in every one, with “Black-fronted” (nigrifrons), and “Goldman’s” (goldmani) also noted in at least one other taxonomic plan.
NOTE #1: In the N.A. Birds Online account for this species, the
following additional subspecies is described in the "Myrtle group (below
photo)": D.
c. hooveri McGregor,
1899: Breeds in central and s.-central Alaska, se. Alaska, Yukon Territory,
Mackenzie, and nw. British Columbia; intergrades with auduboni known
from Stikine River, AK (Gibson and Kessel 1997a). Like nominate coronata,
slightly larger, with longer wing (minimum wing length 73.5 mm in females, 75.5
mm in first-year males, and 78.0 mm in adult males); more streaked below
(Alternate-plumaged males) or paler brown (females). Characters broadly clinal
where range meets that of nominate coronata; for this reason, hooveri not
recognized by Hubbard (Hubbard 1970b). More recently, hooveri maintained
as valid (Godfrey 1986, Gibson and Kessel 1997a, R. Dickerman and
P. Unitt pers. comm.).
(Audubon's
Yellow-rumped subspecies appears in photo, below.)
NOTE
#2: The International Ornithological Congress (IOC) differs from the AOS
assessment of this species. It ALREADY splits the Yellow-rumped Warbler,
thereby recognizing Audubon's and Myrtle as two species).
(*
= The recent AOS rejection vote against creating additional divisions of the
Yellow-rumped complex was based, in part, by several committee members who
suggested the need for further genetic analysis and determination of the extent
of interbreeding in the subspecies’ contact zones where the “Myrtle” group
(coronata), and the “Audubon’s” group (auduboni) mix in western Canada. The
status of two other subspecies — “Black-fronted” (nigrifrons), and “Goldman’s”
(goldmani) remain unchanged according to at least one taxonomic organization
plan.
Black-fronted
is a resident in Mexico, and Goldman’s occurs only in southernmost Mexico and
Guatemala. Neither of these two subspecies has been observed in the American
Birding Association geographical area.
As
for why, the IOC considers the Myrtle and Audubon's to represent two distinct
species, the following 10 naming rules appear to guide the IOC's reasons for
adopting name choices, with one or more the reason why the IOC divides the
Yellow-rumped Warbler into two species: Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warbler and
Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warbler:
1. - Each
species should have one name only.
2. - A
species name must be unique.
3. - Anglicized
names are acceptable.
4. - Established
names should prevail.
5. - Local
names should not have priority.
6. - Offensive
names should be changed.
7. - Patronyms
are acceptable without bias for or against.
8. - Simplicity
and brevity are virtues.
9. - Use
of the word “island” will be limited.
10. - Species
in the same genus may have different group names.
For
more information, see:
