Taxonomic change history

Changes from supplements to the 7th edition (1998) of the AOU Check-list of North American Birds that affected the lists of North Carolina or South Carolina birds.

• 42nd Supplement, July 2000
  • Rename Oldsquaw to Long-tailed Duck
  • Split; remove Crested Caracara Caracara plancus and replace with Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway
  • Lump genus Catharacta (Skuas) into Stercorarius
  • Split; remove Black-billed Magpie Pica pica and replace with Black-billed Magpie Pica hudsonia
  • Change scientific name of Black-capped Chickadee from Poecile atricapillus to Poecile atricapilla
  • Move Bullock's Oriole before Baltimore Oriole
• 43rd Supplement, July 2002
  • Lump genus Ajaia (Spoonbills) into Platalea
  • Lump genus Porphyrula (Purple Gallinule) into Porphyrio
  • Split; remove Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago and replace with Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata
  • Change scientific name of Red Phalarope from Phalaropus fulicaria to Phalaropus fulicarius
  • Lump genus Guiraca (Blue Grosbeak) into Passerina
• 44th Supplement, July 2003
  • Rename Rock Dove to Rock Pigeon
  • Genus Columba is split up; Band-tailed Pigeon Columba fasciata becomes Patagioenas fasciata
  • Genus Otus is split up; Eastern Screech-Owl Otus asio becomes Megascops asio
  • Lump genus Nyctea (Snowy Owl) into Bubo
  • Change scientific name of Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapilla back to Poecile atricapillus (see Supplement 42)
  • Change scientific name of Ovenbird from Seiurus aurocapillus to Seiurus aurocapilla
  • Move the entire orders Anseriformes and Galliformes to the beginning of the list
• 45th Supplement, July 2004
  • Split; insert Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii after Barnacle Goose
  • Move Canada Goose to follow Cackling Goose
  • Change scientific name of Spotted Sandpiper from Actitis macularia to Actitis macularius
  • Change scientific name of Worm-eating Warbler from Helmitheros vermivorus to Helmitheros vermivorum
• 46th Supplement, July 2005
  • Lump; delete Black-backed Wagtail (merged with White Wagtail)
• 47th Supplement, July 2006
  • Cape Verde Shearwater Calonectris edwardsii recognized by AOU (was already on NC list)
  • Black-bellied Storm-Petrel Fregetta tropica recognized by AOU (was already on NC list)
  • Lump genus Catoptrophorus (Willet) into Tringa
  • Change specific name of Willet; was Catoptrophorus semipalmatus, now Tringa semipalmata

    The sequence of species of Tringa and Actitis becomes

    Spotted Sandpiper	Actitis macularius
    Solitary Sandpiper	Tringa solitaria
    Spotted Redshank	Tringa erythropus
    Greater Yellowlegs	Tringa melanoleuca
    Willet	Tringa semipalmata
    Lesser Yellowlegs	Tringa flavipes

  • Create new family Stercorariidae containing the skuas and jaegers
  • Move Stercorariidae to follow the Laridae (preceding Alcidae)
  • Genus Sterna is split up: Gull-billed Tern goes to Gelochelidon, Caspian to Hydroprogne, Royal and Sandwich to Thalasseus, Least to Sternula, Bridled and Sooty to Onychoprion. Specific name of Royal Tern changes from maxima to maximus; Sooty Tern from fuscata to fuscatus. The sequence of tern species becomes

    Brown Noddy	Anous stolidus
    Sooty Tern	Onychoprion fuscatus
    Bridled Tern	Onychoprion anaethetus
    Least Tern	Sternula antillarum
    Gull-billed Tern	Gelochelidon nilotica
    Caspian Tern	Hydroprogne caspia
    Black Tern	Chlidonias niger
    White-winged Tern	Chlidonias leucopterus
    Roseate Tern	Sterna dougallii
    Common Tern	Sterna hirundo
    Arctic Tern	Sterna paradisaea
    Forster's Tern	Sterna forsteri
    Royal Tern	Thalasseus maximus
    Sandwich Tern	Thalasseus sandvicensis

  • Rename Ringed Turtle-Dove Streptopelia risoria to African Collared-Dove Streptopelia roseogrisea
  • Move Yellow-billed Cuckoo before Black-billed Cuckoo
• 48th Supplement, July 2007
  • Move family Cathartidae (Vultures) from Ciconiiformes back to Falconiformes as the first family in that order
  • Split; remove Yellow-legged Gull Larus cachinnans and replace with Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
  • Genus Ceryle is split; Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon becomes Megaceryle alcyon
• 49th Supplement, July 2008
  • Move the order Phoenicopteriformes to follow Podicipediformes
  • Split; remove Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber and replace with American Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber
  • "black-headed" gulls are split from genus Larus: Bonaparte's and Black-headed move to genus Chroicocephalus; Little to Hydrocoloeus; Laughing and Franklin's to Leucophaeus

    The sequence of gull species becomes

    Black-legged Kittiwake	Rissa tridactyla
    Sabine's Gull	Xema sabini
    Bonaparte's Gull	Chroicocephalus philadelphia
    Black-headed Gull	Chroicocephalus ridibundus
    Little Gull	Hydrocoloeus minutus
    Laughing Gull	Leucophaeus atricilla
    Franklin's Gull	Leucophaeus pipixcan

    followed by the remaining species of Larus in the same sequence as before.

  • Change the common name of Green Violet-ear to Green Violetear
• 50th Supplement, July 2009
  • Move the family Odontophoridae to precede (instead of follow) the family Phasianidae (i.e., move Northern Bobwhite to precede Ring-necked Pheasant and Ruffed Grouse)
  • Move the genus Piranga to the beginning of the family Cardinalidae, eliminating the family Thraupidae (i.e., move Summer, Scarlet and Western Tanagers to precede Northern Cardinal)
  • Change the common name of Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow to Nelson's Sparrow
  • Change the common name of Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow to Saltmarsh Sparrow
  • Change the genus of Common Redpoll from Carduelis to Acanthis
  • Change the genus of Pine Siskin and the goldfinches from Carduelis to Spinus
• 51st Supplement, July 2010
  • Black Scoter is split into separate New World and Old World species. The Old World species takes the English name Common Scoter. The scientific name of the American species is changed from Melanitta nigra to Melanitta americana. In the published supplement, the English name of the American species is also changed to American Scoter. However, an erratum clarifies that this was an editing error, and that the American species remains Black Scoter.
  • Greater Shearwater is renamed to Great Shearwater.
  • Move Swinhoe's Storm-Petrel to precede Leach's Storm-Petrel and remove the note “Not on AOU Check-list”.
  • Pelecaniformes is split into three orders: Pelecaniformes, Phaethontiformes, and Suliformes. Only the Pelicans remain in Pelecaniformes, and herons and ibises are moved from Ciconiiformes to Pelecaniformes, leaving only storks in Ciconiiformes. The new sequence of orders and families is

    Phaethontiformes		Tropicbirds
    	Phaethontidae	Tropicbirds
    Ciconiiformes		Storks
    	Ciconiidae	Storks
    Suliformes		Frigatebirds, Boobies, Cormorants, Darters, and Allies
    	Fregatidae	Frigatebirds
    	Sulidae	Boobies and Gannets
    	Phalacrocoracidae	Cormorants
    	Anhingidae	Darters
    Pelecaniformes		Pelicans, Herons, Ibises, and Allies
    	Pelecanidae	Pelicans
    	Ardeidae	Herons, Bitterns, and Allies
    	Threskiornithidae	Ibises and Spoonbills

    Within families there is no change in sequence of species.

  • Osprey is split into its own family. All raptors except falcons are split from order Falconiformes into new order Accipitriformes, leaving only the family Falconidae in order Falconiformes. The new sequence of orders and families is

    Accipitriformes		Hawks, Kites, Eagles, and Allies
    	Cathartidae	New World Vultures
    	Pandionidae	Ospreys
    	Accipitridae	Hawks, Kites, Eagles, and Allies
    Falconiformes		Caracaras and Falcons
    	Falconidae	Caracaras and Falcons

    There is no change in the sequence of species.

  • Whip-poor-will is renamed Eastern Whip-poor-will because of a split.
  • The scientific name of Winter Wren is changed from Troglodytes troglodytes to Troglodytes hiemalis because of a split.
  • Gnatcatchers are now classified in their own family Polioptilidae and are moved to a position between the wrens and the kinglets.
  • The scientific name of Blue-winged Warbler is changed from Vermivora pinus to Vermivora cyanoptera.
  • Tennessee, Orange-crowned, and Nashville Warblers are split from genus Vermivora and placed in genus Oreothlypis.
  • The two Waterthrushes are split from genus Seiurus and placed in new genus Parkesia, leaving only Ovenbird in Seiurus.
  • Bachman's Sparrow is split from genus Aimophila and placed in Peucaea.
  • The longspurs and snow buntings are split from Emberizidae and placed in the new family Calcariidae, which is placed between the waxwings and the wood-warblers. Chestnut-collared Longspur is moved to precede Smith's Longspur.
• 52nd Supplement, July 2011
  • Common Gallinule is split as a separate species from the Common Moorhen of the Old World. Common Moorhen keeps the old scientific name (Gallinula chloropus) and Common Gallinule takes the new scientific name Gallinula galeata.
  • Snowy Plover is split from the Kentish Plover of the Old World. Kentish Plover keeps the old scientific name (Charadrius alexandrinus) and Snowy Plover takes the new scientific name Charadrius nivosus.
  • Northern Wheatear is removed from the family Turdidae and placed in the Old World Flycatcher family Muscicapidae, a new family for the Carolinas. Coincidentally, this has no effect on the position of Northern Wheatear in the list of Carolina birds, because Muscicapidae precedes Turdidae, and Northern Wheatear is already listed first in Turdidae.
  • There are major changes within the Parulidae, consisting of many reassignments of genus and a new linear sequence of genera and species.
    • Genera Parula, Dendroica, and Wilsonia are deleted by being lumped with other genera. Parula and Dendroica are lumped into Setophaga. One species of Wilsonia (Hooded Warbler) is also lumped into Setophaga, and the other two species (Wilson's and Canada) are lumped into Cardellina (the genus of Red-faced Warbler).
    • Kentucky, Mourning, and MacGillivray's Warblers are moved to genus Geothlypis (same as Common Yellowthroat) leaving only Connecticut in Oporornis.
    • Although the genus Parula no longer exists, a provision of the Code of Zoological Nomenclature allows the family name to remain Parulidae.
    • The new sequence of species, with new generic names, is:

      sequence	new scientific name	common name	former scientific name	former sequence
      1	Seiurus aurocapilla	Ovenbird	Seiurus aurocapilla	31
      2	Helmitheros vermivorum	Worm-eating Warbler	Helmitheros vermivorum	29
      3	Parkesia motacilla	Louisiana Waterthrush	Parkesia motacilla	33
      4	Parkesia noveboracensis	Northern Waterthrush	Parkesia noveboracensis	32
      5	Vermivora bachmanii	Bachman's Warbler	Vermivora bachmanii	1
      6	Vermivora chrysoptera	Golden-winged Warbler	Vermivora chrysoptera	3
      7	Vermivora cyanoptera	Blue-winged Warbler	Vermivora cyanoptera	2
      8	Mniotilta varia	Black-and-white Warbler	Mniotilta varia	26
      9	Protonotaria citrea	Prothonotary Warbler	Protonotaria citrea	28
      10	Limnothlypis swainsonii	Swainson's Warbler	Limnothlypis swainsonii	30
      11	Oreothlypis peregrina	Tennessee Warbler	Oreothlypis peregrina	4
      12	Oreothlypis celata	Orange-crowned Warbler	Oreothlypis celata	5
      13	Oreothlypis ruficapilla	Nashville Warbler	Oreothlypis ruficapilla	6
      14	Oporornis agilis	Connecticut Warbler	Oporornis agilis	35
      15	Geothlypis tolmiei	MacGillivray's Warbler	Oporornis tolmiei	37
      16	Geothlypis philadelphia	Mourning Warbler	Oporornis philadelphia	36
      17	Geothlypis formosa	Kentucky Warbler	Oporornis formosus	34
      18	Geothlypis trichas	Common Yellowthroat	Geothlypis trichas	38
      19	Setophaga citrina	Hooded Warbler	Wilsonia citrina	39
      20	Setophaga ruticilla	American Redstart	Setophaga ruticilla	27
      21	Setophaga kirtlandii	Kirtland's Warbler	Dendroica kirtlandii	20
      22	Setophaga tigrina	Cape May Warbler	Dendroica tigrina	11
      23	Setophaga cerulea	Cerulean Warbler	Dendroica cerulea	25
      24	Setophaga americana	Northern Parula	Parula americana	7
      25	Setophaga magnolia	Magnolia Warbler	Dendroica magnolia	10
      26	Setophaga castanea	Bay-breasted Warbler	Dendroica castanea	23
      27	Setophaga fusca	Blackburnian Warbler	Dendroica fusca	17
      28	Setophaga petechia	Yellow Warbler	Dendroica petechia	8
      29	Setophaga pensylvanica	Chestnut-sided Warbler	Dendroica pensylvanica	9
      30	Setophaga striata	Blackpoll Warbler	Dendroica striata	24
      31	Setophaga caerulescens	Black-throated Blue Warbler	Dendroica caerulescens	12
      32	Setophaga palmarum	Palm Warbler	Dendroica palmarum	22
      33	Setophaga pinus	Pine Warbler	Dendroica pinus	19
      34	Setophaga coronata	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Dendroica coronata	13
      35	Setophaga dominica	Yellow-throated Warbler	Dendroica dominica	18
      36	Setophaga discolor	Prairie Warbler	Dendroica discolor	21
      37	Setophaga nigrescens	Black-throated Gray Warbler	Dendroica nigrescens	14
      38	Setophaga townsendi	Townsend's Warbler	Dendroica townsendi	16
      39	Setophaga virens	Black-throated Green Warbler	Dendroica virens	15
      40	Cardellina canadensis	Canada Warbler	Wilsonia canadensis	41
      41	Cardellina pusilla	Wilson's Warbler	Wilsonia pusilla	40
      42	Icteria virens	Yellow-breasted Chat	Icteria virens	42

• 53rd Supplement, July 2012
  • Move the Falconiformes (American Kestrel, Merlin, Gyrfalcon, and Peregrine Falcon) to a position between the woodpeckers and flycatchers.
  • Change the scientific name of Purple Gallinule from Porphyrio martinica to Porphyrio martinicus for linguistic reasons.
  • Move the Psittaciformes (Carolina Parakeet) to a position between the Falconiformes and flycatchers.
  • Change the genus of Chuck-will's-widow and Eastern Whip-poor-will from Caprimulgus to Antrostomus because of a split from Old World species.
  • Move Broad-billed Hummingbird and Buff-bellied Hummingbird to the end of the list of hummingbirds, as part of a major reordering of hummingbird genera.
  • Change the genus of Calliope Hummingbird from Stellula to Selasphorus, as the genera have been lumped, and move Calliope to a position as the last Selasphorus.
  • Move Carolina Wren and Bewick's Wren to the end of the list of wren species as part of a major reorganization of wrens.
  • Change the genus of Purple Finch and House Finch from Carpodacus to Haemorhous, because of a split from Old World species.
• 54th Supplement, July 2013
  • Fea's Petrel is at last recognized as a valid species occurring in North America. It is placed following Black-capped Petrel.
  • The subspecies of Little Shearwater (Puffinus assimilis) that is on the South Carolina list is split into a separate species, now called Barolo Shearwater (Puffinis baroli). Note however that Howell's Petrels, Albatrosses, and Storm-Petrels of North America is cited as reporting that the specimen has been re-identified as an Audubon's Shearwater. The South Carolina Bird Records Committee has not yet acted on this re-identification.
  • Two species that have traditionally been classified in monotypic genera are lumped into the genus Calidris:
    1. Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis becomes Calidris subruficollis
    2. Ruff (Philomachus pugnax becomes Calidris pugnax)
  • The sequence of species within the genus Calidris changes to the following:
    1. Red Knot
    2. Ruff
    3. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
    4. Stilt Sandpiper
    5. Curlew Sandpiper
    6. Red-necked Stint
    7. Sanderling
    8. Dunlin
    9. Purple Sandpiper
    10. Baird's Sandpiper
    11. Little Stint
    12. Least Sandpiper
    13. White-rumped Sandpiper
    14. Buff-breasted Sandpiper
    15. Pectoral Sandpiper
    16. Semipalmated Sandpiper
    17. Western Sandpiper
  • The sequence of families within the order Charadriiformes changes to the following:
    1. Recurvirostridae (Avocets and Stilts)
    2. Haematopodidae (Oystercatchers)
    3. Charadriidae (Plovers)
    4. Scolopacidae (Sandpipers)
    5. Stercorariidae (Skuas and Jaegers)
    6. Alcidae (Alcids)
    7. Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
  • The sequence of species in the family Mimidae changes to the following:
    1. Gray Catbird
    2. Brown Thrasher
    3. Sage Thrasher
    4. Northern Mockingbird
  • The sequence of our two Haemorhous finches changes to the following:
    1. House Finch
    2. Purple Finch
• 55th Supplement, July 2014
  • Change the scientific name of Clapper Rail from Rallus longirostris to Rallus crepitans, due to a split.
  • Change the sequence of some of the Columbidae by moving White-winged Dove and Mourning Dove to the end of the list, following Common Ground-Dove.
    1. Passenger Pigeon
    2. Common Ground-Dove
    3. White-winged Dove
    4. Mourning Dove
• 56th Supplement, July 2015
  • Change the common name of Herald Petrel to Trindade Petrel due to the split of Pterodroma arminjoniana into Herald and Trindade Petrel's; Trindade is the species occurring in the Carolinas.
  • Zino's Petrel, Pterodroma madeira, is now officially in the AOU Check-List, listed following Fea's Petrel. It was already on the North Carolina list, listed preceding Fea's Petrel.
  • Change the scientific name of American Tree Sparrow from Spizella arborea to Spizelloides arborea.
• 57th Supplement, July 2016
  • The sequence of orders that are listed below is massively changed. The new sequence is

    Phoenicopteriformes  (Flamingo)
    Podicipediformes     (Grebes)
    Columbiformes        (Doves)
    Cuculiformes         (Cuckoos)
    Caprimulgiformes     (Nightjars)
    Apodiformes          (Swifts and Hummingbirds)
    Gruiformes           (Rails and Cranes)
    Charadriiformes      (Shorebirds, Larids, Alcids)
    Phaethontiformes     (Tropicbirds)
    Gaviiformes          (Loons)
    Procellariiformes    (Tubenoses)
    Ciconiiformes        (Storks)
    Suliformes           (Frigatebirds, Boobies, Cormorants)
    Pelecaniformes       (Pelicans, Herons, Ibises)
    Cathartiformes       (New World Vultures) [new order]
    Accipitriformes      (Hawks)
    Strigiformes         (Owls)
    

  • Green Violetear is split into two species. The species that has occurred in the Carolinas is now named Mexican Violetear. It retains the old scientific name Colibri thalassinus.
  • Caribbean Coot is lumped with American Coot. Thus it disappears from the South Carolina Hypothetical List.
  • Sandhill Crane is removed from the genus Grus and is now in the genus Antigone, so the scientific name is Antigone canadensis.
  • The family Scolopacidae is now subdivided into subfamilies. At the species level, the net result is that Actitis (Spotted Sandpiper) and Tringa (Solitary Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Willet, and Lesser Yellowlegs) are moved to follow American Woodcock, preceding Wilson's Phalarope.
  • Great Shearwater and Sooty Shearwater are removed from genus Puffinus and are now in genus Ardenna. Also, their sequence is reversed, to Sooty Shearwater first, then Great Shearwater. The specific name of Sooty Shearwater is changed from griseus to grisea for gender agreement.
  • New World vultures are split into their own order Cathartiformes. Because they were already listed at the beginning of Accipitriformes, this change does not alter their checklist sequence.
  • The Vireo family is extensively revised. The only result for species that occur in the Carolinas is that Philadelphia Vireo and Warbling Vireo switch places in checklist sequence.
  • Families Ploceidae (Weavers), Passeridae (House Sparrow), Motacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits), and Fringillidae (Finches) are moved, in that sequence, to follow Bombycillidae (Waxwings).
• 58th Supplement, July 2017
  • The genus Chen is lumped into Anser, and our two former Chen species are inserted before the existing Anser species, so the sequence of Anser species in the Carolinas is now
    1. Snow Goose Anser caerulescens
    2. Ross's Goose Anser rossii
    3. Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons
  • The genus Anas is split into four genera, restoring some former genera. The sequence of former and current members of Anas, with their current scientific names, is now
    1. Garganey Spatula querquedula
    2. Blue-winged Teal Spatula discors
    3. Cinnamon Teal Spatula cyanoptera
    4. Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata
    5. Gadwall Mareca strepera
    6. Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope
    7. American Wigeon Mareca americana
    8. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
    9. American Black Duck Anas rubripes
    10. Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula
    11. White-cheeked Pintail Anas bahamensis
    12. Northern Pintail Anas acuta
    13. Green-winged Teal Anas crecca
  • Several genera in Scolopacidae have sequence changes.
    • In Numenius, two species swap places:
      1. Whimbrel
      2. Eskimo Curlew
    • In Limosa, Bar-tailed Godwit moves to the first position:
      1. Bar-tailed Godwit
      2. Black-tailed Godwit
      3. Hudsonian Godwit
      4. Marbled Godwit
    • Wilson's Snipe and American Woodcock switch places:
      1. American Woodcock
      2. Wilson's Snipe
    • The genus Tringa is rearranged:
      1. Solitary Sandpiper
      2. Lesser Yellowlegs
      3. Willet
      4. Spotted Redshank
      5. Greater Yellowlegs
  • Thayer's Gull is lumped as a subspecies of Iceland Gull.
  • Northern Harrier is split into New World and Old World species. The Old World Hen Harrier keeps the name Circus cyaneus, and our species becomes Northern Harrier Circus hudsonius.
  • Northern Shrike is split into New World and Old World species. The Old World Great Gray Shrike retains the name Lanius excubitor and our species becomes Northern Shrike Lanius borealis.
  • The family Fringillidae is rearranged. Effects on the sequence of species occurring in the Carolinas are:
    1. Evening Grosbeak moves to follow Brambling
    2. Common Redpoll moves to follow Purple Finch
  • The family Emberizidae is restricted to include only Old World Buntings. The New World species formerly in Emberizidae are now placed in a new family Passerellidae, New World Sparrows. The family Passerellidae is placed following Calcariidae (instead of following Parulidae as Emberizidae did).
  • Yellow-breasted Chat is removed from the Parulidae and placed in its own family, Icteriidae, which is placed just before the Icteridae. Yes, you read that right.
  • The families following Calcariidae are rearranged into this sequence
    1. Passerellidae
    2. Icteriidae
    3. Icteridae
    4. Parulidae
    5. Cardinalidae
    6. Thraupidae
  • The spelling of Le Conte's Sparrow is corrected to LeConte's Sparrow. “LeConte's” still has two capital letters but is now only one word.
  • Icteridae are rearranged as follows:
    1. Yellow-headed Blackbird
    2. Bobolink
    3. Eastern Meadowlark
    4. Western Meadowlark
    5. Orchard Oriole
    6. Hooded Oriole
    7. Bullock's Oriole
    8. Baltimore Oriole
    9. Scott's Oriole
    10. Red-winged Blackbird
    11. Shiny Cowbird
    12. Brown-headed Cowbird
    13. Rusty Blackbird
    14. Brewer's Blackbird
    15. Common Grackle
    16. Boat-tailed Grackle
• 59th Supplement, July 2018

  • The Storm-Petrel family Hydrobatidae is split into two families, Southern Storm-Petrels Oceanitidae and Northern Storm-Petrels Hydrobatidae.

    The sequence of Procellariiform families is changed to

    1. Diomedeidae
    2. Oceanitidae
    3. Hydrobatidae
    4. Procellariidae

    Species removed from Hydrobatidae and placed in Oceanitidae are

    1. Wilson's Storm-Petrel
    2. White-faced Storm-Petrel
    3. Black-bellied Storm-Petrel
  • The sequence of species in the family Accipitridae is changed to
    1. White-tailed Kite
    2. Swallow-tailed Kite
    3. Golden Eagle
    4. Northern Harrier
    5. Sharp-shinned Hawk
    6. Cooper's Hawk
    7. Northern Goshawk
    8. Bald Eagle
    9. Mississippi Kite
    10. Snail Kite
    11. Red-shouldered Hawk
    12. Broad-winged Hawk
    13. Swainson's Hawk
    14. Red-tailed Hawk
    15. Rough-legged Hawk
  • As part of a larger rearrangement, the three species that were in the genus Picoides are moved to genus Dryobates and their sequence is changed to
    1. Downy Woodpecker Dryobates pubescens
    2. Red-cockaded Woodpecker Dryobates borealis
    3. Hairy Woodpecker Dryobates villosus

  • As part of a larger rearrangement of the family Tyrannidae, the sequence of the two subfamilies Fluvicoliinae and Tyranninae are reversed, so the new sequence of Tyrant Flycatchers is

    Tyranninae

    1. Ash-throated Flycatcher
    2. Great Crested Flycatcher
    3. Tropical Kingbird
    4. Western Kingbird
    5. Eastern Kingbird
    6. Gray Kingbird
    7. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
    8. Fork-tailed Flycatcher

    Fluvicoliinae

    1. Olive-sided Flycatcher
    2. Eastern Wood-Pewee
    3. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
    4. Acadian Flycatcher
    5. Alder Flycatcher
    6. Willow Flycatcher
    7. Least Flycatcher
    8. Gray Flycatcher
    9. Pacific-slope/Cordilleran Flycatcher (Western Flycatcher)
    10. Eastern Phoebe
    11. Say's Phoebe
    12. Vermilion Flycatcher
  • Species in the genus Ammodramus, except for Grasshopper Sparrow, are moved to other genera, in this sequence:
    1. Henslow's Sparrow Centronyx henslowii
    2. LeConte's Sparrow Ammospiza leconteii
    3. Seaside Sparrow Ammospiza maritima
    4. Nelson's Sparrow Ammospiza nelsoni
    5. Saltmarsh Sparrow Ammospiza caudacuta
• 60th Supplement, July 2019
  • White-winged Scoter is split from Old World forms. It retains the common name but the scientific name is changed from Melanitta fusca to Melanitta deglandi.
  • The hyphen is removed from Ground-Dove. Common Ground-Dove becomes Common Ground Dove.
  • Genus Oceanodroma is lumped into Hydrobates. The Carolina species formerly in Oceanodroma are
    1. Swinhoe's Storm-Petrel Hydrobates monorhis
    2. Leach's Storm-Petrel Hydrobates leucorhous
    3. Band-rumped Storm-Petrel Hydrobates castro

    Note that this change also changes the specific name for Leach's Storm-Petrel from leucorhoa to leucorhous.

  • The genus Oreothlypis is split. All species occurring in the Carolinas are moved to genus Leiothlypis.
    1. Tennessee Warbler Leiothlypis peregrina
    2. Orange-crowned Warbler Leiothlypis celata
    3. Nashville Warbler Leiothlypis ruficapilla
  • The sequence of species in the Cuculidae is revised. The consequence for Carolina species is that Anis are now listed before instead of after Cuckoos.
  • The sequence of species in Charadrius is revised.
    1. Killdeer
    2. Common Ringed Plover
    3. Semipalmated Plover
    4. Piping Plover
    5. Wilson's Plover
    6. Mountain Plover
    7. Snowy Plover
  • Blue-throated Hummingbird is renamed Blue-throated Mountain-gem. This is for consistency with other species in the genus Lampornis which have long been called Mountain-gems.
  • The sequence of swallow species is revised.
    1. Bank Swallow
    2. Tree Swallow
    3. Violet-green Swallow
    4. Northern Rough-winged Swallow
    5. Purple Martin
    6. Barn Swallow
    7. Cliff Swallow
    8. Cave Swallow
  • The sequence of New World sparrows (Passerellidae) is revised.
    1. Cassin's Sparrow
    2. Bachman's Sparrow
    3. Grasshopper Sparrow
    4. Lark Sparrow
    5. Lark Bunting
    6. Chipping Sparrow
    7. Clay-colored Sparrow
    8. Field Sparrow
    9. Fox Sparrow
    10. American Tree Sparrow
    11. Dark-eyed Junco
    12. White-crowned Sparrow
    13. Golden-crowned Sparrow
    14. Harris's Sparrow
    15. White-throated Sparrow
    16. Vesper Sparrow
    17. LeConte's Sparrow
    18. Seaside Sparrow
    19. Nelson's Sparrow
    20. Saltmarsh Sparrow
    21. Henslow's Sparrow
    22. Savannah Sparrow
    23. Song Sparrow
    24. Lincoln's Sparrow
    25. Swamp Sparrow
    26. Green-tailed Towhee
    27. Spotted Towhee
    28. Eastern Towhee
• 61st Supplement, July 2020
  • The new sequence of species in Phasianidae is
    1. Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo
    2. Ruffed Grouse Bonasa umbellus
    3. Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
  • The new sequence of species of Selasphorus is
    1. Calliope Hummingbird Selasphorus calliope
    2. Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus
    3. Allen's Hummingbird Selasphorus sasin
    4. Broad-tailed Hummingbird Selasphorus platycercus
  • The new sequence of species of Rallidae is:
    1. Clapper Rail Rallus crepitans
    2. King Rail Rallus elegans
    3. Virginia Rail Rallus limicola
    4. Sora Porzana carolina
    5. Common Gallinule Gallinula galeata
    6. American Coot Fulica americana
    7. Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinicus
    8. Yellow Rail Coturnicops noveboracensis
    9. Black Rail Laterallus jamaicensis
  • Phalacrocoracidae and Anhingidae swap positions, and the two cormorants swap positions:
    1. Family Anhingidae
       1. Anhinga Anhinga anhinga
    2. Family Phalacrocoracidae
       1. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
       2. Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
• 62nd Supplement, July 2021
  • Mew Gull has been split into two species, Common Gull (Larus canus) which breeds in the Old World, and Short-billed Gull (Larus brachyrhynchus) which breeds in the New World. Because the NC Bird Records Committee has noted accepted records of Mew Gull as being of subspecies of both new species, I am proactively including both species in the NC list, pending any possible future action of the committee. (Mew Gull was never documented in SC.)
  • Cormorants have been split up among different genera. Great Cormorant remains in Phalacrocorax, but Double-crested is now in genus Nannopterum. A record of Neotropic Cormorant is pending publication by the NC BRC; it too will be in Nannopterum.
  • Crested and Southern Caracara have been lumped, back like they used to be. The common name remains Crested Caracara but the scientific name becomes Caracara plancus, which formerly pertained only to Southern Caracara.
  • The Ruby-crowned Kinglet has been moved to its own monotypic genus, separate from Golden-crowned Kinglet and Old World kinglets. The new scientific name is Corthylio calendula. Also, the checklist sequence flips, with Ruby-crowned now being listed first.
  • Sedge Wren has been split into two species. The tropical species keeps the old scientific name, and the North American species keeps the old common name, Sedge Wren, with scientific name Cistothorus stellaris.
  • There is a huge reshuffle in the sequence of passerine families. The changes are too complicated to describe, you'll just have to look at the new sequence in the checklist. The net result is that the sequence is now nearly in agreement with the sequence used in the Clements taxonomy, which is used in eBird.
• 63nd Supplement, July 2022
  • Change the sequence of Wren species to
    1. Bewick's Wren
    2. Carolina Wren
    3. House Wren
    4. Winter Wren
    5. Sedge Wren
    6. Marsh Wren
• 64th Supplement, July 2023
  • Change the name of Northern Goshawk to American Goshawk
  • Lump Pacific-slope/Cordilleran Flycatcher as Western Flycatcher
• 65th Supplement, July 2024
  • Cory's Shearwater is split into Cory's Shearwater and Scopoli's Shearwater. Both of these occur in North and South Carolina waters, and in fact both the records committees have already accepted Scopoli's as a subspecies so the new species is immediately on each state's list.
  • Audubon's Shearwater is split into five species. The one that occurs in our area has the new name Sargasso Shearwater, there is no more Audubon's Shearwater.
  • Cattle Egret is split into Eastern and Western. Ours are Western Cattle-Egret. Clements already did this split last year; a rare case where they did a split that AOS did not do, in this case because it was a late-breaking change that missed the cutoff for the AOS change, and it was understood that AOS would make the change this year, as they did. Meticulous spellers will note the peril of such a hasty change: Last year Clements split the species as Eastern Cattle Egret and Western Cattle Egret. This year the AOS change has them as Eastern Cattle-Egret and Western Cattle-Egret, and in October, Clements will correct their names to the hyphenated forms.
  • Yellow-crowned Night Heron and Black-crowned Night Heron have only one hyphen apiece instead of two.
  • Barn Owl is split into three species; the American species becomes American Barn Owl.
  • House Wren is split into seven species. The one species found in the United States becomes Northern House Wren.
  • All three Redpolls are lumped into one species, called simply Redpoll with no adjective.
  • Changes in scientific names:
    • Wilson's, Mountain, and Snowy Plover move from genus Charadrius to Anarhynchus.
    • Least Bittern moves from genus Ixobrychus to Botaurus.
    • Western Cattle-Egret moves from genus Bubulcus to Ardea.
  • Changes in list sequence:
    • Move Passenger Pigeon to follow Rock Pigeon.
    • Move Northern Lapwing between Piping Plover and Wilson's Plover.
    • There is a significant rearrangement of the sequence of herons; see the checklist.