October 2024

Overview

Go directly to October 2024 spreadsheet downloads with range updates

Go directly to October 2024 Taxonomy Updates & Corrections.

This is the 18th installment of updates following the publication, in 2007, of the 6th edition of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. Because the Clements Checklist has become tightly interwoven with eBird, the checklist now is referred to as the eBird/Clements Checklist. The entire checklist (including documentation of all revisions and new range updates from v2024) is available as a downloadable spreadsheet (in Excel and .csv formats). This year’s spreadsheet version is eBird/Clements Checklist v2024, and was released on 22 October 2024.

As usual, we post a list of the major 2024 Updates & Corrections (e.g., new species, splits, lumps, and name changes) here. As noted above, however, full documentation of all changes is incorporated into the spreadsheet itself; and eBird has a summary of the major changes.

The Clements et al. (2024) spreadsheet contains the following fields (data columns):

  • Sort v2024: This is the sequence of species, groups, and subspecies in eBird/Clements v2024.
  • Species code:  Internal taxon identifier, added to the Clements Checklist 2024 and eBird/Clements Checklist v2024 and relates to the Cornell Lab identifiers for each taxon. These are not necessarily stable with respect to taxonomic concepts between versions, but they usually are and help maintain stable URLs in eBird and Macaulay Library. Note that this field has traditionally been provided for the eBird Taxonomy, but these codes are new for subspecies and families this year.
  • Taxon Concept Id: (To be included in a future update.) A persistent, unique identifier for the taxonomic concept which is maintained by Avibase and can be looked up in the URLs of that website (e.g., the Northern House-Martin has the concept ID 30FEC6BE and can be looked up using the URL: https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=30FEC6BE). This is the best database identifier to be used to compare taxa between this version and future versions of the taxonomies. It also can be used to track any changes to the circumscribed range of any taxon and can be compared to see how taxonomic concepts move between species_code or scientific name.
  • Clements v2024 change: Concise note indicating that a change from eBird/Clements Checklist v2023 occurred for that entry. Sometimes only a single change is made per entry; in other cases several changes are made.
  • Text for website v2024: This gives details of the change(s) from Clements Checklist v2023 for that entry. More information is given for most changes in the 2024 Updates and Corrections.
  • Category: This indicates whether the entry on that line is a species, a subspecies, a monotypic group (i.e., a group that is equivalent to a single subspecies), or a polytypic group (a group composed of two or more subspecies). The total number of subspecies recognized in the eBird/Clements Checklist is the sum of all entries listed as “subspecies” and as “group (monotypic)”.
  • English name
  • Scientific name
  • Authority: (To be included in a future update.) The name(s) of the person, or group of people, who described a species or subspecies, followed by the year of publication of the description (this field was first added in 2022). Authorities are in parentheses if originally described in a different genus than now used here.
  • Name and authority: (To be included in a future update.) The full scientific name combined with the authority, in a single column (this field was first added in 2022).
  • Range
  • Order
  • Family
  • Extinct: An entry (1) in this column means that the species or subspecies is extinct.
  • Extinct year: The year the species or subspecies went extinct or an approximation of the last year in which it was reported; “xxxx” is used when the date of extinction is not readily accessible.
  • Sort v2023: The sequence of species in eBird/Clements Checklist v2023.
  • Page 6.0: (No longer included.) This field gave the page number of the species in the last (sixth) print edition (2007). However, with the large number of changes since then, and the predominant use of digital versions of the checklist, this field is discontinued.

Summary Statistics for eBird/Clements Checklist v2024

Species11145
Subspecies20289
Groups3656
Families254 (including one family that is completely extinct)

Species

This year’s update includes one species newly described to science, one species described long ago and only now rediscovered, and one newly added long-extinct species.

Otherwise, this year’s checklist includes 141 species gained because of splits and 16 species lost through lumps; including the three newly recognized species listed above, this amounts to a net gain of 128 species and a new total of 11,145 species worldwide.

In terms of splits and lumps, we are current with the 2024 decisions of the American Ornithological Society’s North American Classification and Nomenclature Committee (NACC), and most of the decisions of the South American Classification Committee (SACC) through July 2024. Additionally, the eBird/Clements Checklist is a participant in the Working Group Avian Checklists (WGAC, now known as AviList), a collaborative effort at reaching consensus and alignment on avian classification, which has been under the auspices of the International Ornithologists’ Union. AviList has now completed the first sweep across all species-related cases of nonalignment at the level of the species and genus. In the future, AviList will seek consensus at higher and lower levels of classification and will stay current with new research findings. We have now implemented most AviList decisions through June 2024.

Taxon Concept Identifiers

We include Taxon Concept ID as a separate column; this is a unique taxonomic identifier meant to identify a specific taxonomic concept. The same English name, scientific name, and even type specimen may be applied to different populations over time, even across versions within a single taxonomy. A Taxon Concept ID refers to a population with shared characteristics and a specific range circumscription and not to the treatment of these populations within a specific taxonomy. For example, when well-defined subspecies or subspecies groups are elevated to species level (i.e., a split), the Taxon Concept IDs for each of these will not change even though the common and scientific names and taxonomic rank will change. A change to the genus or the spelling of a scientific name will not result in a change to the Taxonomic Concept ID. Taxon Concept IDs are the best way to track taxonomic changes through time and to accurately integrate unrelated datasets. We use the Taxon Concept IDs developed and maintained by Avibase which also maintains linkages between avian taxonomic authorities and versions through time. Example: In 2021, eBird/Clements lumped Northwestern Crow (Corvus caurinus) with American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), resulting in no name change for American Crow but a substantial change in the range of American Crow, since populations in coastal British Columbia and Alaska are now included in American Crow (Corvus brachrhynchos). Consequently, this lump results in (1) deletion of Northwestern Crow (Corvus caurinus) from the dataset; (2) conversion of all those former Northwestern Crow records to American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos); (3) change in the Taxon Concept ID for American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) from avibase-9E9F2476 to avibase-69544B59. Thus, the Taxon Concept ID helps to track taxonomic changes, including those where the name might not change but the actual taxonomic concept does change, such as American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos).

Groups

eBird/Clements Checklist has adopted the concept of the group, which initially was developed by eBird. A “group” is a distinctive (field identifiable) subspecies or group of subspecies. The group is not a formal taxonomic unit, but often represents a potential future split (and so groups are a valuable taxonomic tool).

Higher-Level Taxonomy

Five additional orders (Nyctibiiformes, Steatornithiformes, Podargiformes, Aegotheliformes, and Apodiformes) are recognized this year, rather than all being in Caprimulgiformes. Three additional families (Sharpbill Oxyruncidae, Yellow Flycatchers Erythrocercidae, and Spotted Creepers Salpornithidae) are recognized this year, and none are lost, so the total number of extant families in the eBird/Clements Checklist is 254 (including the family Hawaiian honeyeaters, Mohoidae of Hawaii, all species of which are extinct).

These 254 families are listed below, with the names of orders in the left column in bold, followed by the number of families in that order (in parentheses, after the name of each order). The middle and right columns are the scientific and English names of the families followed by the number of species in each family (in parentheses, after the name of each family).

Order (no. families)
Family no.
Scientific family namesEnglish family names (no. species)
Struthioniformes (1)  
1StruthionidaeOstriches (2)
Casuariiformes (1)  
2CasuariidaeCassowaries and Emu (4)
Apterygiformes (1)  
3ApterygidaeKiwis (5)
Rheiformes (1)  
4RheidaeRheas (2)
Tinamiformes (1)  
5TinamidaeTinamous (46)
Anseriformes (3)  
6AnhimidaeScreamers (3)
7AnseranatidaeMagpie Goose (1)
8AnatidaeDucks, Geese, and Waterfowl (174)
Galliformes (5)  
9MegapodiidaeMegapodes (21)
10CracidaeGuans, Chachalacas, and Curassows (57)
11NumididaeGuineafowl (8)
12OdontophoridaeNew World Quail (34)
13PhasianidaePheasants, Grouse, and Allies (186)
Columbiformes (1)  
14ColumbidaePigeons and Doves (353)
Mesitornithiformes (1)  
15MesitornithidaeMesites (3)
Pterocliformes (1)  
16PteroclidaeSandgrouse (16)
Otidiformes (1)  
17OtididaeBustards (26)
Musophagiformes (1)  
18MusophagidaeTuracos (23)
Cuculiformes (1)  
19CuculidaeCuckoos (155)
Caprimulgiformes (1)  
20CaprimulgidaeNightjars and Allies (98)
Nyctibiiformes (1)  
21NyctibiidaePotoos (7)
Steatornithiformes (1)  
22SteatornithidaeOilbird (1)
Podargiformes (1)  
23PodargidaeFrogmouths (16)
Aegotheliformes (1)  
24AegothelidaeOwlet-nightjars (10)
Apodiformes (3)  
25ApodidaeSwifts (109)
26HemiprocnidaeTreeswifts (4)
27TrochilidaeHummingbirds (363)
Gruiformes (6)  
28SarothruridaeFlufftails (15)
29RallidaeRails, Gallinules, and Coots (156)
30HeliornithidaeFinfoots (3)
31AramidaeLimpkin (1)
32PsophiidaeTrumpeters (3)
33GruidaeCranes (15)
Charadriiformes (19)  
34PluvianellidaeMagellanic Plover (1)
35ChionidaeSheathbills (2)
36BurhinidaeThick-knees (10)
37PluvianidaeEgyptian Plover (1)
38RecurvirostridaeStilts and Avocets (9)
39IbidorhynchidaeIbisbill (1)
40HaematopodidaeOystercatchers (12)
41CharadriidaePlovers and Lapwings (69)
42PedionomidaePlains-wanderer (1)
43ThinocoridaeSeedsnipes (4)
44RostratulidaePainted-Snipes (3)
45JacanidaeJacanas (8)
46ScolopacidaeSandpipers and Allies (97)
47TurnicidaeButtonquail (18)
48DromadidaeCrab-Plover (1)
49GlareolidaePratincoles and Coursers (17)
50StercorariidaeSkuas and Jaegers (7)
51AlcidaeAuks, Murres, and Puffins (25)
52LaridaeGulls, Terns, and Skimmers (103)
Phoenicopteriformes (1)  
53PhoenicopteridaeFlamingos (6)
Podicipediformes (1)  
54PodicipedidaeGrebes (22)
Opisthocomiformes (1)  
55OpisthocomidaeHoatzin (1)
Eurypygiformes (2)  
56RhynochetidaeKagu (1)
57EurypygidaeSunbittern (1)
Phaethontiformes (1)  
58PhaethontidaeTropicbirds (3)
Gaviiformes (1)  
59GaviidaeLoons (5)
Sphenisciformes (1)  
60SpheniscidaePenguins (18)
Procellariiformes (4)  
61DiomedeidaeAlbatrosses (20)
62OceanitidaeSouthern Storm-Petrels (10)
63HydrobatidaeNorthern Storm-Petrels (18)
64ProcellariidaeShearwaters and Petrels (99)
Ciconiiformes (1)  
65CiconiidaeStorks (20)
Suliformes (4)  
66FregatidaeFrigatebirds (5)
67SulidaeBoobies and Gannets (11)
68AnhingidaeAnhingas (4)
69PhalacrocoracidaeCormorants and Shags (40)
Pelecaniformes (5)  
70ThreskiornithidaeIbises and Spoonbills (36)
71ArdeidaeHerons, Egrets, and Bitterns (72)
72ScopidaeHamerkop (1)
73BalaenicipitidaeShoebill (1)
74PelecanidaePelicans (8)
Cathartiformes (1)  
75CathartidaeNew World Vultures (7)
Accipitriformes (3)  
76SagittariidaeSecretarybird (1)
77PandionidaeOsprey (1)
78AccipitridaeHawks, Eagles, and Kites (250)
Strigiformes (2)  
79TytonidaeBarn-Owls (20)
80StrigidaeOwls (229)
Coliiformes (1)  
81ColiidaeMousebirds (6)
Leptosomiformes (1)  
82LeptosomidaeCuckoo-roller (1)
Trogoniformes (1)  
83TrogonidaeTrogons (46)
Bucerotiformes (4)  
84UpupidaeHoopoes (3)
85PhoeniculidaeWoodhoopoes and Scimitarbills (8)
86BucorvidaeGround-Hornbills (2)
87BucerotidaeHornbills (62)
Coraciiformes (6)  
88MeropidaeBee-eaters (31)
89TodidaeTodies (5)
90MomotidaeMotmots (14)
91AlcedinidaeKingfishers (117)
92CoraciidaeRollers (13)
93BrachypteraciidaeGround-Rollers (5)
Galbuliformes (2)  
94BucconidaePuffbirds (37)
95GalbulidaeJacamars (18)
Piciformes (7)  
96LybiidaeAfrican Barbets (43)
97MegalaimidaeAsian Barbets (35)
98CapitonidaeNew World Barbets (15)
99SemnornithidaeToucan-Barbets (2)
100RamphastidaeToucans (36)
101IndicatoridaeHoneyguides (16)
102PicidaeWoodpeckers (236)
Cariamiformes (1)  
103CariamidaeSeriemas (2)
Falconiformes (1)  
104FalconidaeFalcons and Caracaras (65)
Psittaciformes (4)  
105StrigopidaeNew Zealand Parrots (4)
106CacatuidaeCockatoos (22)
107PsittaculidaeOld World Parrots (201)
108PsittacidaeNew World and African Parrots (177)
Passeriformes (146)  
109AcanthisittidaeNew Zealand Wrens (4)
110CalyptomenidaeAfrican and Green Broadbills (6)
111EurylaimidaeAsian and Grauer’s Broadbills (10)
112SapayoidaeSapayoa (1)
113PhilepittidaeAsities (4)
114PittidaePittas (46)
115ThamnophilidaeTypical Antbirds (237)
116MelanopareiidaeCrescentchests (4)
117ConopophagidaeGnateaters (12)
118GrallariidaeAntpittas (70)
119RhinocryptidaeTapaculos (65)
120FormicariidaeAntthrushes (12)
121FurnariidaeOvenbirds and Woodcreepers (318)
122PipridaeManakins (55)
123CotingidaeCotingas (65)
124TityridaeTityras and Allies (36)
125OxyruncidaeSharpbill (1)
126OnychorhynchidaeRoyal Flycatchers and Allies (7)
127TyrannidaeTyrant Flycatchers (440)
128MenuridaeLyrebirds (2)
129AtrichornithidaeScrub-birds (2)
130PtilonorhynchidaeBowerbirds (27)
131ClimacteridaeAustralasian Treecreepers (7)
132MaluridaeFairywrens (33)
133MeliphagidaeHoneyeaters (195)
134DasyornithidaeBristlebirds (3)
135PardalotidaePardalotes (4)
136AcanthizidaeThornbills and Allies (66)
137PomatostomidaePseudo-Babblers (5)
138OrthonychidaeLogrunners (3)
139CinclosomatidaeQuail-thrushes and Jewel-babblers (12)
140CampephagidaeCuckooshrikes (109)
141MohouidaeWhiteheads (3)
142NeosittidaeSittellas (3)
143PsophodidaeWhipbirds and Wedgebills (5)
144EulacestomatidaePloughbill (1)
145OreoicidaeAustralo-Papuan Bellbirds (3)
146FalcunculidaeShrike-tits (3)
147ParamythiidaeTit Berrypecker and Crested Berrypecker (3)
148VireonidaeVireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis (61)
149PachycephalidaeWhistlers and Allies (67)
150OriolidaeOld World Orioles (41)
151MachaerirhynchidaeBoatbills (2)
152ArtamidaeWoodswallows, Bellmagpies, and Allies (24)
153RhagologidaeMottled Berryhunter (1)
154PlatysteiridaeWattle-eyes and Batises (32)
155VangidaeVangas, Helmetshrikes, and Allies (40)
156PityriasidaeBristlehead (1)
157AegithinidaeIoras (4)
158MalaconotidaeBushshrikes and Allies (50)
159RhipiduridaeFantails (64)
160DicruridaeDrongos (28)
161ParadisaeidaeBirds-of-Paradise (44)
162IfritidaeIfrita (1)
163MonarchidaeMonarch Flycatchers (105)
164CorcoracidaeWhite-winged Chough and Apostlebird (2)
165MelampittidaeMelampittas (2)
166PlatylophidaeCrested Jayshrike (1)
167LaniidaeShrikes (34)
168CorvidaeCrows, Jays, and Magpies (136)
169CnemophilidaeSatinbirds (3)
170MelanocharitidaeBerrypeckers and Longbills (12)
171CallaeidaeWattlebirds (5)
172NotiomystidaeStitchbird (1)
173PetroicidaeAustralasian Robins (51)
174PicathartidaeRockfowl (2)
175ChaetopidaeRockjumpers (2)
176EupetidaeRail-babbler (1)
177HyliotidaeHyliotas (4)
178StenostiridaeFairy Flycatchers (9)
179ParidaeTits, Chickadees, and Titmice (62)
180RemizidaePenduline-Tits (11)
181AlaudidaeLarks (98)
182PanuridaeBearded Reedling (1)
183NicatoridaeNicators (3)
184MacrosphenidaeAfrican Warblers (18)
185CisticolidaeCisticolas and Allies (164)
186AcrocephalidaeReed Warblers and Allies (60)
187LocustellidaeGrassbirds and Allies (67)
188DonacobiidaeDonacobius (1)
189BernieridaeMalagasy Warblers (11)
190PnoepygidaeCupwings (4)
191HirundinidaeSwallows (92)
192PycnonotidaeBulbuls (161)
193PhylloscopidaeLeaf Warblers (80)
194HyliidaeHylias (2)
195ErythrocercidaeYellow Flycatchers (3)
196ScotocercidaeBush Warblers and Allies (32)
197AegithalidaeLong-tailed Tits (11)
198SylviidaeSylviid Warblers and Allies (32)
199ParadoxornithidaeParrotbills (38)
200ZosteropidaeWhite-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies (150)
201TimaliidaeTree-Babblers, Scimitar-Babblers, and Allies (58)
202PellorneidaeGround Babblers and Allies (65)
203LeiothrichidaeLaughingthrushes and Allies (143)
204RegulidaeKinglets (6)
205TichodromidaeWallcreeper (1)
206SittidaeNuthatches (29)
207SalpornithidaeSpotted Creepers (2)
208CerthiidaeTreecreepers (9)
209PolioptilidaeGnatcatchers (22)
210TroglodytidaeWrens (96)
211ElachuridaeSpotted Elachura (1)
212CinclidaeDippers (5)
213BuphagidaeOxpeckers (2)
214SturnidaeStarlings (125)
215MimidaeMockingbirds and Thrashers (35)
216TurdidaeThrushes and Allies (192)
217MuscicapidaeOld World Flycatchers (353)
218BombycillidaeWaxwings (3)
219MohoidaeHawaiian Honeyeaters (5)
220PtiliogonatidaeSilky-flycatchers (4)
221DulidaePalmchat (1)
222HylocitreidaeHylocitrea (1)
223HypocoliidaeHypocolius (1)
224PromeropidaeSugarbirds (2)
225ModulatricidaeDapple-throat and Allies (3)
226DicaeidaeFlowerpeckers (56)
227NectariniidaeSunbirds and Spiderhunters (151)
228IrenidaeFairy-bluebirds (3)
229ChloropseidaeLeafbirds (12)
230PeucedramidaeOlive Warbler (1)
231UrocynchramidaePrzevalski’s Pinktail (1)
232PloceidaeWeavers and Allies (123)
233EstrildidaeWaxbills and Allies (138)
234ViduidaeIndigobirds (20)
235PrunellidaeAccentors (12)
236PasseridaeOld World Sparrows (43)
237MotacillidaeWagtails and Pipits (70)
238FringillidaeFinches, Euphonias, and Allies (236)
239CalcariidaeLongspurs and Snow Buntings (6)
240RhodinocichlidaeThrush-Tanager (1)
241EmberizidaeOld World Buntings (44)
242PasserellidaeNew World Sparrows (135)
243CalyptophilidaeChat-Tanagers (2)
244PhaenicophilidaeHispaniolan Tanagers (4)
245NesospingidaePuerto Rican Tanager (1)
246SpindalidaeSpindalises (4)
247ZeledoniidaeWrenthrush (1)
248TeretistridaeCuban Warblers (2)
249IcteriidaeYellow-breasted Chat (1)
250IcteridaeTroupials and Allies (106)
251ParulidaeNew World Warblers (115)
252MitrospingidaeMitrospingid Tanagers (4)
253CardinalidaeCardinals and Allies (51)
254ThraupidaeTanagers and Allies (384)