Whether the Hudsonian Whimbrel is a distinct species or not has been a debate amongst taxonomists and birders for a while - and has been settled... for now.
The first version of AviList, published 12 June 2025, has listed Hudsonian Whimbrel (Numenius hudsonicus) as a distinct species from the Eurasian Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), bringing the number of extant* curlew species to nine.
- *The Slender-billed Curlew and the Eskimo Curlew are both believed to be Extinct but have not yet been officially declared as Extinct on the IUCN Red List. In late 2024, a study concluded that there is a 99.6% chance that the Slender-billed Curlew is extinct, and that it likely died off around 1995. Read Curlew Action's blog post on this finding.
The AviList is a unified global checklist of all bird species, bringing together and resolving differences between different lists run by conservation organisations. Representatives from BirdLife International, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the American Ornithological Society, the International Ornithologists’ Union (IOU), and Avibase worked together as part of the Working Group on Avian Checklists to create one new checklist which will be updated each year.
The adoption of a single unified global taxonomic list for birds will benefit conservation, removing the current confusion and uncertainty resulting from the existence of multiple lists. It will make it easier for birders, scientists, policymakers and conservationists to share information, use and link different online platforms, and share a common understanding of avian distribution, ecology and conservation priorities.
Dr Stuart Butchart, Chief Scientist at BirdLife International
A variety of other UK species, and occasional UK visitors, have been impacted by the checklist with some recent taxonomic work confirmed by it, including:
- SPLIT: Red Grouse and Willow Ptarmigan.
- LUMPED: Lesser Redpoll, Common Redpoll, and Arctic Redpoll, now all Redpoll.
- LUMPED: Eurasian and Green-winged Teal, now: Green-winged Teal.
- LUMPED: Carrion and Hooded Crow, now: Carrow Crow.
- LUMPED: Sandwich and Cabot's Tern, now: Sandwich Tern.
- LUMPED: Spotted and Mediterranean Flycatcher, now: Spotted Flycatcher.
- GENUS CHANGE: Little Ringed and Three-banded Plover, previously Charadrius, now Thinornis.
