Both Middle American Screech-Owl and Foothill Screech-Owl have two subspecies groups that are also recognized. A third split from Vermiculated Screech-Owl occurs outside the Central American region: Foothill Screech-Owl ( Megascops roraimae) which has fairly widely-separated populations on the tepuis of southern Venezuela, adjacent northern Brazil, southern Guyana, and Suriname and Andean foothills from Venezuela and Colombia south to Bolivia. Costa Rica–again, more audio recordings are needed from this zone) south to western Ecuador. Also new is Choco Screech-Owl ( Megascops centralis) which occurs from central Panama (possibly west to the Pacific Slope of se. Middle American Screech-Owl ( Megascops guatemalae) occurs from Mexico south to Costa Rica, and possibly east to central Panama on the Atlantic coast (more documentation of vocalizations are needed from Panama west of the Canal Zone). Three new species are the result, two of which occur in Central America. Vermiculated Screech-Owl ( Megascops guatemalae) was also split. It may be of further note to eBirders that there are at least two other distinct song types found in Buff-throated Foliage-gleaners that may indicate additional splits awaiting this species, notably in taxa from eastern Panama and the Choco region, and the Amazon basin. This split was based on genetic studies that indicated a 6% difference between these two taxa along with playback experiments whereby there was no significant recognition of each other’s songs. These are the changes that affect the region: The Splitsīuff-throated Foliage-gleaner ( Automolus ochrolaemus) is split into two species, a bird of the same name that mostly occurs on the Atlantic (Caribbean) slope of Central America to eastern Panama and South America, and the newly described Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner ( Automolus exsertus) endemic to southern Costa Rica and western Panama. This year, the Central American region gains three additional, newly recognized species as the result of splits, but “loses” two species because of lumping. Of primary concern to many birders is whether or not certain species are “split” or “lumped”. Sometimes eBird deviates from AOS, and this year that happened with two species. Since eBird generally follows the AOS checklist, as with previous supplements, we can expect name changes from the 2018 supplement to be shown in our eBird lists. This supplement reflects recent accepted proposals to change the nomenclature and classification of birds on the official check-list including inclusions or removal of species level taxa. During the summer months of each year, the annual supplement to the AOS (formerly AOU) Check-list of North American Birds is released.
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