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Todd 
Posts:22
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| 07/29/2009 6:47 AM |
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Hi Jeff. I believe that the Arizona Bird Records Committee has accepted the Sinaloa Wren that was first found in August 2008, and that is still in Patagonia, as the first record for the ABA Area. Will this "thing" be added to the Arizona and ABA Area checklist in the next update? I saw it and the Brown-backed Solitaire last week, but the word is still out on the providence of the Solitaire. Thanks.
Todd |
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nlblock
Posts:214
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| 07/29/2009 8:34 AM |
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Todd,
As soon as the ABA Checklist committee accepts the wren, it will go on the ABA tax list in BD. Until then, you can always add it to your AZ lifelist (and the overall checklist) by entering it using the AOU tax list (or another tax list that includes the species).
Nick |
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jjones
Posts:5092
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| 07/29/2009 12:10 PM |
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Todd,
Nick is, of course, correct. Let us know if we can assist further.
Jeff |
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SteveO
Posts:509
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| 07/29/2009 10:44 PM |
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Just as background, I update the ABA list twice a year, usually in August and Movember.
The reason for this is that the ABA follows the AOU for issues of taxonomy and nomenclature, and the AOU makes its changes in the July/August timeframe. If any of the AOU's changes affect the ABA list, I make the changes to the ABA list at that time.
The ABA releases its list in November (generally). In addition to the AOU's changes, the ABA will make additional changes to the list based on distribution, as in your wren (I am jealous).
When the ABA releases its list (and before - if possible), I review it to assure that it comprehends all the applicable AOU changes, as well as the actions of the ABA Checklist committee - and provide feedback if required. I then release what I hope is the final set of ABA changes for the year.
The ABA Checklist Committee will only consider adding a species after the applicable Records Committee has approved it, so I assume that the timing precluded addition to last year's list. I look forward to adding it for the November update. |
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Regards,
Steve |
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cowboyinbrla
Posts:270
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| 08/01/2009 4:52 PM |
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Steve,
OK, this may be an artifact of my old confusion about how the checklist files work (I hope not, because I thought I'd finally gotten that all straight in my head).
The Sinaloa Wren is a good bird to use as an example for what I'm not grasping, so we'll go with it. That bird first showed up in AZ in August 2008, and the AZ records committee added it sometime after the last ABA update came out in November 2008. That much, I can follow.
The bird, however, was already known from the more extensive AOU area, and presumably had at least a location of "Mexico" in the checklist/locations data for the AOU checklist. So far, so good.
Now, suppose a birder in North America only subscribes to the AOU tax/checklist, not using the ABA ones? Will the August update of the AOU checklist (not tax list) include birds like the Sinaloa Wren, since it's been recorded in a new area *within* the AOU area? If not, will the AOU checklist for 2010 include that change (because the ABA list reflecting the change comes out in late 2009)?
In other words, for those who never download and install the ABA checklist, only the AOU ones, when should that change be expected to flow through? (I'm not particular about when it does, I'm just trying to explain it to a friend here for whom I'm "local support".
Kevin |
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jjones
Posts:5092
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| 08/01/2009 6:15 PM |
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You understand correctly Kevin. Assuming the ABA or AOU accept the AZ sighting, it will be attached to AZ in the next Checklist (not tax list) release. But the checklist data is attached and imported along with the tax list data.
Also, you can edit the AZ list and add this bird your self at any time.
Jeff |
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Birder's Diary Technical Support |
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SteveO
Posts:509
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| 08/02/2009 9:28 AM |
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The issue is that most record committees (in sensu latu - including the AOU and ABA), are concerned with distribution changes only when a bird is added to or deleted from the checklist area it covers.
The AOU NACC (North American Classification Committee) periodically issues the full checklist - a large book. The 829 page 7th edition was published in 1998. The full checklist contains distribution notes.
When the AOU NACC issues the 8th edition of the checklist (probably at least five years out, but there are no announcements of timing that I have heard), the changes in range of the Sinaloa Wren will probably be restricted to a comment like (One occurrence, Patagonia Arizona, 2008-2009).
When the ABA Checklist Committee adds it, the committee report will probably mention the dates and location. However, once the wren is added to the ABA list, if one pops up in California the ABA list will not change - although it would certainly get a mention in the ABA's publication North American Birds, and by the California records committee.
For detailed information of what species occur in what location, you need to access other sources, like the proceedings of all the records committees or publications like North American Birds. Fortunately, there are folks who watch these lists (and other sources) and publish summaries, like the Tony White checklist that gives occurrence by state, the Shawneen Finnegan Checklist by nation (I don’t remember who maintains it now), or Mal Jenkins’ national/regional checklists (with subspecies).
I generally do not use these documents when I update the lists, because I tend to be very cautious about intellectual property rights. I have had discussions with Mal about using his data in BD, but have not yet done so. (And Mal does not yet show the wren in Arizona, anyway).
Which brings us to one of the great features of Birder’s Diary. You can add the Sinaloa Wren for Arizona to your checklist, export it, and send it to Jeff to be included in the BD checklist for distribution to other users.
And Jeff, on the wish list, how about the ability to export only specific species/location records – not just all species for a location or all locations for a species. For example, in Checklist Editor, let me load the grid on either side of the form, select specific rows, and click an “Export” button.
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Regards,
Steve |
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jjones
Posts:5092
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| 08/03/2009 9:55 AM |
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Posted By SteveO on 08/02/2009 9:28 AM
Which brings us to one of the great features of Birder’s Diary. You can add the Sinaloa Wren for Arizona to your checklist, export it, and send it to Jeff to be included in the BD checklist for distribution to other users.
And Jeff, on the wish list, how about the ability to export only specific species/location records – not just all species for a location or all locations for a species. For example, in Checklist Editor, let me load the grid on either side of the form, select specific rows, and click an “Export” button.
Hi Steve,
I don't see the value-added in that enhancement. When would I ever want to do that? For example, if I wanted to update the range for the Sinaloa Wren, I would edit it in the Checklist Editor and add AZ to known locations. Then I would go to the import/export window and export all locations for this thing. Now users could import that checklist file and have completely updated the locations for this thing.
Let me know please.
Jeff |
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Birder's Diary Technical Support |
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SteveO
Posts:509
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| 08/03/2009 2:15 PM |
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I guess the reason is that I am never quite sure if I have the latest version - or if some other user has updated his and not communicated the changes.
If either of those is true, and I send out a full checklist for a thing or location, I could be regressing one or more user's files by backing out a change.
Instead of doing that, I prefer to release only the required records for specific location/things. That works well for me, since generally I am updating a tax list, and the checklist is just incidental to my process.
As a following thought, the checklist data should probably be updated when the records committee adds a species. Then when I modify a tax list, for example to add the Sinaloa Wren to the ABA list, the checklist data would already be present. |
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Regards,
Steve |
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jjones
Posts:5092
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| 08/03/2009 2:37 PM |
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Hi Steve,
Thanks for explaining. I thought that might be what you were after.
This is all taken care of via the import window and the Analysis window.
On the Checklist import TAB, you can select Analyze data before import (checked by default) and then after it reads in the import file and analyzes it you will be presented with a window that shows you the proposed changes. Then you can accept or reject some/all. This gets around the potential problem you mention above, such that the user could reject a modification to a record they added.
You can also just choose to Not Overwrite, such that only adds are done and none are deleted.
Jeff |
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Birder's Diary Technical Support |
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SteveO
Posts:509
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| 08/03/2009 2:50 PM |
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| I knew about those features. I would just rather filter it on my end so the user does not have to - and so that you do not get problem logs when they forget to do so. |
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Regards,
Steve |
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miller.rob
Posts:241
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| 08/03/2009 8:25 PM |
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Hey Steve! Congrats on the two birds. I'm currently down in Arizona birding with friends. We've put together a good trip list, but dipped on both the Wren and Solitaire - only hearing them. 
Rob M.
Toronto, ON |
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Todd
Posts:22
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| 08/18/2009 9:04 PM |
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Thanks All. Seems like I started a lively little debate when I submitted the post about the Wren. Meanwhile I went off to Alaska and got 3 more lifer ABA species.
I had entered the Wren (and Solitaire) in BD under Arizona using the AOU Tax List (as later suggested by Nick). It just didn't show up when I did a print preview of my ABA Life List. I wanted to make sure that happened before it was time to print off our 2009 ABA List Report and submit them to ABA, and it sounds like it will given the info provided by Steve. Not likely we will have a decision on the Solitaire this year, but it is in BD as a place marker awaiting the day.
Todd |
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