Three species added to the ABA Checklist
The ABA Checklist Committee recently added three species to the ABA Checklist.
Hooded Crane (Grus monacha)
– alpha/banding code: HOCR
– ABA Checklist Code: 5
– placed between Common Crane and Whooping Crane in the checklist sequence
A Hooded Crane was shot by a hunter in the Delta Junction area of Alaska in September 2020. The Alaska records committee accepted the record, and the ABA Checklist Committee followed suit.
Northern Giant-Petrel (Macronectes halli)
– alpha/banding code: NOGP
– ABA Checklist code: 5
– placed before Northern Fulmar in the checklist sequence
This record is discussed briefly in the 2020 Report of the ABA Checklist Committee.
Mitred Parakeet (Psittacara mitratus)
– alpha/banding code: MIPA
– ABA Checklist code: 2
– placed between Green Parakeet and Thick-billed Parrot in the checklist sequence
This species was added to the ABA Checklist following a similar action of the Florida records committee.
So long as Hooded Crane and Mitred Parakeet remain on the ABA Checklist, any Hooded Crane or Mitred Paraket seen anywhere, anytime within the ABA Area is now countable if the observer believes the sighting conforms with the guidelines set forth by ABA’s Recording Standards and Ethics Committee. This includes prior records (ABA members content) of Hooded Crane from Nebraska, Tennessee, Idaho, and Indiana; it also includes Mitred Parakeets seen in other states, such as California and Hawaii. There is no prohibition for counting such birds on your lists reported to ABA’s Listing Central so long as they comply with RSEC guidelines. For more on this topic, check out this interview with former RSEC Secretary Nick Block.
