Newsgroups: rec.birds
Path: utzoo!rising
From: rising@utzoo.uucp (Jim Rising)
Subject: towhees
Message-ID: <1988Mar31.130432.10308@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 88 13:04:32 GMT

In the most recent CONDOR, Robert Zink presents evidence for splitting
the brown towhee into two species, the "California" towhee and the 
other one, and retaining the Abert's towhee as a full species.  The
Mexican White-throated Towhee is a subspecies of the "brown" (not 
Cal.) towhee in this scheme.

I havn't seen anything new on the gnatcatchers, but it is suggested
that differences in morphology and song suggest that the Cal
"Black-tailed" and "Plumbeous" gnatcatchers be split.
It is also suggested that the "green-backed" and "dark-backed"
"Lesser" goldfinches are different species -- but that hoary and
common redpolls aren't (I'd vote for the latter).

Stand in one place, and watch your life list change before your eyes!

--Jim Rising
-- 
Name:   Jim Rising
Mail:   Dept. Zoology, Univ. Toronto
        Toronto, Ontario, Canada    M5S 1A1
UUCP:   {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!rising