The common moorhen is now considered to be two species, Gallinula chloropus in Europe and Asia and Gallinula galeata in North America. The online database Avibase helps birders and scientists clarify which species they are talking about. (Photo credit: Dario Sanches, via flickr)
Scientific names of birds are not quite as accurate as one might think, but a new paper describes an online database that can help birders and biologists stay on the same page.
A good example of changing names came in 2011, when the species known as the Common Moorhen was reclassified as a different species in North America than in Europe and Asia.
Avibase, a free online database of birds that has been meticulously maintained by Denis Lepage for 20 years, connects species names to the taxonomic concepts that define them, helping make sense of scientific studies and bird sightings all over the world.
The new paper explains how Avibase’s algorithms work, opening the door for the technique to be applied to other groups of animals.
Original research paper published in the journal ZooKeys on June 25, 2014.
Names and affiliations of selected authors
Denis Lepage, Bird Studies Canada, Ontario
