1. pets
2. birds

Four-letter and Six-letter Alpha Codes for
Birds
Recorded
from the American
Ornithologists' Union Check-list Area
Peter Pyle and David F. DeSante
Institute for Bird Populations
P.O. Box 1346
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
ppyle@birdpop.org
ABSTRACT
Alphabetic ("alpha") codes, abbreviations of
Englishor scientificbird names, have long been
employedby ornithologists.They allow quicker
data entry than filling out the entire English or
scientificname of a species, and they can also
serve
to cross-check
other
recorded
names
or
numericdata. The Bird Banding Laboratory(BBL)
has longusedalphacodes,whichhavebecomean
integralpartof largeornithological
programsacross
North America. However, because of taxonomic
and English-namechangesand the applicationof
different conflict-resolutionstrategies, the BBL
alpha-code list has become increasinglyinconsistent.
Moreover, the BBL list excludes most
are includedin appendices.The secondlistfollows
the same basic principlesexceptthat it contains
six-letter
codes
based
on the scientific
names
(genus,species,and subspecies)of the speciesor
form. We hope that this list will be useful for
ornithologists,
particularlythose in LatinAmerican
countries,who would prefer usingscientificrather
than English names. These lists can be
downloaded from http://www.birdpop.org/
AlphaCodes.htmand will be updated every two
years, followingtaxonomic and name changes
adoptedbytheAOU infuturebiennialsupplements.
INTRODUCTION
residentspeciesfoundin Mexico,CentralAmerica,
and the Caribbean.
Because current North Ameri-
can avianconservationefforts(e.g., NABCI- North
American Bird Conservation Initiative) include
residentspecies, expansion and revision of the
BBL alpha-code list is appropriate. Here we
proposetwo listsof alpha codesfor use by North
andCentralAmericanandCaribbeanornithologists.
The first list contains four-letter codes, based on
English names, broadly following the rules and
strategiesadoptedby the BBL.This listdiffersfrom
thatof the BBLinthat:1) all 2030 speciesrecorded
from the American Ornithologists'Union (AOU
2002) areaare included,as wellas 91 non-species
forms,manyof whichwere recognizedby the BBL;
Bird banders and other ornithologistshave long
used alphabetic ("alpha") codes to record bird
species on data sheets. Alpha codes allow more
efficientanderror-freedataentrythanfillingoutthe
entire Englishor scientificname of a species,and
they can also serve to cross-checkother recorded
names or numeric data such as "AOU numbers"
assigned to each species by the American
Ornithologists'Union (AOU 1983; abandonedby
the AOU 1998) or "S-M world numbers"listedby
Sibley and Monroe (1990). Additionally,alpha
codes can be used in computer databases,
resulting
inthesubstantial
reduction
incomputer
file
sizes that omit fields or columns for the entire
2)standardized,
specie•-categorization
definitions English and/or scientificnames. Bird banders, in
and conflict-resolution formulae have been derived
and strictlyadhered to; and 3) Englishnames for
subspecies,unidentified
forms,hybrids,intergrades,
morphs,and intermediatemorphs,for whichalpha
codeshavebeenassigned,havebeenstandardized.
Discrepanciesbetweenour listand that of the BBL
Page 64
particular,have benefittedfrom usingalphacodes
to reducethe amountof handlingtime that a bird
incursduringbanding,and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's(USFWS; now the U.S. Geological
Service/Biological
ResourceDivision)
BirdBanding
Laboratory(BBL) has adoptedacceptablefour-
NorthAmencanB•rd Bander
Vol 28 No 2
letter alpha codes for banders to use when
submittingtheir data (USFWS 1988). The codes
are constructedsuch that they utilize the initial
letters in the words of the English name (often
providingsomewhat phoneticabbreviations)and
namingof unidentifiedforms,subspecies,hybrids,
intergrades,morphs, and intermediatemorphs.
Moreover, the BBL list excludes most resident
speciesfoundin Mexico,CentralAmerica,and the
Caribbean.
thus, are easier to remember than numeric codes.
The most widely used alpha codes in North
America are four-lettercodes based on English
names, as originallyproposedby Klimkiewiczand
Robbins(1978). These authorsestablisheda set of
five rulesforassigningalphacodes,dependenton
the numberof words(includinghyphenatedwords)
inthe Englishnamesof each species.When these
rulesresultedintwospecieshavingthe samecode
(hereafter "conflicts"),Klimkiewiczand Robbins
optedto givethe codeto the speciesthatwas "more
common or widely distributed"and to define an
alternatealphacodeforthe less-commonspecies.
They list28 speciesfor whichalternatecodeswere
suggested based on conflicts; no standardized
rules appeared to exist for assigningalternate
codes.
Since 1978, periodiccorrectionsand suggested
adaptations
havebeenmadetothefour-letteralpha
code system proposed by Klimkiewicz and
Robbins (e.g., Hamel and Klimkiewicz 1981,
Canadian Wildlife Service [CWS] and USFWS
1984,Pyleetal. 1987,USFWS1988,Jones1992).
The CWS and USFWS (1984) includeda newrule
suggesting
that,whenconflictsarose,all species
involvedwould be assignedalternate codes, as
longas the specieswere "normallyoccurring"
(cf.
USFWS 1988) in NorthAmericanorthof Mexico.In
addition,many new codeshave been added to the
list based on extralimitalspecies, new hybrid
combinations,and recognizedsubspeciessubsequently banded with USFWS bands, and the
alpha-codesystem has undergonenecessary
revisionsbasedon taxonomicand English-name
changesendorsedbienniallyby the AOU (e.g.,
AOU 1998, 2000, 2002). The result of these
changesandadditions
isa BBLalpha-codelistthat
has becomecomplexand inconsistentbased on
manyrevisions
bydifferentBBLpersonnel,
varying
rulesforassigning
alternatecodesduringconflicts,
differentinterpretations
of what constitutesa "normally occurring"species, changes in the distributionsor status of species, and inconsistent
Apr- Jun2003
The BBLalphacodeshavebecomean integralpart
of large ornithologicalprograms across North
Americasuchas The Institutefor BirdPopulation's
(IBP) MonitoringAvian Productivityand Survivorship(MAPS) program(DeSanteet al. 2002).
Because
current
North
American
avian
conservationefforts(e.g., NABCI- NorthAmerican
BirdConservationInitiative)includeresidentNeotropical species for which no codes exist,
expansionas well as revisionof the BBL alphacodelistis appropriate.Herewe presenttwolistsof
alphacodesfor useby NorthandCentralAmerican
ornithologists.The first list contains four-letter
codes,basedon Englishnames,broadlyfollowing
the rules and strategies adopted by the BBL
(USFWS 1988). Our listof four-lettercodesdiffers
from that of the BBL in that: 1) all 2030 species
recordedfrom the AOU area (AOU 2002) are
included,as wellas 91 non-species
forms,manyof
whichwererecognizedbytheBBL;2) standardized,
species-categorization definitions and conflict-
resolution
formulaehavebeenderivedandstrictly
adheredto; and 3) Englishnamesfor subspecies,
unidentified
forms,hybrids,intergrades,
morphs,
and intermediatemorphs,for whichalpha codes
have been assigned, have been standardized.
Discrepanciesbetween our listand that of the BBL
are includedin appendices.
The secondlistfollowsthe samebasicprinciples
exceptthat it containssix-lettercodes basedon the
scientific
names(genus,species,andsubspecies)
of the speciesor form.We hopethatthislistwillbe
usefulforornithologists,
particularly
thosein Latin
Americancountries,who would prefer using
scientificratherthan Englishnames.These lists
canbe downloaded
fromhttp://www.birdpop.org/
AlphaCodes.htm,
and willbe updatedeverytwo
years,followingtaxonomicand name changes
adopted
bytheAOUinfuturebiennial
supplements.
North
Amencan
B/rdBander
Page
65
METHODS
AND RESULTS
7. "If the Englishname consistsof five words,treat
it as fourwords[eliminatingthe fourthword
first];e.g., Puget SoundWhite-crowned
Sparrow, PSWS."
Note that, for concisenessand clarity,we do not
includescientificnamesfor all speciesmentionedin
text; we refer readers to http://www.birdpop.org/
AlphaCodes.htm
for a full listof speciesand their
Conflictresolutionsubsequentlyentailedseveral
scientific names.
rulesdependingon the wordcountand occurrence
categoryof the speciesorform (USFWS 1988).We
FOUR-LE'R'ER
ALPHA CODES
have adhered to these principlesas closely as
BASED ON ENGLISH
NAMES
possible, with slight modifications to conflictresolutionstrategiesfor clarity, consistency,and
Coding Rules, Species Categorization, and
betterphoneticmatchingin a smallnumberof cases
Conflict-Resolution Strategies- Because orni(see below).
thologistshave becomefamiliarwith manyof the
alphacodescurrentlyrecognizedby the BBL,our
Ourfour-letteralphacodingsystemdependsonthe
four-lettercoding system adheres closely to the
definitionof four occurrencecategoriesof species
original BBL coding rules, as derived by Klimor forms, based generallyon the intentionsof the
kiewicz and Robbins (1978) and updated (to
BBL (USFWS 1988). These four categories,from
includeseven rules) by the BBL (USFWS 1988).
highestto lowestpriority,are:
These seven rules(USFWS 1988) were as follow:
Category 1. Extantspeciesand forms occurringin
the AOU (1998) area that breed in North America
1. "Ifthe Englishnameisa singleword,usethefirst
four letters;e.g., Canvasback,CANV."
northof Mexico,notincludingthe HawaiianIslands,
with the exceptionof 25 residentuplandgamebird
2. "If the Englishname consistsof twowords,use
species (primarilyin the order Galliformes)that
the firsttwo letters of the first word, followed
have been given lower priority (due to differing
by the firsttwo lettersof the secondword;
bandingstatus) by the BBL.
e.g., CommonLoon,COLO."
3. "Ifthe Englishnameconsistsof threewords,use
the first letter of the first word, the first letter
of the second word, and the first two letters
of the thirdword;e.g., AmericanTree
Sparrow,ATSP."
Category2.
Species
orformsoccurring
intheAOU
(1998) area that 1) have occurredbut have notbred
in NorthAmericanorthof Mexico,2) are residentor
have occurred
in the Hawaiian
Islands
but not in
NorthAmericanorthof Mexico,3) hadoccurredand
bred in North America
north of Mexico or in Hawaii
4. "Ifthe Englishname consistsof three wordsand
thefirsttwoare hyphenated,use rulethree;
e.g., Pied-billedGrebe, PBGR."
but are now extinct, or 4) are resident upland
gamebirdspecies that were given lower priority
(due to differingbandingstatus)by the BBL.
5. "Ifthe Englishname consistsof three wordsand
the last two are hyphenated,use the
reverseof rule three; e.g., Eastern
Screech-Owl,EASO." [In other words, use
Category 3. Extant or extinct species that have
occurredin the AOU (1998) area (souththrough
Panama and Grenada) but not in North America
the first two letters of the first word, the first
letter of the second word, and the first letter
of the thirdword:]
6. "Ifthe Englishname consistsof fourwords(with
or withouthyphens),use the firstletterof
each word;e.g., Great Black-backedGull,
GBBG."
Page 66
north of Mexico or in Hawaii.
Category 4. Speciesthat have not occurredin the
AOU (1998) area but had been assigned BBL
codes.These 75 speciesare notfurtherconsidered
here, exceptto pointout cases inwhichoursystem
resultsin conflictswithcodespreviouslyassigned
by the BBL, in which case we suggestalternate
codes for the Category-4species (see Appendix
1).
NorthAmencanBird Bander
Vol 28 No 2
For all species and forms, our four-lettercoding
systembeginswiththe seven basicrulesassigned
by the BBL(USFWS 1988; see above),depending
on howmany"words"the species'name contains.
Entities separated by hyphens are considered
words (i.e., hyphens are consideredspaces betweenwords),andseparaterulesexistfor namesin
whichthefinalor groupnamedoesor doesnothave
a hyphen(e.g., codingfor PacificGolden-Plover
and CommonRinged Ploverfollowdifferentrules;
see below).We also consider"Mac"or "Mc,"found
in namessuchas "MacGillivray's"
and "McKay's,"
(1) One Word (e.g., Ovenbird,OVEN; Sapayoa,
SAPA):
1st order: Aaaa. Bushtit(BUSH), Oilbird
(OILB); or Aa for Ou (OU).
2nd order: Aaaa*. Snowcap (SNOC),
Wrenthrush(WRET).
(2) Two Words (e.g., Harpy Eagle, HAEA;
NorthernCardinal, NOCA).
to be words.
1st order:AaBb. DuskyFlycatcher(DUFL),
Yucatan Jay (YUJA).
2nd order: AaaB. Herring Gull (HERG),
"First-order" codes are those for which the seven
StygianOwl (STYO), CactusWren (CACW).
first-ordercode-assignmentrules,definedhere and
bytheBBL,whichdifferforeachword-countgroup,
can be used without conflict. Conflicts arise when
first-order codes are the same for two or more
specieswithina category;e.g., the first-ordercode
for both Barn Swallow and Bank Swallow is
"BASW." When a first-order conflict arises within a
3rd
order:
ABbb.
Northern
Shoveler
(NSHO), CommonPotoo(CPOT).
4th order:Aaa*B. Harris'sHawk (HASH),
BlackpollWarbler (BLPW)
Nth order: Next available combination in
order ABbb*, Aa*Bb, AaBb*. Cuban Parakeet
(CPAK), Cuban Parrot(CPAT).
category,neitherspeciesor form receivesthe firstorder code; rather, both receive "second-order"
codes, unless these also conflict, either with each
(3a) Three Wordswithout group-namehyphen
(e.g., White-rumpedSandpiper,WRSA; Lesser
other's second-order codes or with other first-order
AntilleanSwift,LASW)
or necessary second-ordercodes, in which case
"third-order"codes are examined, and so on. In the
above example, Barn Swallow is assignedthe
second-order code "BARS," Bank Swallow is
assignedthe second-ordercode "BANS,"and no
speciesor form has the first-ordercode "BASW."
Conflictresolution
withineachcategoryandwordcountgroupfollowsa standardorder untila code is
identified that does not conflict with a first-order or
1storder:ABCc.LittleBlueHeron(LBHE),
Long-tailedHermit(LTHE).
2nd order:ABbC. Broad-billedSandpiper
(BBIS), Bushy-crested
Jay (BCRJ).
3rd order: AaBC. Short-tailedNighthawk
(SHTN),Spot-crowned
Antvireo(SPCA).
4th order: ABb*C. Black-banded Wood-
creeper(BBNW),Rufous-browed
Wren (RBWVV).
Nth order: Next available combination in
necessaryhigher-order
codeinthatcategorygroup
orina higher-category
group.Foreachword-count
group,codingand conflict-resolution
rules,along
orderAa*BC,ABCc*,AaaC,ACcc.Short-tailed
Shearwater
(SRTS),Black-tailed
Godwit(BTGD),
Blue-blackGrassquit(BGRA), Blue-blackGros-
withexamples,are givenbelow.Lettersreferto the
words:A and a = the firstword, B and b = the second
beak (BGRO).
word,C andc = thethirdword,etc.,withupper-case
(3b) Three Words with group-namehyphen
lettersrepresentingthe first letterof the word, and
(e.g., Rufescent Tiger-Heron, RUTH; Eastern
Screech-Owl, EASO; Western Wood-Pewee,
lower-case letters the next consecutive letters in
the word. Lower-caseletters with asterisks(*)
representthe nextunconflicting
consonantor, if no
unconflictingconsonantsare present, the next
WEWP).
1st order:AaBC. FulvousWhistling-Duck
(FUWD),BlueGround-Dove(BLGD).
conflict. Prioritization of consonants over vowels
2nd order: ABbC. Colima Pygmy-Owl
results in a closer phonetic correspondence (CPYO),WesternSlaty-Antshrike
(WSLA).
betweenthe Englishnameandthe alphacode.
unconflictingvowel in the word that will resolve a
Apr - Jun 2003
North American Bird Bander
Page 67
3rd order: ABCc. If needed; no current
examples.
1st order: ABCE. Laysan X Black-footed
AlbatrossHybrid (LBFH).
4th order: ABb*C. If needed; no current
examples.
Nth order: Next available
combination
in
order Aa*BC, ABCc*, AaaC, ACcc. If needed; no
currentexamples.
(4a) Four Words without group-name hyphen
(e.g., Double-stripedThick Knee, DSTK; Lesser
Yellow-headedVulture, LYHV).
1st order: ABCD.
Goose (GWFG),
(BAWW).
Greater
White-fronted
Black-and-white Warbler
2nd order: ABbD. If needed; no current
examples
3rd order:
AaBD.
Black-and-white
Owl
(BLWO)
4th order: AaCD. If needed; no current
examples
Nth order: Next available
combination
2nd order: ABDE. If needed; no current
examples.
3rd order: ACDE. If needed; no current
examples.
4th-order:ABCD. CarolinaX Black-capped
ChickadeeHybrid (CBCC).
(5b) Five words with hyphenated group name
(e.g., Black-and-whiteHawk-Eagle, BAWH).
1storder:ABCD. Black-and-yellow
Silkyflycatcher (BAYS), Lesser Snow Goose Whitemorph (LSGW).
2nd order: ACDE. If needed; no current
examples.
3rd order: ABDE. If needed; no current
examples.
4th-order: ABCE. If .needed; no current
examples.
in
order ACcD, ABb*D, Aa*BD, Aa*CD, ABc*D.
Black-throated Gray Warbler (BTYW), Blackthroated Green Warbler (BTNW). [Note that we
make an exceptionto our overall strategy, pri-
oritizingABc*DoverACc*D, to maintainthesetwo
long-standingBBL codes of commonly banded
(6) Six words. (e.g., Red-naped X Red-breasted
SapsuckerHybrid, RRSH).
1st order: ACEF (omittingsecondword of
hyphenatedwordsfirst).White-crownedX GoldencrownedSparrow Hybrid (WGSH).
species.]
(4b) Four Words with group-name hyphen (e.g.,
Black-crownedNight-Heron,BCNH; Bare-throated
Tiger-Heron,B'I-FH)
1st order: ABCD. West Indian WhistlingDuck (WlWD).
2nd order: AaCD.
Rufous-necked
Wood-Rail
(RUWR).
3rd order: ACcD. Band-rumped StormPetrel (BSTP), Black-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant
(BPYT).
4th order: ACDd. If needed; no current
examples.
Nth order: Next available
combination
in
order Aa*CD, ACc*D, ACDd*. If needed; no current
examples.
(5a) Five words without hyphenated group
name (e.g.,PugetSoundWhite-crowned
Sparrow,
PSWS; Western X Glaucous-wingedGull Hybrid,
WGWH).
Page 68
Conflict resolution occurs on a category-bycategorybasis.Thus, withinCategory1, the above
rules are applied until all species and forms have
acceptable codes. Once Category-1 birds have
acceptablecodes the same processis completed
withCategory-2birds,and so on untilCategory-4
birdsallhave assignedcodes.Alpha-codeconflicts
betweencategoriesresult in changescode of the
lower-prioritycategory but not that of the higherprioritycategory.For example, Ruby-topazHummingbird,a Category-3 bird, receivesthe secondordercode "RTOH"whereas Ruby-throatedHummingbird,a Category-1 bird keeps its first-order
code, "RTHU." Little Curlew, a Category-2bird,
keeps its first-ordercode, "LICU," whereas Little
Cuckoo, a Category-3 bird, receivesthe secondorder code "LITC." In this way we preservethe
majorityof long-establishedfour-lettercodes.
No species will have a code that conflictswith a
first-ordercodeof a higher-priority
category,evenif
that
first-order
NorthAmericanB•rdBander
code
is not used
because
of
Vol 28 No 2
conflicts. For example, Bahama Swallow, a
Category-2 bird, does not receive "BASW,"
because it is a first-ordercode for Category-1 birds
(BarnandBankswallows),eventhough"BASW"is
not used. Bahama Swallow receives its second-
order code "BAHS." It is acceptable, however, to
have codes that may conflict with second- or
higher-ordercodes of a higher-priority
category
group,as long as that code was never used or
considered for use. For example, Common
Redshank,a Category-2bird, receives"COMR,"
even thoughthe second-ordercode for Common
Redpoll,a Category-1bird,wouldhave conflicted
had it been considered(CommonRedpollreceives
the first-ordercode CORE). The same applieswith
"LITC"inthe LittleCuckoovs. LittleCurlewexample
noted above. However, if a second-order code is
considered but not used, it is unavailable for lower-
categoryuse.Thus,Stub-tailed
Spadebill(Category
3) receives"S'lFS"
(third-order)
ratherthan"STAS"
(second-order)becausethe latterwas considered
(but couldnot be used) as the second-ordercode
forthe Category-2speciesShort-tailedShearwater
and Sharp-tailedSandpiper.
resultingin a few discrepancieswith BBL codes.
Forexample,the BBLprioritizedAaa*BoverAa*Bb
when resolving codes for BlackburnianWarbler
(BLBW) and Blackpoll Warbler (BLPW) but
followedthe reversewhen resolvingcodesfor Barn
Owl (BNOW) and Barred Owl (BDOW). Because
the warblers are more commonlybanded than the
owls, we chose the former prioritizationstrategy
(seeabove),resultingindifferingcodesfortheowls
(BANO and BADO, respectively).
A list of 103 discrepancies (six of which are
Category-4speciesand 41 of whichwere basedon
taxonomicrevisionsor name changesbythe AOU)
between our species/subspecieslist and those of
the BBL (taken on 2 Dec 2002 from www.pwrc.
usgs.gov/bbl/manual/speclist.htm#100for nongamebirds and www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/manual/
gallaou.htmfor residentuplandgamebirds),based
on changes in names, differences in species
categorization,or differencesin conflictresolution,
is presentedin Appendix 1. Only ten specieswith
discrepanciesdue to differing conflict-resolution
strategies(Leach'sStorm-Petrel;CaliforniaCondor;
Harlequin Duck; Harris's Hawk; Barn and Barred
Whennewspecies
are addedto the listduring
owls; and Broad-billed, Buff-bellied, Blue-throated,
biennial updates by the AOU, this process is
repeatedfor each new addition.Given the above
system,only337 of 2196 (15.3%) speciesor forms
had conflicts and of these, 227 (67.4%) were
and Broad-tailed hummingbirds) likely have
significantnumbersof recordsinthe BBLdatabase.
resolved with second-order
codes.
The systemdepartsinonlyminorwaysfromthatof
the BBL (USFWS 1988). We have adopted a
slightlydifferentconflict-resolution
strategyregarding
three-word names (both with and without groupname hyphens):the BBL strategygenerallyused
AaaC for second-order
codes and was inconsistent
when a second-order code could not be used;
whereas,we assignABbCfor second-ordercodes,
and follow a consistent strategy when secondorder codes could not be used (see above). A
similar approach was adopted here for conflict
resolution of four-word
and five-word
names that
lacked group-name hyphens. During conflict
resolutionof tropicalspecieswe foundthisstrategy
much preferable,both in terms of the many fewer
second-order conflicts, and because the codes
were better phonetic matches for the species
Rules for Naming Non-Species Forms- The BBL
has defined73 names and codes for "non-species
forms,"includingsubspecies,unidentifiedspecies,
unidentified subspecies, hybrids, intergrades,
morphs,and intermediate-morphs.For the sake of
consistencyand becausethe identification
of these
forms providesvaluable information,we maintain
thesefo•'msinourlists.However,thereiscurrently
no consistencywithin the BBL list in assigningor
naming non-species forms. For example, the
namingof unidentifiedformsfall intosixcategories:
1. unidentifiedbetween-speciescodesw•th
current"unidentified"
BBLcodes (e.g., "Unidentified
Teal," "UnknownRufous-sidedTowhee," "Unknown
Redpoll");
2. unidentified between-species codes
with-outcurrent"unidentified"
BBLcodes("Western
Flycatcher,""Gray-cheeked/Bicknell'sThrush");
names. We have also been consistent with conflict
resolution for fourth-order and Nth-order codes,
Apr - Jun.2003
NorthAmencanB•rdBander
Page 69
3. unidentifiedbetween-subspecies codes
with current "unidentified"BBL codes ("Unknown
Yellow-rumpedWarbler,""UnidentifiedDark-eyed
Junco");
4. unidentifiedbetween-subspecies codes
withoutcurrent "unidentified"BBL codes ("WhitecrownedSparrow");
5. specieswithoutacceptable BBL codes
that
could
be
used' as
unidentified
between-
subspeciescodes("SnowGoose,""Green-winged
Teal," "NorthernFlicker,""Palm Warbler");and
6. speciesinwhichone (or more),butnotall,
subspecieswithin a species have been given
acceptablenames and codes by the BBL, but for
which it is unclear if the species names include
unidentified
formsor not ("CanadaGoose,""Willow
Flycatcher,""SavannahSparrow");see below.
We use the followingrules to standardizethese
unidentified-form
names (and subsequentalphacode assignment)in our list:
1) We usea formeror groupname whenone
exists; e.g., Traill's Flycatcher, TRFL; Western
Flycatcher,WEFL; SolitaryVireo, SOVI; Rufoussided Towhee, RSTO; rather than using
corresponding "unidentified" between-species
codes.
a species have been given acceptablenames and
codes by the BBL. For example, Large Canada
Goose (LCGO), Small Canada Goose (SCGO),
Aleutian Canada Goose (ACGO), and Cackling
Canada Goose (CCGO), all have definednames
and acceptableBBL codes. It is presentlyunclear
whether the use of "Canada Goose" is restricted to
other subspecies or if it denotes "Unidentified
Canada Goose" including all subspecies. One
solution could be to add other names, e.g.,
"Hutchinson'sCanada Goose" (HCGO), to cover
other subspecies and leave "Canada Goose" for
unknown forms. But we believe
that this would
resultintoo manychangesto long-standing
codes
of commonspecies(e.g., "Red-tailedHawk"would
have to be given a new name because "Harlan's
Hawk" is recognized). Other species in this
category include Townsend's Shearwater, Great
Blue Heron, Mallard, Common Moorhen, Black-
necked Stilt, Willow Flycatcher, Bell's Vireo,
Savannah Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, and
SeasideSparrow.Bandersandotherornithologists
should recognizethe potentialfor confusionwhen
usingthesecodes;i.e., the name and codecouldbe
restricted to all subspecies without subspecific
codes and/or it could represent unidentified
subspecies, including those with recognized
names and codes, withinthe species as a whole.
We havechangedthe name and alphacodesofone
subspecies from the BBL list, "Southern House
Wren, SHWR" to "Southern House-Wren, SOHW,"
2) We define "species-pairs" when no
unique former name exists; e.g., Gray-cheeked/
Bicknell'sThrush,GCBT; Common/HoaryRedpoll,
CHRE (insteadof "UnknownRedpoll").
3) We use "Unidentified" instead of
"Unknown"for all other between-speciescodes;
e.g., UnidentifiedHummingbird,UNHU.
4) All "unidentified"between-subspecies
codesare subsumedintotheirspeciescodes;e.g.,
White-crownedSparrow, WCSP; Yellow-rumped
Warbler, YRWA; Dark:eyed Junco, DEJU. We
adopteightspeciescodesof thistype that the BBL
currentlydoes not accept (Appendix2).
We have chosen not to define additional names and
codes to clarifycases for which one (or more), but
not all, subspeciesor groupsof subspecieswithin
Page 70
the namegivenin a noteby the AOU (1998);butwe
have opted not to change several other similary
constructedsubspeciesnames (e.g., "LeastBell's
Vireo, LBVI" to "Least Bell's-Vireo, LEBV")
currentlyemployedby the BBL but not clarifiedby
the AOU (1998).
Likewise, there are no rules in the BBL list
governingthe namingof hybrids(betweenspecies;
e.g., "HybridGull,"HYGU; "OtherHybridGoose,"
OHGO; "Bullock'sX Baltimore Oriole Hybrid,"
BBOH; "Brewster's Warbler," BRWA; "Zonotrichia
Sparrow Hybrid," ZSHY), intergrades (between
subspecies; e.g., "Black X Atlantic Brant Intergrade," BABI; "Flicker Intergrade," FLIN), or
morphs and intermediatemorphs (e.g., "Lesser
Snow Goose (Intermediatephase)," SBGI; "Blue
Greater Snow Goose,"BGSG). For hybrids,we
followthe BBLin usingthe acceptedhybridnames
NorthAmericanB•rd Bander
Vol 28 No 2
"Brewster's,""Lawrence's," and "Sutton's"warblers.
We have not used general hybridnames such as
"Hybrid Gull," "Other Hybrid Goose," "Hybrid
Bluebird,"and "HybridNonpasserine";the use of
these
names
adds confusion
as it is unknown
whetheror notthe code refersto a hybridof known
parentalspecies(withoutan acceptablecode)or of
unknownparentalspecies.In some caseswe have
replacedthese with specific names of common
hybridforms, e.g., "Western X Glaucous-winged
Gull Hybrid," or "Eastern X Mountain Bluebird
Hybrid,"in each case followingthe speciesnames
with the word "Hybrid."We also standardize the
order of hybrid names to the phylogeneticorder
found in the AOU Checklist; e.g., the BBL name
"IndigoX Lazuli BuntingHybrid"(ILBH) becomes
"LazuliX IndigoBuntingHybrid"(LIBH) under our
system, because Lazuli Bunting precedes Indigo
Buntingin the AOU sequence. We have omitted
from our listthe four general hybridnames "Other
Hybrid Goose," "Other Hybrid Duck," "Hybrid
Nonpasserine,"and "Hybrid Passerine." Rather
than usingsuch names, we recommendthe use of
unidentified-species
namesand codesfor hybrids
of unknownparentage,and additionsto the listfor
new hybridcombinationsof knownparentage.
For intergrades,morphs,and intermediatemorphs,
we use the species or subspecies name followed
by "Intergrade,""morph"(e.g. "White-morph"),or
"Intermediate-morph"and use the same alpha
coding rules applied to species; thus, "Flicker
Intergrade, FLIN" becomes "Northern Flicker
Intergrade, NFIN," "Black X Atlantic Brant
Intergrade"becomes "Brant Intergrade, BRIN,"
"Lesser Snow Goose, LSGO" becomes "Lesser
SnowGooseWhite-morph,LSGW," "BlueGreater
Snow Goose, BGSG" becomes "Greater Snow
Goose Blue-morph,GSGB," and "Lesser Snow
Goose (Intermediate phase), SBGI" becomes
"LesserSnowGoose Intermediate-morph,
LSGI."
For codingof all non-speciesforms, we use the
same rulesappliedto multi-wordnames as outlined
above,omittingthe "X"in the namesof hybridsand
intergrades(see examplesabove).
There are many other such non-speciescodesthat
couldbe employed.In additionto thoserecognized
bythe BBL,we have addedto our list18 namesand
codes(17 unidentifiedbetween-speciescodesthat
have been used by IBP and one intermediatemorphcodefor nomenclaturalconsistency).A list
of these
names
and
codes
can
be found
in
Appendix3. Note that in virtuallyall cases, these
unidentified between-species codes have been
used within IBP point-countrather than banding
data.
We are confident that users of the list will be able to
derive additionalhybrid,intergrade,and unidentifiednames andcodeseasily,as needed,usingthe
above namingand codingguidelines.
SIX-LE'R'ER
ALPHA CODES
BASED ON SCIENTIFIC
NAMES
Coding Rules and Conflict-Resolution
Strategies
Because we anticipatethat many
users of six-letteralpha codes will be workingin
LatinAmerica,we do not prioritizethe speciesinto
categoriesbased on status in NorthAmerica north
of Mexico. Also, we have not assignedsix-letter
codes to Category-4 species. Our first-orderrule
for six-letter alpha codes, based on scientific
names,is to use the firstthree lettersof the genus
name followed by the first three letters of the
species name. Resolutionstrategiesfor conflicts
between species are given below. Lettersrefer to
the words: A, a, and a* = Genus and B, b, and b* =
species,with upper-caselettersrepresentingthe
first letters in the words, lower-case letters without
asterisksrepresentingthe second and third letters
of the words, and lower-case letters with asterisks
(*) representingthe next unconflicting
consonant
or, if no unconflicting
consonantsare present,the
nextunconflicting
vowel,thatwillresolvea conflict.
1st order:AaaBbb Gavia stellata(Gavste),
Pirangaflava (Pirfla).
2nd order: AaaBbb* Aimophila ruficauda
(Aimrud)Aimophilaruficeps(Aimrup)
3rdorder:Aaa*BbbPicoidesnuttallii(Pidnut),
Picanuttalli(Pianut).
Differences between our list and that of the BBL in
the names and codes of unidentified forms,
subspecies,hybrids, intergrades, morphs, and
intermediatemorphsare includedin Appendix2.
Apr - Jun 2003
In alignmentwiththe use of upperand lowercases
inscientificnames,we use an upper-caseletterfor
thefirstwordof the genusbuta lower-caseletterfor
NorthAmerican
B•rdBander
Page71
that of the species; e.g., the code for Turdus
migratoriusis "Turmig."In conflictresolution,once
a letter has been identified for use in one of the
codes,all subsequentlettersin that speciesname
become eligiblefor use in the other code. For
•nstance,Larusglaucoidesand Larusglaucescens
conflict("Largla").The code for Larus glaucoides
becomesLargldand, becausethe 's' comes after
the 'd' inglaucoides,itbecomesacceptableto have
Larglsbe the code for Larus glaucescens.When
applyingthis strategy,consonantsare considered
before vowels. For example, Cathartes aura and
Catharusaurantiirostrishave the conflictingcode
"Cataur." Because each consonant in aurantiirostris
•s considered before each vowel, the code for this
speciesbecomes"Cataun"and that for Cathartes
aura can become"Cataua,"despitethe fact that the
second 'a' precedesthe 'n' in aurantiirostris.
Rules for Naming Non-Species Forms - We
have usedthe followingrulesto definesix-letter
codes for the 91 non-speciesforms found within
the list.
Spotted X Barred Owl, Strix occidentalisx varia, is
"Strocv."
6) For intergenerichybrids,we use the firstletter
of the genus and firsttwo lettersof the speciesfor
the first species, followed by the same for the
secondspecies;for example,the six-lettercodefor
Sutton's Warbler, Parula americana x Dendroica
dominica,is "Pamddo"(note that, for consistency,
we use the lower-case letter for the genus of the
second species in these cases).
7) For intermediates between subspecies,we
use the firstthree lettersof the genusfollowedby
the first letter of the species followed by the first
letter of each of the subspecies;for example, the
six-letter code for "Brant Intergrade," Branta
berniculaberniculax nigricansis "Brabbn."
Finally,we do not assign separate six-lettercodes
for morphsor intermediatemorphs (all among the
Snow Goose complex), following conventional
taxonomicopinionin not assigningscientificnames
to morphs. Thus, all Lesser Snow Goose (Chen
caerulescens caerulescens) morphs receive the
six-letter code "Checca," and all Greater Snow
1) For subspecies,we use the first three
lettersofthe genusname,followedby the firstletter
of thespeciesname,followedbythe firsttwoletters
of the subspeciesname;for example,the six-letter
code for Newell's Shearwater, Puffinus auricularis
newelli is "Pufane."
2) For unidentified-speciesforms within a
genus,we use the firstthree lettersof the genus
followedby"spe"forspecies;for example,the code
for "UnidentifiedGull,"Larus sp., is "Larspe."
3) For unidentified-species
formsthat could
•nvolvemorethanonegenera,we usethefirstthree
letters of the family name followed by "gsp" (for
"genus,species");for example,the six-lettercode
for"Unidentified
Flycatcher,"Tyrannidaegen. sp. is
"Tyrgsp."
4) For species-pairs,we use the first three
lettersof the genusfollowedby the firsttwo letters
of the firstspeciesfollowedby the first letterof the
secondspecies;for example,the six-lettercodefor
"Hammond's/DuskyFlycatcher,"œmpidonaxhammondii/oberholseri,
is "Emphao."
5) For intragenerichybrids,we use the first
three lettersof the genus followedby the firsttwo
lettersof the firstspeciesfollowedby the firstletter
of the secondspecies;e.g., the six-lettercode for
Page 72
Goose (Chen c. atlantica) morphsreceivethe sixletter code "Checat."
Conflictresolution(involvingonly three of 91 nonspecies forms) follows the same strategies
(detailedabove) employedfor speciesforms.
Usingthese formulae, we found only 117 conflicts
(5.6%) among first-order six-letter codes of the
2121 non-Category-4 entries found withinour list.
Of these, 105 (89.7%) were resolvedwith secondorder codes and 12 were resolved with third-order
codes. A list of all 117 species, their conflictresolved six-letter codes, and their code order, is
given in Appendix4.
THE
LIST
Our full list of 2121 entries, 2030 species
recognizedbythe AOU (2002), and 91 non-species
forms can be viewed and downloaded
in electronic
formfromthe IBP website,http://www.birdpop.org/
AlphaCodes.htm.We hope that this list will prove
useful to ornithologistsworkingthroughoutNorth
and
Central
America
and
the
Caribbean
with
banding,point-count,and otherdata sets.
NorthAmencanBirdBander
Vol 28 No 2
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Jones, L. 1992. A simple four-lettercode for the
birdsof NorthAmerica. Birding24:377-380.
We sincerelythank Mary Gustafsonfor frequent
feedback on the use of the BBL alpha codes, for
keepingusupdatedon BBLconsiderations,
andfor
a reviewof the manuscript.We alsothank IBP staff
biologists Nicole Michel and Kerry Wilcox for
assistancein managingand proofingthe database
containingthe list.The manuscriptalso benefitted
fromcommentsby Kay Loughman,BillLoughman,
Bey McBride, Borja Mila, and Fernando UrbinaTorres.
This is Contribution
Number
Pyle, P., S.N.G. Howell, R.P. Yunick, and D.F.
DeSante. 1987. Identificationguideto North
American passerines. Slate Creek Press,
Bolinas, CA.
Sibley,C.G. and B.L. Monroe, Jr. 1990. Distributionand taxonomyof birdsof the world.Yale
University Press, New Haven, CT.
CITED
AmericanOrnithologists'Union. 1983. Check-listof
North American
Standard abbreviations for common names
of birds. N. Am. Bird Bander3:16-25.
188 of The
Institutefor BirdPopulations.
LITERATURE
Klimkiewicz, M.K. and C.S. Robbins. 1978.
birds. 6th ed. American
Ornithologists'Union, Lawrence, KS.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1988. Office of
MigratoryBirdManagementMemorandum
to All Banders 63:1-6.
AmericanOrnithologists'
Union.1998. Check-listof
North American birds, 7th ed. American
Ornithologists'
Union,WashingtonD.C.
AmericanOrnithologists'Union.2000. Fortysecond supplement to the American
ornithologists'unioncheck-listof North
American birds. Auk 117:847-858.
AmericanOrnithologists'
Union.2002. Forty-third
supplementto the American ornithologists'
union check-list of North American
Auk 119:897-906.
birds.
Canadian Wildlife Service and U'. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. 1984. North American bird
banding.Vols. 1 and2. EnvironmentCanada,
Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa, and U. S.
Fishand WildlifeService,Washington,D.C.
DeSante, D.F., K.M. Burton, P. Velez, and D.
Froehlich. 2002. MAPS manual. The Institute
for BirdPopulations,Point Reyes Station,
CA.
Hamel, P.B. and M.K. Klimkiewicz. 1981. Standard
abbreviations for common names of birds revisited. N. Am. Bird Bander 6:46.
Apr- Jun 2003
NorthAmencan
BirdBander
Page73
APPENDIX
1
D•screpancies
betweenour listand that of the BBLinfour-letteralphacodesfor speciesor subspecies.
A. Speciesor subspecies
forwhichdiscrepancies
are basedontaxonomicor namechangesbytheAOU (1998,
2000, 2002).
EnglishName
BBL
Code
Our
Code
Species
Category
Code
Order
L•ght-rnantled
Albatross.
LMSA
LMAL
2
1
Antarctic Giant-Petrel
Northern Giant-Petrel
SGPE
NGPE
ANGP
NOGP
4
4
1
1
GalapagosPetrel
DRPE
GAPE
3
1
Hawaiian Petrel
Western Reef-Heron
Common Black-Hawk
DRPE
REHE
CBHA
HAPE
WERH
COBH
2
2
1
1
1
1
GreaterSage-Grouse
GunnisonSage-Grouse
SAGR•
SAGR•
GRSG
GUSG
2
2
1
1
Greater Prairie-Chicken
Lesser Prairie-Chicken
GPCH 1
LPCH 1
GRPC
LEPC
2
2
1
1
BlackOystercatcher
W•lson'sSnipe
ABO¾
COSN
BLO¾
WISN
1
1
1
1
Great Crested Tern
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Caribbean Dove
Brown-throated Parakeet
CRTE
ECDO
WBDO
CAPA
GCTE
EUCD
CADO
BTPA
2
1
3
3
1
1
1
1
CommonPauraque
PAUR
COPA
1
1
Mariana Swiftlet
Eared Quetzal
GUSW
EATR
MASW
EAQU
2
1
1
1
ArizonaWoodpecker
NorthernBeardless-Tyrannulet
STWO
NBTY
ARWO
NOBT
1
1
1
1
Jamaican Vireo
JWEV
JAVI
3
1
Gray-headedChickadee
SITI
GHCH
1
1
Tufted Titmouse
Southern House-Wren
ETTI
SHWR
TUTI
SOHW
1
3
1
1
GreaterNecklacedLaughingthrush
GNLT
GNLA
2
1
Hwamei
BrownTrembler
MELT
TREM
HWAM
BRTR
2
3
1
1
H•11
Myna
Ohve-backedPipit
WesternSpindalis
IHM¾
OTPI
SHTA
HIM¾
OBPI
WESP
3
2
2
1
1
1
Ak•kiki
Oahu Alauahio
Kakawahie
Maui Alauahio
Akohekohe
KACR
OACR
MOCR
MACR
CRHO
AKIK
OAAL
KAKA
MAAL
AKOH
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
Yellow-crowned
Bishop
GOBI
YCBI
3
1
Indian Silverbill
Afncan Silverbill
Chestnut Munia
WASI
WASI
CHMA
INSI
AFSI
CHMU
2
2
2
1
1
1
Page 74
NorthAmericanBirdBander
Vol 28 No 2
B. Speciesor subspeciesfor whichdiscrepanciesare basedon differentcodingor conflict-resolution
strategies:
BBL
Code
EnglishName
Our
Code
Species
Category_
Code
Order
KerguelenPetrel
KEPE
KERP
4
2
Cook's Petrel
Short-tailed Shearwater
COPE
SHOS
COOP
SRTS
2
2
2
N
Leach's Storm-Petrel
LHSP
LESP
1
1
Band-rumpedStorm-Petrel
BANP
BSTP
2
3
Least Storm-Petrel
LTSP
LSTP
2
2
Gray-backedStorm-Petrel
GreatFrigatebird
GBSP
GRFR
GSTP
GFRI
4
2
3
3
California Condor
CALC
CACO
1
1
GreaterFlamingo
GREF
GFLA
2
3
Barnacle Goose
BRNG
BARG
2
2
LaysanDuck
LADU
LAYD
2
2
WHIP
WCHP
2
2
HarlequinDuck
HARD
HADU
1
1
Harris's Hawk
Hawaiian Hawk
HRSH
HWHA
HASH
HAWH
1
2
4
2
White-cheeked
Pintail
Harlan's Hawk
HRLH
HALH
1
4
GrayPartridge
Ring-neckedPheasant
GHPA1
RPHE1
GRAP
RNEP
2
2
2
2
Common Peafowl
Blue Grouse
Montezuma Quail
Black-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
COMP 1
BGSE 1
MTZQ 1
BLAG
BARG
CPEA
BLUG
MONQ
BTGD
BTGO
2
2
2
2
1
3
2
2
N
1
Sharp-tailed
Sandpiper
SHAS
SPTS
2
N
Band-tailed Gull
BTGU
BATG
2
3
Gray-backed
Tern
GRAT
GBAT
2
2
WhiteTern
WHTE
WH'I-r
2
4
PacificPigeon
PAPI
PPIG
4
3
Black-headed
BHPA
BLHP
4
3
HispaniolanParakeet
HispaniolanParrot
HPKT
HPRT
HPAK
HPAT
3
3
N
N
Barn Owl
Barred Owl
BNOW
BDOW
BANO
BADO
1
1
4
4
Green-breastedMango
GREM
GreenMango
GRMA
AntilleanCrestedHummingbird ACHU
Broad-billedHummingbird
BBLH
GNBM
GMAG
ANCH
BBIH
2 ß
3
3
1
N
N
3
2
Streamertail
S'I-rL
STRM
3
2
Rufous-tailedHummingbird
Buff-bellied
Hummingbird
Blue-throatedHummingbird
Broad-tailedHummingbird
La Sagra'sFlycatcher
LesserAntilleanFlycatcher
Gray-breasted
Martin
Eyebrowed
Thrush
Black-backed
Wagtail
Olive-capped
Warbler
RUFH
BUFH
BLUH
BTLH
LASF
LESF
GBMA
EBTH
BWAG
OLIW
RTAH
BBEH
BTHH
BTAH
LSFL
LAFL
GYBM
EYTH
BBAW
OCAW
2
1
1
1
2
3
2
2
2
3
2
2
2
2
1
1
N
1
2
2
Arrowhead Warbler
AHWA
ARRW
3
2
Parakeet
Apr - Jun.2003
NorthAmericanB•rdBander
Page75
BBL
EnglishName
Code
Slate-throated
Redstart
Golden-crowned Warbler
SLAR
STRE
2
1
GOLW
Blue-blackGrassquit
BBGR
GCRW
BGRA
2
3
2
N
Puerto Rican Bullfinch
Lesser Antillean Bullfinch
PUEB
LESB
PRBU
LANB
RCOS
SBAO
SBOR
GAKI
AKIA
OCHW
BRUW
3
3
3
2
1
2
2
2
1
2
2
2
1
3
1
2
2
Rufous-collared
Sparrow
RUFS
Streak-backed
STRO
Oriole
Spot-breastedOriole
SPOO
Species
Category_
Code
Order
Our
Code
Greater Akialoa
G REA
Akiapolaau
Orange-cheeked
Waxbill
Black-rumped
Waxbill
AKIP
ORAW
BRWX
1 Gamebirds with recommended
ratherthan officialBBLalpha codes.
APPENDIX
2
2
D•screpancies
betweenourlistandthatoftheBBLdueto differences
inthenamingof unidentified
forms,
hybrids,intergrades,
morphs,and intermediatemorphs.
BBL Name (AlphaCode)
Our Name (AlphaCode)
HybridAlbatross(HYAL)
No AcceptableCode
No AcceptableCode
LesserSnowGoose(LSGO)
LesserSnowGooseIntermediate
(SBGI)
BlueGoose(BLGO)
GreaterSnowGoose(GSGO)
BlueGreaterSnowGoose(BGSG)
CacklingGoose(CACG)
BlackX AtlanticBrantIntermediate(BABI)
MallardX BlackDuckHybrid(MBDH)
No AcceptableCode
No AcceptableCode
HybridGull(HYGU)
HybridSapsucker(HYSA)
No AcceptableCode
FhckerIntergrade
(FLIN)
HybridChickadee(HYCH)
HybridBluebird(HYBL)
Unknown
Yellow-rumped
Warbler(UYRW)
No AcceptableCode
Unknown
Rufous-sided
Towhee(URST)
Zonotrichia
SparrowHybrid(ZSHY)
Unidentified
Dark-eyedJunco(UDEJ)
IndigoX LazuliBuntingHybrid(ILBH)
BaltimoreX Bullock'sOrioleHybrid(BBOH)
UnknownRedpoll(UNRE)
LaysanX Black-footed
Albatross
Hybrid(LBFH)
TundraSwan(TUSW)
SnowGoose(SNGO)
LesserSnowGooseWhite-morph
(LSGW)
LesserSnowGooseIntermediate-morph
(LSGI)
LesserSnowGooseBlue-morph
(LSGB)
GreaterSnowGooseWhite-morph
(GSGW)
GreaterSnowGooseBlue-morph
(GSGB)
CacklingCanadaGoose(CCGO)
BrantIntegrade(BRIN)
AmericanBlackDuckX MallardHybrid(ABMH)
Brant(BRAN)
Green-winged
Teal(GVVTE)
WesternX Glaucous-winged
GullHybrid(WGGH)
Page 76
Red-naped
X Red-breasted
Sapsucker
Hybrid(RRSH)
NorthernFlicker(NOFL)
NorthernFlickerIntergrade
(NFIN)
Carolina
X Black-capped
Chickadee
Hybrid(CBCC)
EasternX MountainBluebirdHybrid(EMBH)
Yellow-rumped
Warbler(YRWA)
PalmWarbler(PAWA)
Rufous-sided
Towhee(RSTO)
White-cr.
X Golden-cr.
SparrowHybrid(WGSH)
Dark-eyedJunco(DEJU)
LazuliX IndigoBuntingHybrid(LIBH)
Bullock's
X Bait.OrioleHybrid(BBOH)
Common/Hoary
Redpoll(CHRE)
North Amencan B•rdBander
Vol 28 No 2
APPENDIX
3
Seventeenunidentified-species
codesandoneintermediate-morph
codewithoutBBLcodesthatwc includcdi,-,
our list:
GreaterSnowGooseIntermediate-morph
(GSGI)
Unidentified
Dowitcher(UNDO)
Unidentified
Selasphorus
Hummingbird
(USHU)
Unidentified
Sapsucker(UNSA)
Unidentified
Woodpecker
(UNWO)
Hammond's/Dusky
Flycatcher(HDFL)
Unidentified
Empidonax
Flycatcher(UEFL)
Unidentified
Flycatcher
(UNFL)
Unidentified
Crow(UNCR)
Unidentified
Swallow(UNSW)
Unidentified
Wren(UNWR)
UnidentifiedThrush
(UNTH)
Unidentified
Warbler(UNWA)
Unidentified
PirangaTanager
(UPTA)
Unidentified
Sparrow(UNSP)
Unidentified
Blackbird(UNBL)
UnidentifiedCarpodacusFinch(UCFI)
UnidentifiedBird(UNBI)
APPENDIX
4
Speciesandforms(n=l 17) with2nd-orderand3rd-ordersix-letteralphacodesdueto conflictsin 1st-order
codeswithotherspeciesand forms.See text.
Alpha
EnglishName
ScientificName
Code
Order
Double-crested Cormorant
Boat-billed Heron
Phalacrocorax auritus
Cochlearius cochlearius
Phaaut
Coccoh
2
2
TurkeyVulture
BlackScoter
Semiplumbeous
Hawk
Cathartesaura
Melanittanigra
Leucopternis
semiplumbea
Cataua
Mennig
Leusel
2
3
2
White-tailed Hawk
Zone-tailed Hawk
Buteo albicaudatus
Buteo albonotatus
Butalc
Butaln
2
2
RedJunglefowl
Black-throated
Bobwhite
Gallusgallus
Colinusnigrogularis
Galgas
Colnil
2
2
Uniform Crake
Yellow-breasted Crake
Amaurolimnas conco/or
Porzana flaviventer
AreIcon
Porfln
3
2
SpottedRail
AzureGallinule
Mongolian
Plover
Pardira#usmaculatus
Porphyrioflavirostris
Charadrius
mongolus
Parmas
Porflr
Chamog
2
2
2
Mountain Plover
Little Stint
Charadrius montanus
Calidris minuta
Chamot
Calmia
2
2
LeastSandpiper
PectoralSandpiper
CommonSnipe
Red Phalarope
ParasiticJaeger
Calidrisminutilla
Calidrismelanotos
Gallinagogallinago
Phalaropusfulicaria
Stercorarius
parasiticus
Calmil
Calmet
Galgan
Phafuc
Stepas
2
2
2
2
2
Apr - Jun 2003
NorthAmericanBirdBander
Page77
Alpha
EnglishName
Scientific Name
Code
Iceland Gull
Larusglaucoides
Larusglaucescens
Largld
Largls
2
Rhodostethia rosea
Rhsros
3
Stepad
2
Short-billedPigeon
Sternaparadisaea
Columbanigfirostris
Coinit
2
Zenaida Dove
Zenaida aurita
Zenaut
2
Eared Dove
Zenaida auriculata
Zenauc
2
Olive-backed Quail-Dove
Crested Quail-Dove
Geotrygonveraguensis
Geotrygonversicolor
Conuropsiscarolinensis
Aratingachloroptera
Ara chloropterus
Amazona viridigenalis
Caprimulgusmaculicaudus
Campylopterusrufus
Geoveg
2
Glaucous-winged
Gull
Ross's Gull
ArcticTern
Carolina Parakeet
HispaniolanParakeet
Red-and-greenMacaw
Red-crowned Parrot
Spot-tailedNightjar
RufousSabrewing
Canivet's Emerald
Blue-chestedHummingbird
Azure-crownedHummingbird
Blue-tailedHummingbird
Green-frontedHummingbird
Blue-capped
Hummingbird
Unidentified
Selasphorus
Hummingbird
Unidentified
Hummingbird
Black-headed
Trogon
Black-throated
Trogon
Black-tailed
Trogon
Golden-headed Quetzal
Spot-crownedBarbet
Yellow-eared Toucanet
Golden-naped
Woodpecker
Golden-cheeked
Woodpecker
Gray-breasted
Woodpecker
Nuttall'sWoodpecker
Double-banded
Graytail
Streak-breasted Treehunter
PlainXenops
Black-capped
Pygmy-Tyrant
Scale-crestedPygmy-Tyrant
Pale-eyedPygmy-Tyrant
Black-tailedFlycatcher
Cuban Pewee
Yellow-bellied
Flycatcher
YellowishFlycatcher
Golden-headed Manakin
St. Andrew Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Yellow-winged
Vireo
Yellow-green
Vireo
Yellow-billed
Magpie
Rufous-naped
Wren
CanyonWren
Stripe-throated
Wren
Page 78
Order
2
Geoves
2
Concal
2
Aracha
2
Arachs
2
Amavig
Capmad
2
Camrus
2
Chlorostilbon canivetii
Arnazilia amabilis
Chlcav
Amaamb
2
Amaziliacyanocephala
Amaziliacyanura
Amacyc
Amacyr
2
Amazilia
Amavif
2
Eupherusacyanophrys
Selasphorussp.
Trochilidaegen.sp.
7•ogonmelanocephalus
77ogonrufus
77ogonmelanurus
Pharomachrus
auriceps
Capitomaculicoronatus
Selenideraspectabilis
Melanerpeschrysauchen
Melanerpeschrysogenys
Melanerpeshypopolius
Eupcyp
Selsps
Trcgsp
2
Tromec
2
Picoides nuttariff
Pidnut
3
Xenerpestesminlosi
Thripadectesrufobrunneus
Xenops minutus
Myiornisatricapillus
Lophotriccus
pileatus
Lophotriccus
pilaris
Myiobiusatricaudus
Contopuscaribaeus
Empidonaxflaviventris
Empidonaxflavescens
Pipraerythrocephala
Xenmil
2
Thrrub
2
viridifrons
2
2
2'
2
3
Trorus
2
Tromer
Phaauc
2
Capmar
Selspt
2
2
2
Melchc
2
Melchg
Melhyi
2
2
Xenmit
2
Myiatp
Loppit
Loppir
Myiatd
2
Concab
2
Empfln
Empfls
Piperc
2
Vireo caribaeus
Vireo flavifrons
Vireo carmioli
Vireo flavoviridis
Pica nuttalli
Vircab
Virflf
Vircam
Virflv
2
Pianut
3
Campylorhynchus
rufinucha
Catherpesmexicanus
Thryothorus
leucopogon
Camrun
2
Capmex
Thrlep
2
NorthAmencanBirdBander
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
Vol 28 No 2
Alpha
EnglishName
Scientific Name
Code
Order
Rufous-and-white Wren
Buff-breasted Wren
Rufous-browed Wren
White-breasted Wood-Wren
Thryothorus
rufalbus
Thryothorusleucotis
Troglodytes
rufociliatus
Thrrul
2
Thrlet
Troruc
2
Henicorhina leucosticta
Henles
2
Henicorhinaleucophrys
Troglodytidaegen.sp.
Henlep
Trggsp
2
Catharus aurantiirostris
Catharus fuscater
Catharus mexicanus
Catharus fuscescens
Turdus obscurus
Turdus obsoletus
Cataun
2
Catfut
Casmex
Catfun
Turobc
Turobl
2
2
Turrup
2
Turrut
2
Melhyc
2
Leuser
2
Gray-breasted
Wood-Wren
Unidentified Wren
Orange-billed
Nightingale-Thrush
Slaty-backedNightingale-Thrush
Black-headedNightingale-Thrush
Veery
Eyebrowed
Thrush
Pale-ventedThrush
Rufous-backed Robin
Rufous-collared Robin
Blue-and-whiteMockingbird
Semper'sWarbler
Buff-rumped
Warbler
Yellow-throated
Bush-Tanager
Ashy-throated
Bush-Tanager
Yellow-backed
Tanager
RosyThrush-Tanager
Yellow-collared
Chlorophonia
Red-leggedHoneycreeper
Blue Seedeater
Cuban Bullfinch
Eastern Towhee
Stripe-headed
Sparrow
Rufous-crowned
Sparrow
RustySparrow
Lark Bunting
Northern Cardinal
Pyrrhuloxia
Blue-black Grosbeak
Brewer's Blackbird
Orange-crowned
Oriole
OrangeOriole
EuropeanGoldfinch
Oriental G reenfinch
Hawfinch
Oahu Amakihi
Oahu Alauahio
Red Avadavat
Indian Silverbill
Tricolored Munia
Apr.- Jun.2003
Turdusrufopalliatus
Turdusrufftorques
Melanotishypoleucus
Leucopezasemperi
Phaeothlypisfulvicauda
Chlorospingus
flavigularis
Chlorospingus
canigularis
Hemithraupisflavicollis
2
3
3
2
2
Phafuv
2
Chlflg
Chlcag
2
Hemflc
Rhnros
Chlflr
2
Cyacyu
2
Amscon
3
Mepnig
Piperp
3
Aimrud
2
Aimrup
2
Aimrus
2
Calmec
Carcai
2
Carsit
2
Cyanocompsacyanoides
Euphaguscyanocephalus
Icterusauricapillus.
Cyacyd
Eupcyc
2
Ictauc
2
Icterus auratus
Ictaut
2
Carduelis carduelis
Carduelis sinica
Coccothraustes coccothraustes
Carcau
2
Carsic
2
Coccot
2
Hemignathusflavus
Paroreomyzamaculata
Hemfls
Parmaa
2
Amandava amandava
Lonchura malabarica
Amaamn
2
Lonmab
2
Lonchura malacca
Lonmac
2
Rhodinocichla
rosea
Chlorophoniaflavirostris
Cyanerpescyaneus
Amaurospizaconcolor
Melopyrrhanigra
Pipiloerythrophthalmus
Aimophilaruficauda
Aimophilaruficeps
Aimophilarufescens
Calamospizamelanocorys
Cardinalis cardinalis
Cardinalis sinuatus
NorthAmencanBirdBander
2
3
2
2
2
2
2'
Page 79