Checklist Revision for August 2023

Prepared by the Singapore Bird Records Committee

The latest update of our checklist, version 2023-3, has been published. It can be accessed at our Downloads page.

Our last update to the checklist included updates to our Review List, species statuses, as well as a few additions/removals. This minor update includes taxonomic revisions and name changes.

This article includes the updates to our checklist since our last revision. Our checklist is based on the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) taxonomy, the latest version being IOC 13.2.

This edition of the checklist is version 2023-3, and can be downloaded at our Downloads page. Note that this downloadable checklist is a “snapshot” of the checklist as of August 2023, and may differ from our live checklists available on this site and our Records Committee site.

There are still 427 species in the Singapore Bird Checklist after the changes in this revision, as no species were added or removed.

English name changes

Lesser Sand Plover is split into two species, Siberian Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus and Tibetan Sand Plover C. atrifrons. So far, we are unaware of confirmed records of Siberian Sand Plover in Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, and Singapore; that species is believed to winter further east. The “default” in Singapore is therefore Tibetan Sand Plover. Our latest article covers what to look out for a chance to add a species to the Singapore Bird List!

Japanese Paradise Flycatcher is renamed to Black Paradise Flycatcher.

Is it really black…? (Male Black Paradise Flycatcher at Mandai. Photo credit: Francis Yap)

Other minor changes

The scientific name of Buff-rumped Woodpecker is now Meiglyptes grammithorax with the split of the Javan population as Zebra Woodpecker Meiglyptes tristis.

White-bellied Sea Eagle and Grey-headed Fish Eagle are now recognized as members of Icthyophaga instead of Haliaeetus, so the scientific names change accordingly.

White-bellied Sea Eagle: Haliaeetus leucogaster to Icthyophaga leucogaster
Grey-headed Fish Eagle: Haliaeetus ichthyaetus to Icthyophaga ichthyaetus

As always, please feel free to let us know if there are any errors or questions.