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AviList unites the world’s bird species

Common Teal Anas crecca crecca, now to be considered a subspecies of Green-winged Teal Anas crecca

The publication of AviList means that for the first time ever, we have a unified global checklist of the species of bird found on planet Earth.

The publication of AviList today means that, for the first time ever, there is a unified global checklist of all bird species found on planet Earth.

AviList is a brand-new, complete global checklist of species and taxonomy. Containing 11,131 species, 19,879 subspecies, 2,376 genera, 252 families and 46 orders, it brings together the latest global thinking on what constitutes a species and shakes up our understanding of the avian world.

Until now, ornithologists, conservationists and birders have used a selection of global checklists, each with its own reasoning on what constitutes a specific species of bird. AviList’s unified view has been developed by the Working Group on Avian Checklists, containing representatives from BirdLife International, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the American Ornithological Society, the International Ornithologists’ Union IOU) and Avibase. The new checklist will replace the International Ornithological Community and Clements lists, and will be updated annually.

“The adoption of a single unified global taxonomic list for birds will benefit conservation, removing the current confusion and uncertainty resulting from the existence of multiple lists. It will make it easier for birders, scientists, policymakers and conservationists to share information, use and link different online platforms, and share a common understanding of avian distribution, ecology and conservation priorities.”
Dr Stuart Butchart, Chief Scientist at BirdLife

With our conservation work around the globe protecting the most vulnerable species and keeping common birds common, BirdLife will transition from our current list to AviList over the next few years. This ensures we continue helping populations thrive and keep the IUCN Red List up-to-speed with the very latest status updates.

Once fully aligned, the benefits for sustainable taxonomic work, global authority and clarity on conservation priorities are immense – and BirdLife’s DataZone, the IUCN Red List, Cornell Lab’s eBird and Birds of the World platforms will all be directly compatible. For more information, visit datazone.birdlife.org/about-our-science/taxonomy. 

Header image: Common Teal (Anas crecca crecca) will now be considered the nominate race of Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) on AviList © Nick Vorobey/Shutterstock

Similarly, Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca carolinensis) will be viewed as a race of Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) on AviList © Mvramesh/Shutterstock

“With hundreds of differences between the various checklists to resolve, each of them requiring the team to pull together and consider all the evidence, the process took almost four years. The process allowed us to develop a whole new perspective on the world’s birds, and AviList should become the standard reference on global avian diversity for decades to come.”
Dr Paul Donald, BirdLife’s representative on AviList

AviList will split Hudsonian Whimbrel (Numenius hudsonicus) to become a species in its own right, rather than a subspecies of Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) © Look.animalia/Shutterstock
While Whimbrel will now be recognised as Eurasian Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) on AviList’s unified global checklist of bird species © P_vaida/Shutterstock

> Download the new checklist for free at www.avilist.org. It is available in full or as a short version containing just the most essential fields, in both .xlsx and .csv formats.

DISCOVER AVILIST HERE

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