The 53rd checklist from the American Ornithologists' Union was released with several taxonomic changes. One edit is particularly of note for East Coast birders and sci fi fanboys. From an Examiner article on the news:
The first affects one of the very few songbirds that serenade New England after dark, the whip-poor-will. The whip-poor-will, we thought was classified under the genus Caprimulgus, which, believe it or not is Latin for chupacabra or goat-sucker. The entire species name of the Eastern whip-poor-will was Caprimulgus vociferous which translates to loud goat-sucker. That was before the latest update.
For anyone who ever believed in the legend of the chupacabra this is reason to mourn. We must admit that we always imagined the creature to be a little scarier than this:
(Via The Examiner)
(Chupacabra drawing from The Skeptic's Dictionary)
By Daniela Ogden
HOTSPOT: Flyover of California's Birds and Biodiversity
California is a global biodiversity hotspots, with one of the greatest concentrations of living species on Earth.
Popular Stories
- California’s birds will benefit greatly if Prop 4 passes this November
- Prop 4 and Our Future: A Climate Action Q&A with Mike Lynes
- California Voters Said Yes to Prop 4, a Win for Birds, People, and Our Shared Future!
- New Eelgrass Protection Zone launches in Richardson Bay!
- Uniting People, Birds, and Land through Agriculture