It was way back in 1973 that the AOU lumped together the Myrtle Warbler and Audubon’s Warbler, creating the Yellow-rumped Warbler, or, more affectionately, good ol’ Butterbutts, much to the dismay of listers everywhere who lost a species from their various and sundry lists. Now, as Nate of The Drinking Bird reports, the lump might be undone – we may have a split coming! Listers, rejoice!
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.
The big problem with the “lump” was the abandonment of two pretty names for one of those descriptive but too-many-syllables, does-not-roll-off-the-tongue names. I am a fairly recent birding convert, but was educated by long-time birders who never abandoned the Myrtle.
You had me thinking ‘oh no, another bird species with crashing populations…’
@Nick – Or another winter species heading north…
Hahaha – I didn’t think of that. Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers are still in great numbers here in central Florida (and Pine, but they are resident), but I did realize the other day that I need to start taking more notice of the big flocks, because they are going to disappear soon.