Sub Species

The latest talk of losing a few species to sub species had me thinking of all the sub-species I've encountered over the years.

Those that were at one time full species include

Common/Meally Redpoll  (Acanthis flammea flammea)

Lesser Redpoll (Acanthis Caberet)

Couse's Arctic Redpoll (Acanthis Hornemanni exilipes)

Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll (Acanthis Hornemanni hornemanni)

and of course there's also the Greenland Redpoll (Acanthis flammea rostrata)

All these subspecies of Redpoll are now listed just as Redpoll (Acanthis flammea) (the old name for Common Redpoll)

so although I've seen all these I've counted all these five sub species as one Species on my official list 

(449 +4 =453)

I've seen Steppe Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor pallidirostris) which was a species in it's own right but since reduced to sub species of Great Grey Shrike. (Lanius excubitor) (453 +1 = 454)

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Then the sub species that have always been confined to sub species........

Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigracans)

Pale-bellied Brent Goose (Branta bernicla hrota)

Dark-bellied Brent Goose (Branta bernicla bernicla)

All listed to species Brent Goose (Branta bernicla)

(454 + 2 = 456)

Todd's Canada Goose (Branta canadensis interior) listed with Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

(456 + 1 = 457)

Black-headed Wagtail (Matacilla flava feldegg) 

Grey headed Wagtail (Matacilla flava thunbergi)

Chanel Wagtail (Matacilla flava flavissima x flava)

these three sub species that I've seen listed with or as Yellow Wagtail (Matacilla flava)

(457 +3 = 460)

American Black Tern (Chlidonias niger surinamensis)

Listed with and as Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)

(260 + 1 = 461)

Kumliens Gull (Larus glaucoides kumlieni)  

Listed with and as Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides)

(461 + 1 = 462)

Northern Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus caudatus)

Listed as and with Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)

(462 + 1 = 463 )

American horned Lark (Eremorphila alpestris alpestris)

Listed as and with Shore Lark (Eremorphila alpestris) 

(463 + 1 = 464)

Siberian Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita tristis)

Listed as and with (Phylloscopus collybita) 

(464 +1 = 465) 

Black bellied Dipper (Cinclus cinclus cinclus)

Listed as and with Dipper (Cinclus cinclus)

(465 + 1 = 466)

Scandinavian Rock Pipit (Anthus petrosus littoralis)

Listed as and with Rock Pipit (Anthus petrosus)

(466 + 1 = 467)

Russian White-fronted Goose (Anser Albifrons albifrons) and Greenland White-fronted Goose ( Anser albifrons flavirostoris)

Both listed as Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)

(467 +1 = 468)

so there it is....if I include sub species in addition to my list of 449 full species I have a total of 468

an additional 19 bird types seen but a pointless exercise as I keep my British list in line with BOU records so it remains at 449 for now.