Taxonomic update at eBird adds seven new species for me

Black billed Streamertail, Ecclesdown Road, Jamaica, Mar 10, 2017

Red billed Streamertail, Blue Mountains NP, Jamaica, Mar 10, 2017

White Booted Racket-tail, Tandayapa Lodge, Ecuador, Nov 21, 2015

Peruvian Booted Racket tail, Road west of Zumba, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador, Nov 10, 2021

Olive streaked Flycatcher, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 19, 2018

Olive striped Flycatcher, El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020

Mouse gray Flycatcher, Vilcabamba--vicinity, Loja, Ecuador, Nov 9, 2021

Eastern Meadowlark, Three Lakes WMA, FL, Dec 9, 2009

Ecuadorian Thrush, Reserva Buenaventura, El Oro, Ecuador, Nov 13, 2021

The annual taxonomy update at eBird is now complete and with the splits that came along with the newest update I added seven new species and brought my new life total to 1713.  The changes that added new species are summarized below:

The split of Streamertail back to two distinct species on Jamaica with the new species named Red billed Streamertail and Black billed Streamertail.  I had both of these species on my trip Jamaica in 2017.  

Booted Racket tail was split into White booted Racket tail and Peruvian Racket tail and I have seen both of these species with sightings of White booted Racket tail in Ecuador and Colombia and Peruvian Racket tail in southern Ecuador.

Another split was Olive striped Flycatcher into two species with those in South America retaining the name Olive striped Flycatcher and those in Central American becoming Olive streaked Flycatcher.

Bran colored Flycatcher split into three species and I have seen two of them.  The birds in Central America and large portions of South American keep the name Bran Colored Flycatcher while those west of the Andes in Colombia and Ecuador now known as Mouse gray Flycatcher (a species I have had in Ecuador) and Rufescent Flycatcher on the east side of the Andes in Peru south to Chile.

The species Buffy Tuftedcheek was split into two species with the name Buffy Tuftedcheek describing birds in Central America and Pacific Tuftedcheek for those in South America.  I have had both of these species on multiple trips.

Eastern Meadowlark was split into two species with most of the population still being called Eastern Meadowlark and those in the southwest US and into Mexico now being called Chihuahua Meadowlark.  I have seen tons of Eastern Meadowlarks and have a few sightings of Chihuahua Meadowlark in west Texas. 

Spectacled Thrush was split with the name Spectacled Thrush staying with those individuals in the Lesser Antilles into northern Central America and the remaining birds being renamed Ecuadorian Thrush for those mainly centered in Ecuador (plus a northern Peru).  I have seen the Spectacled Thrush in Grenada and Martinique and Ecuadorian Thrush in Ecuador (of course!)

There were also a few lumps and multiple name changes for species but none of these changes seem to have had an impact on my life list.  These changes that occur every year as more study is done on various species is why it is always worth tracking down local subspecies when you travel to a new area.