2021 splits and lumps

This list is used to show the various splits, lumps, and discoveries, as well as new families, subfamilies, and genera that may crop up.

2021 higher taxa
Includes taxa higher than families, such as suborders, parvorders, and superfamilies.
 * Chionidi has been subsumed into Charadrii, and demoted into a parvorder called Chionida.
 * Pluvianida is a parvorder in Charadrii that includes the Egyptian Plover. It is sister to the rest of Charadrii.
 * Charadriida is a parvorder in Charadrii that includes families in the former Charadrii before Chionidi was subsumed into it.
 * Recurvirostroidea is a superfamily in Charadriida that includes Ibidorhynchidae, Recurvirostridae, and Haematopodidae.
 * Charadrioidea is a superfamily in Charadriida that includes Pluvianidae and Charadriidae.
 * Parrida is a parvorder in Limicoli that includes Pedionomidae (Plains-wanderer), Thinocoridae (seedsnipes), Rostratulidae (painted snipes) and Jacanidae (jacanas).
 * Thinocoroidea is a superfamily in Parrida that includes Pedionomidae and Thinocoridae.
 * Jacanoidea is a superfamily in Parrida that includes Rostratulidae and Jacanidae.
 * Scolopacoidea is a supefamily in Scolopaci that includes only Scolopacidae.
 * Glareolida is a parvorder in Lari that includes Dromadidae and Glareolidae.
 * Larida is a parvorder in Lari that includes Stercorariidae, Alcidae, Sternidae, and Laridae.
 * Alcoidea is a superfamily in Larida that includes Stercorariidae and Alcidae.
 * Laroidea is a superfamily in Larida that includes Sternidae and Laridae.

Sternidae subfamilies

 * Based on Černý and Natale (2021), Sternidae has been promoted into a family, and contains the following subfamilies:
 * Rhynchopinae: based on Černý and Natale (2021), skimmers are now classed as a subfamily of Sternidae.
 * Gyginae: based on Černý and Natale (2021), white terns are now classed as a subfamily of Sternidae.
 * Sterninae: based on Černý and Natale (2021), true terns are now classed as a subfamily of Sternidae.

Chionidae subfamilies

 * Based on Černý and Natale (2021), Pluvianellinae has been subsumed into the sheathbill subfamily; they estimate the last common ancestor lived within 20 mya. It contains the following subfamilies:
 * Pluvianellinae: Magellanic Plover proper.
 * Chioninae: the sheathbills proper.

Emberizidae subfamilies
Based on Päckert et al. (2020b), Emberizidae has been split into the following four subfamilies:
 * Emberizinae: the only subfamily under ICZN rules. It includes the genera Miliaria, Spina, "Emberiza", Cia, Glycyspina and Emberiza.
 * Melophinae: an informal subfamily. It includes the genera "Melophus", Melophus and Granativora.
 * Fringillariinae: an informal subfamily. It includes the genera Polymitra and Fringillaria.
 * Schoeniclinae: an informal subfamily. It includes the genera Cristemberiza, Latoucheornis, Schoeniclus, and Orospinus.

Burhinidae
Based on Paton et al. (2003) and Černý and Natale (2021), Burhinus has been split into the following three genera:
 * "Burhinus" is an unnamed genus, containing the Double-striped Thick-knee and Peruvian Thick-knee.
 * Burhinus itself is now reduced to the Bush Stone-Curlew.
 * Oedicnemus now includes all the species formerly in Burhinus.

Emberizidae
Based on Päckert et al. (2020b), the following new genera are formed:
 * "Melophus": Brown-rumped Bunting, Melophus affinis, is transferred from Melophus to "Melophus". There is no new name available, hence why the genus is in quotation marks (").
 * Granativora: Black-headed Bunting, Melophus melanocephalus, and Red-headed Bunting, Melophus bruniceps, are transferred from Melophus to Granativora (GR Gray, 1855, type melanocephalus).
 * Melophus is reduced to just the Crested Bunting, Melophus lathami.

Cited text
In alphabetical order:


 * 1)  (2021), “Comprehensive taxon sampling and vetted fossils help clarify the time tree of shorebirds (Aves, Charadriiformes)”, bioRxiv, 452585, https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.15.452585.
 * 2)  (2020b), "Into and Out of" the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Himalayas: Centers of origin and diversification across five clades of Eurasian montane and alpine passerine birds, Ecology and Evolution 10, 9283-9300.
 * 3)  (2003), RAG-1 sequences resolve phylogenetic relationships within Charadriiform birds, Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 29, 268-278.
 * 1)  (2020b), "Into and Out of" the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Himalayas: Centers of origin and diversification across five clades of Eurasian montane and alpine passerine birds, Ecology and Evolution 10, 9283-9300.
 * 2)  (2003), RAG-1 sequences resolve phylogenetic relationships within Charadriiform birds, Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 29, 268-278.