SAS Monthly Program: Monday, April 8th, Hope Lutheran Church
Why did the Cordilleran Flycatcher and Pacific Slope Flycatcher Become a Single Species?
with Ethan Linck, Ph.D.
Few groups of birds are as challenging to identify as the Empidonax flycatchers, whose uniform plumage and lack of obvious field marks are a familiar frustration in habitats across North America. Until recently, an extra level of difficulty could be found in mid–elevation conifer forest in far northwest Montana, where the geographic ranges of the nearly identical Cordilleran Flycatcher and Pacific Slope Flycatcher came into contact. Last year brought a reprieve to puzzled birders in the region when the naming committee of the American Ornithological Society unanimously voted to “lump” the two forms, grouping them into a single new species called the Western Flycatcher. This move has already impacted apps, websites, and bird counts, and will alter field guides in the years to come. But how are decisions to split or lump species actually made, and what evidence do scientists use to make them? MSU Professor Ethan Linck’s research and naming proposal was responsible for the change. He will discuss the history of the project and what it tells us about evolution, explain how DNA is used in the science of taxonomy, and talk about why losing a species on your life list may have a silver lining.
Ethan Linck is an Assistant Professor at Montana State University, where he teaches classes in the Department of Ecology and studies the genetics, evolution, and conservation of birds in western North America and around the world. An avid birder who became interested in natural history growing up in Vermont and Tucson, Arizona, he holds a Ph.D. from the University of Washington and a B.A. from Reed College in Oregon.
The in-person meeting will be held Monday, April 8th at Hope Lutheran Church, 2152 West Graf (off S 19th). A social begins at 6:30 PM; the program begins at 7:00 PM. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own reusable cups. For virtual attendance, please register at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/9065580461467479900 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Attendees—whether in person or virtual—are encouraged to share their bird sightings at this and every monthly program. Share the program on social media using the hashtags #sasbirds, #sacaudubon, #conservation, and #raptors.
SAS monthly programs are free and open to the public, featuring a special guest speaker the 2nd Monday of each month, September through May. For more information, contact Ken Sinay at programs@sacajaweaaudubon.org.
