Herein we present the most recent update of the Checklist of Birds of Ecuador, following recent taxonomic changes adopted by the International Ornithology Committee (IOC; Gill et al. 2024). This is the official Ecuadorian country list and it stands at 1,736 species (1,686 confirmed, 50 undocumented) by December 2023. The master species list includes all taxonomic lists (IOC, Clements et al., SACC, BirdLife International-HBW), and the list of Spanish names adapted by CERO from the first version made by Paul J. Greenfield, Fernando Ortiz-Crespo and Juan C. Matheus (Ortiz et al. 1990). Yet, in order to keep a simple checklist, we have adopted a single taxonomic treatment in two separate versions of the downloadable list: IOC and Clements et al. (2023). Total species in the Clements et al. version of the list is 1,724. Please note that this list might have duplicate entries in species treated as separate taxa in IOC, but as a single species in Clements et al.
We acknowledge that birders and ornithologists working in Ecuador, or visiting it, are still familiar with taxonomy used by Ridgely & Greenfield (2001), for Galapagos, the recent revision made by Wiedenfeld (2006), as well as with the more recent field guides by McMullan & Navarrete (2017) and Freile & Restall (2018). Taxonomy adopted by the recent Birds of Galapagos (Brinkhuizen & Nilsson 2020) will be included in a posterior version of CERO checklist. Consequently, in the master list we include names adopted in the aforementioned books and guides.
Each version of the list includes information on status in the country (confirmed = x; non-breeding visitor = nb; vagrant/accidental = v; endemic = (e); hypothetical/unconfirmed = h; introduced = in; ex = extinct); status in continental Ecuador and Galapagos separately; altitudinal ranges and extra-limital records; subspecies (following Ridgely & Greenfield 2001, Freile & Restall 2018, and Gill et al. 2024); and recent conservation status following IUCN-BirdLife. In the comparative list, cells marked in orange indicate differences with the IOC list in scientific and English names, respectively.
Luckily, English names change little in spite of recent revolutionary changes in taxonomy. For those in need of an extra help to cope with changes or with any other information in these lists, we recommend to contact us at jfreileo@yahoo.com or directly to CERO’s email address. If you detect mistakes or if you have any comments on both the simple checklist and the comparative list, please contact us at the email address above.
Ecuador_lista master final_2024
Ecuador_lista master final_2024
Ecuador_lista Clements et al final_2024
The Ecuador bird list is made up of two lists, as follows:
Primary list (1,686 species): species with at least one record in Ecuador, with supporting evidence. Supporting evidence is the documentation of those records that allows future independent verification. Evidence might be: published photograph or deposited in a public, enduring archive; museum specimen; published audio recording or deposited in a public, enduring archive; published video recording or deposited in a public, enduring archive; revision, validation and online publication by the Committee for Ecuadorian Records in Ornithology.
Secondary list (50 species): species positively recorded in Ecuador but lacking supporting evidence; i.e., these are only observed or heard within current country boundaries by experienced observers. This list also includes documented species whose supporting evidence has not been published or archived as explained under Primary list. Their presence in Ecuador is considered hypothetical/undocumented until verifiable evidence is obtained, or absence proved by documentary evidence.
Please note: We are regularly revising the status of hypothetical/undocumented species, as well as of species that have been mentioned in publications or reported as occurring in Ecuador, but for which evidence is erroneous, invalid or has been proved to be wrong with new information.
How to cite these lists: Freile, J. F., D. M. Brinkhuizen, P. J. Greenfield, N. Krabbe, M. Lysinger, L. Navarrete, J. Nilsson, S. Olmstead, R. S. Ridgely, M. Sánchez-Nivicela, A. Solano-Ugalde, N. Athanas, R. Ahlman & K. A. Boyla. 2024. Lista de las aves del Ecuador / Checklist of the birds of Ecuador. Comité Ecuatoriano de Registros Ornitológicos. Disponible en: https://ceroecuador.wordpress.com/
Comité Ecuatoriano de Registros Ornitológicos 