A consolidated list of all the birds in the world has been published: AviList

2025/08/12 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Zoologia

United by the world’s top five ornithological organizations, and after seven years of work, they have published the first global and unified list of birds in the world, with a unified taxonomy, systematics and nomenclature: In the AviList. The process has been transparent and open, and the result has been made available to everyone online. The first version was published in June 2025 and the intention to renew it every year is announced. It currently includes 11,131 bird species, classified into 2,376 genera, 252 families and 46 orders.

Asier Sarasua Aranberri, an expert in ornithology, said in his blog (Eibartik) that “it is great news”. In fact, so far there were three or four lists and the confusion was a little big. He has given examples of the Grizzly Gabai and the immense Quarantine. The first was not known whether it was a single species, or whether it was two or three; and the second was not known whether it should be named Bubulcus ibis or Ardea ibis.

Regarding the news, Sarasua explains the history of the lists of bird species in the blog. According to him, since 1990, and especially at the beginning of the 21st century, there have been two fundamental advances in the refinement of classification: the revolution of molecular biology and genetics, on the one hand, and bioacoustics, on the other.

In conclusion, Sarasua highlights the very process that led to the creation of Avilist: the search for collaboration and consensus, the establishment and launch of clear criteria, the transparent presentation of the work carried out... Therefore, he suggests that it can also be useful to consolidate the Basque names of the birds of the world.