The CBRO was constituted by its own decision as an independent body in 1999. Even though it is organically independent, in March/2004 the CBRO was also welcomed as a study group associated to the SBO - Brazilian Ornithological Society, with the approval of its board of directors (Ararajuba 13, Vol. 1, editorial pg. 5).

2 - Can I join the CBRO?

There is no need to join the CBRO formally. Anybody can take part in the CBRO’s work as a collaborator, joining in the discussions of the matters on the agenda, publicizing the work of the Committee, writing notes for publication and carrying out the CBRO’s Recommendations.

3 - Can I submit notes of occurrence of species to the CBRO?

Yes, but please note that the object of the CBRO is not to publish notes of the occurrence of species in general or lists of sightings but notes about the occurrence of specific species that affect the Brazilian Checklist (or, at a later stage, the various state lists) or with information relating to such records. The CBRO has an agenda of matters for resolution and contributors should keep to this agenda. At present, the priority is the publication of notes and Proceedings that involve changes in the lists (primary, secondary and tertiary) of species of birds recorded in Brazilian territory. In the future discussions will be directed to each state of the federation. Beginning in 2002 the Committee started publishing its articles in the Ararajuba, the Brazilian Journal of Ornithology, in a partnership with the Brazilian Ornithological Society.

4 - How can I receive the Nattereria?

The first two issues of the periodical published notes and proceedings, and were distributed to a large array of ornithological institutions: schools of biology, museums, government departments, NGO's, etc. Starting with # 3, the Nattereria went on to publish only the proceedings of the CBRO, and the notes and papers are now published in a section of the CBRO in the Ararajuba, of the Brazilian Ornithological Society. From the # 3, all the issues of the Nattereria are available for examination or download in this site.

5 - What are the three CBRO lists of birds and how are the birds placed in each one?

Primary List: Species with at least one of the records in Brazil provided with documental evidence. In this context, documental evidence are the items, available for independent consultation, in the exclusive form of whole or partial specimen, picture, audio or video recording, which allow the safe identification of the taxon.

Secondary List: Species with probable occurrence in Brazil, provided with specific records published for the country, but whose documental evidence is not known or available. In this context, the 'probable occurrence' of a species in Brazil is inferred from its distributional and dispersal patterns, established with base on documental evidence.

Tertiary List: Species with specific record published for the country, but with invalid documental evidence or with unlikely occurrence in Brazil and lacking documental evidence.

The following flow scheme depicts the process of inclusion of a species in one of the three lists:

The record of a species is published (the publication is condition for the record to be considered by the CBRO).

1. The publication includes documental evidence.

1a. The rationale is evaluated and considered valid.

The species is included in the Primary List.

1b. Another author evaluates the documental evidence, publishes a review deeming it not valid and this reasoning is accepted by the CBRO.

The species is included in the Tertiary List (the record is considered as being based on an error).

2. The publication does not refer to any documental evidence.

2a. The CBRO considers the record as probable, based on its known geographical distribution.

The species is included in the Secondary List.

2b. The CBRO considers the record as improbable.

The species is included in the Tertiary List.

Of course, there are differences between species on the secondary list, as there are differences between species on the primary list. On the secondary list, they range from "very probable" to "less probable", just as the primary list may have species with, for example, 350 items of physical evidence available (or with abundant documentation) for Brazil alongside others with little documentation or physical evidence known only from the literature. The transfer of the latter to the secondary list is to a certain extent a conscious policy of the CBRO, to encourage those holding physical evidence of the species’ presence in Brazil to publish their data. The CBRO is not making value judgments of academic papers or as to the validity of the records. The presence of a species in the secondary list is simply based on the existence or not of published physical evidence. The CBRO does not consider physical evidence to be the only requirement for ratifying a record but must certainly take this into account – like records committees all over the world. The secondary list is, in fact, a list of "records with no physical evidence" of species whose presence in the country is probable.

6 - Why are there scientific names?

Scientific names, also known as Latin names, were created to allow uniformity when naming the different life forms. In some countries the common (or vernacular) names are used to that end, but they may vary according to the local culture or language of the people, leading to uncertainties to which organism is actually being referred to.

Scientific names are universal and generally in Latin, Greek or another language, provided it is Latinized. This is due to the fact that these languages were used in the literature and science when the Swedish naturalist Carolus Linnaeus created (in the XVIII century) the system to classify and name animals and plants that is used to date - with certain modifications.

Therefore, scientific names are regulated by international rules that establish how living beings are named, according to how they relate to each other.

7 - What is the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature?

It is a system of rules and recommendations intended to promote the stability and the universality of scientific names of animals and to make sure that each name is unique and unmistakable. Additional information can be found in the site of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.

8 - What is a taxon?

It is any entity of classification, such as species, genus, family, etc.

9 - What is the difference between taxonomy and systematics?

Systematics is the study of the organisms in their diversity and evolution along the time and the space. Taxonomy is the part of the systematics that occupies itself with the rules and principles used to name, delimit and classify the organisms.

10 - What is type specimen, or, simply, type?

It is the specimen (individual) on which the author based the description of a certain taxon.

The types are specimens preserved in scientific collections that belong to natural history museums. The types can be classified as holotype, paratype, allotype, syntype, lectotype, paralectotype and neotype.

Holotype – Unique specimen considered the type of a species.

Paratype – Any specimen of a type series (set of specimens on which the author bases the description of a species), besides the holotype.

Allotype – A specimen of the opposite sex of the holotype.

Syntype – Each specimen of a type series from which neither a holotype nor a lectotype has been designated.

Lectotype – The syntype subsequently designated as the type specimen of a species.

Paralectotype - Any specimen among the syntypes, besides the lectotype.

Neotype – Unique specimen designated as the type specimen of a species whose types (holotype, lectotype, paratypes or syntypes) have been lost.

11- What is homonymy?

It is the existence of identical names designating different taxa. Any junior homonym (the latter between two homonyms) of an available name must be discarded and replaced. For example, Burckhardt (1987) described a new genus of homopteran insects and gave the name Neopelma. However, this name had already been used by Neopelma Sclater, 1860 (passeriforme). As a result, a new genus name had to be given to that insect.

12 - What is an available name?

It is every scientific or Latinized name, given to a specific taxon and published with authorship and date, that is not excluded under Article 1.3 and that conforms to the provisions of Articles 10 to 20 of the ICZN. A taxon may have several available names, but only one is valid, usually the oldest.

13 - What is incertae sedis?

It is a taxon for which there is no agreement in the scientific community about its taxonomic position.

14 - What is type locality?

It is the place where the type specimen of a species was collected.

15 - What is the Principle of Priority?

It is the rule that considers as valid the oldest available name applied to a taxon.

16 - What is a synonymy?

It is the existence of different names (synonyms) applied to the same taxon. According to the Principle of Priority, only the oldest name is valid. For example, Coryphospingus cucullatus (Statius Muller 1776) has the non-valid synonyms: Passer cristatus Boddaert 1783, Emberiza ruficapilla Sparrman 1787, Fringilla araguira Vieillot 1806, among others.

17 - Why do some author names come between parentheses?

According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 1999), the author names come between parentheses when a new combination, resulting from a new taxonomic assessment, is proposed. For example, we can mention Lepidothrix vilasboasi (Sick, 1969). This species was originally described by Helmut Sick in 1959 as Pipra vilasboasi, a combination different from the currently adopted one. As a result, the author name and the date must come between parentheses.

18 - What is phylogeny?

It is the evolutionary history of living organisms.

19 - Why do bird names change?

Because science is constantly evolving, a great deal of new knowledge is generated daily. This knowledge is usually published in scientific journals. In ornithology, it is not different. New information on the evolution and relationships of birds emerge all the time, with the advancement of the research. Therefore, because the scientific names reflect the systematic classification of the birds (and every organism), changes in this classification, caused by new knowledge about the evolutionary history of these animals, must be followed by changes in the scientific names.

20 - Why adopt the CBRO checklist?

Because the CBRO is constituted of a group of knowledgeable ornithologists who are constantly monitoring the new scientific discoveries in the fields of systematics and taxonomy of birds. The basic goal of the Committee is to help keep up to date the knowledge about the Brazilian birds, making easily available the new scientific information in the field of the ornithology.