Eastern Marsh wren doing a split, October 2023 (photo by Steve Gosser)

28 October 2026

eBird’s 2026 taxonomy update is currently in progress for perhaps a couple of weeks. I noticed it was underway when I received a Rare Bird Alert for Allegheny County that listed “Eastern Marsh Wren.” Eastern? I thought there was only one “Marsh Wren” but now there are two.

Marsh Wren has become Eastern Marsh Wren (screenshot of eBird Rare Bird Alert, 27 Oct 2026)

Here’s eBird’s summary of the process:

Our 2026 update includes 39 species gained because of splits, 7 species lost through lumps, and 2 newly-described species, resulting in a net gain of 34 species and a new total of 11,201 species worldwide.

Marsh Wren split:

The “marsh wren” became the Eastern Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) and Western Marsh Wren (Cistothorus paludicola). The two species look the same but their songs are different.

Marsh wren, singing, 2011 (photo by Chuck Tague)

The screenshot below from eBird’s taxonomy update page shows how their songs even look different. (This is just a screenshot. Click here to and scroll down to play these songs.)

screenshot from an eBird Rare Bird Alert, 27 Oct 2026

Fortunately marsh wren was an easy east/west geographic split. The two species overlap only during migration in the area from eastern Colorado down through Mexico. On migration you’ll have to ID them by song.

Willet split:

The willet was split into Prairie Willet (Tringa inornata), which nests in the continent’s interior, and Saltmarsh Willet (Tringa semipalmata) which nests in saltmarshes on the East and Gulf coasts.

Unfortunately, they both visit the East & Gulf coasts on migration and hang out in the same places in the non-breeding season. Outside the breeding season you can’t tell who’s who without a photo or a detailed examination.

I do know that prairie willets are dull colored so I’m sure I’ve seen a lot of them, such as these on migration at Conneaut Harbor, Ohio in spring.

(probably) Prairie Willets go from drab to interesting when they open their wings, Conneaut Harbor, OH (photo by Steve Gosser)

eBird says the “Saltmarsh Willet is smaller, darker, browner, shorter-billed, shorter-legged, and strictly coastal.” For comparison, the taxonomy article includes this Macauley Library photo of both. Photographer Chris O’Connell was lucky in St. John’s, Florida.

Interestingly my Life List gained the prairie willet but all my East & Gulf Coast sightings beame a “slash bird” — saltmarsh/prairie willet — because I saw them during migration. Of course I have no photos to prove who they are. 🙁

Other updates coming soon … which don’t affect North America

• Spotted flycatcher — SPLIT
• Blue whistling-thrush — SPLIT
• Slaty-masked Tinamou (Crypturellus resonans) — NEW
• Hooded Jewel-babbler (Ptilorrhoa urrissia) — NEW
• Eastern Barn Owl — LUMP (some island species lumped with southeast Asia, Australia bird)
• Little Swift — LUMP

Stay tuned to eBird’s 2026 Taxonomy page for more information and their announcement when all the updates are done.