Hay que hacer una nueva lista 'F' de las aves de España?

El sistema de clasificación de las especies en códigos ABCDE está implantado ampliamente a nivel europeo.

Simplificando, la A son las aves vistas en aparente estado libre a partir del 1.1.1950 y la B entre esa fecha y el 1.1.1800. La C son ejemplares procedentes de cautividad, establecidos, sin embargo, la D de origen incierto y la E escapados, no autosostenibles. Y la F? Pues según la British Ornithological Union (BOU) son las aves vistas entre 1800 y 700.000 años antes de Cristo... O sea, hasta el Archaeopteryx, o casi.

Parabuteo unicinctus en Europa en la Edad Media? No lo creemos, pero sí que abunda en las ferias al uso... Habrá que ver que fuentes se usan...

En su comunicado de Abril de 2007, la BOU comentaba lo siguiente:

Category F Sub-committee The inaugural meeting of the Category F Sub-committee (CFSC) was held at The Natural History Museum, Tring, on 18 January 2007 and attended by R.Y. McGowan (BOURC Chairman) and S.P. Dudley (BOU Senior Administrator), Dr J. Cooper (Natural History Museum), Dr J. Stewart (University College London) and Dr D. Yalden (University of Manchester); Professor T. O’Connor (University of York) is also a member of the Sub-committee. The role of the CFSC and the establishment of Category F will complement the existing categories of the British List by providing a historical record of the occurrence of bird species in Britain from 1800 ad back to 700 000 bp. Category F definitions were discussed and subcategory time periods agreed as follows: F1 – Records of bird species recorded between c. 18 000 bp (before present) to 1800 F1.1 1500–1800 Post Medieval F1.2 1100–1500 Medieval F1.3 400–1100 Anglo-Norman F1.4 0–400 Roman F1.5 c. 3500 bp – 0 Iron Age F1.6 c. 4500 – c. 3500 bp Bronze Age F1.7 c. 6000 – c. 4500 bp Neolithic F1.8 c. 11 000 – c. 6000 bp Mesolithic F1.9 c. 18 000 – c. 11 000 bp Late Glacial F2 – Records of bird species recorded earlier than 16 000 bp, back to c. 700 000 bp F3 – Specimens or records of uncertain species or date Each of the above can be further subdivided to denote (a) fossil or bone specimen and (b) documentary only records, e.g. F1.1a = A fossil or bone specimen record from between 16 000 bp and 1800 ad F1.1b = A documentary-only record from between 16 000 bp and 1800 ad It was agreed that fossil and bone specimen records should be differentiated, as should references in the literature not supported by a fossil or bone specimens (i.e. documentary only). The Sub-committee has a huge task with an already known expanse of records and data to consider for many species. The Sub-committee will summarize its recommendations for Category F in their own reports published in Ibis. The Records Committee will then consider these for formal acceptance for the British List.

La cuestión es, ¿vale la pena establecer una lista 'F' en España? Sin duda obras como la de la Fauna Glacial en los Pirineos, de Oscar Arribas, son muy interesantes e ilustran parte de este periodo, y de valer la pena, el saber no ocupa lugar. ¿Pero estamos en condiciones de seguir la experiencia británica?. Time will tell.

Abstract. Is an 'F' bird-list needed in Spain?. After the BOU setting of a new British F list for fossile birds (or nearly so, see above press release), we wonder if such list would be possible in Spain. Comments welcome.