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avilistr

Access the AviList Global Avian Checklist in R

avilistr provides easy access to the AviList Global Avian Checklist, the first unified global bird taxonomy that harmonizes previous differences between IOC, Clements, and BirdLife checklists. This package contains the complete AviList dataset as R data objects, ready for analysis and research.

🌍 About AviList

AviList represents a landmark achievement in ornithology - the first unified global checklist of Earth’s bird species. Released in June 2025, it contains:

  • 11,131 species across 2,376 genera
  • 19,879 subspecies
  • 252 families in 46 orders
  • Unified taxonomy reconciling IOC, Clements, and BirdLife differences
  • Rich metadata including nomenclatural details and external database links

🦅 Installation

Install from CRAN:

install.packages("avilistr")

Or install the development version from GitHub:

# Install from GitHub
devtools::install_github("dalyanalytics/avilistr")

# Or using pak
pak::pak("dalyanalytics/avilistr")

🦆 Quick Start 

library(avilistr)

# Load the complete AviList dataset
data(avilist_2025)

# Or load the short version with essential fields only
data(avilist_2025_short)

# Get basic information about the data
nrow(avilist_2025)  # Total records
sum(avilist_2025$Taxon_rank == "species")  # Number of species

📖 For detailed examples and tutorials, see the Getting Started vignette.

🦜 Data Overview

The package provides three main datasets:

Main Datasets

Dataset Records Fields Description
avilist_2025 33,685 26 Complete dataset with all available fields
avilist_2025_short 33,685 ~12 Essential taxonomic fields only
avilist_metadata 26 6 Field descriptions and metadata

Key Fields

  • Scientific_name: Binomial scientific name
  • English_name_AviList: Official AviList common name
  • English_name_Clements_v2024: Clements common name
  • Order, Family: Taxonomic classification
  • Authority: Original description author and year
  • Taxon_rank: Species, subspecies, etc.
  • AvibaseID: Link to Avibase database
  • Plus 19 additional fields in full version

🎯 Use Cases

🔬 Research Applications

  • Taxonomic studies: Unified species concepts across databases
  • Biodiversity analysis: Consistent species counts and classifications
  • Conservation planning: Link with IUCN Red List via BirdLife integration
  • Phylogenetic studies: Standardized taxonomic framework

🐦 Birding & Citizen Science

  • List standardization: Convert between different checklist authorities
  • Species validation: Check spelling and current accepted names
  • Range verification: Cross-reference with multiple databases
  • Trip planning: Filter by geographic regions

📊 Data Management

  • Database cleaning: Standardize heterogeneous species lists
  • API integration: Connect with eBird, BirdLife, and other services
  • Reporting: Generate taxonomically consistent summaries
  • Quality control: Validate species names in datasets

🕊️ Citation

If you use avilistr in your research, please cite both the package and the underlying AviList data:

Package Citation:

citation("avilistr")

AviList Citation:

AviList Core Team. 2025. AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025. https://doi.org/10.2173/avilist.v2025

🦅 Future Development

This package currently provides the core AviList datasets. Future versions may include:

  • Search and filtering functions for easier data exploration
  • Taxonomic reconciliation tools for converting between different checklist authorities
  • Integration helpers for connecting with other ornithological databases
  • Validation functions for species name checking
  • Data update utilities for annual AviList releases

📄 License

This package is licensed under the CC0 License (public domain). The AviList data is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

🙏 Acknowledgments

  • AviList Core Team for creating the unified global bird checklist
  • International Ornithologists’ Union for coordinating the Working Group on Avian Checklists
  • BirdLife International, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and other partners
  • The R community for excellent tools and inspiration

📞 Getting Help

Built with ❤️ for the global ornithology community