IUCN Red List data observations

An unofficial, independent review to support data improvement · IUCN Red List version 2026-1

Name pairs where IUCN and the Catalogue of Life differ on which name is accepted

Source: IUCN Red List 2026-1 vs Catalogue of Life COL26.7 XR (2026-07-17) · 2,742 rows

IUCN and the Catalogue of Life accept different names for each taxon on this page, and the IUCN record already lists the name CoL accepts among its synonyms. Some rows are mutual: CoL likewise treats the IUCN name as a synonym of its accepted name. In the others the name IUCN accepts appears nowhere in CoL, and the pairing rests on the IUCN synonym list alone. Either way the two records can be cross referenced, so nothing on this page is a missing name or a broken link.

Why it matters

Not much is at stake: nothing on either side is wrong, and nothing here needs fixing. Two details are still worth knowing. The link between the pairs lives in the IUCN synonym list, which is published through the Red List API but not in the CSV export, so a match run against the export alone misses it. And a small number of rows give the same author two different publication years, one per catalogue; that can be a real bibliographic difference, as with a work issued in parts, or a transcription error, and those rows sort to the top of the table.

Suggestion

No change is suggested. The table works as a concordance between the two datasets, as the list of taxa that would change name if the Catalogue of Life treatment were adopted, and, where the Authority years column is filled, as a short checklist of publication dates the two catalogues disagree on.

The Catalogue of Life crosscheck

Every assessed name is checked against the Catalogue of Life; each difference found is listed on exactly one of the pages below.

PageNamesWhat it lists
Names not found in the Catalogue of Life745The name is absent from CoL: no near spelling, and no other name for the taxon either.
Names with a close Catalogue of Life match799The name is absent from CoL; a near spelling exists in the same genus or epithet.
Names absent from the Catalogue of Life where another name for the taxon is present134The name is absent from CoL; another IUCN-listed name for the taxon is there as a synonym.
Species and subspecies treated as synonyms in the Catalogue of Life11,664CoL treats the name as a synonym of an accepted name IUCN does not list.
Higher-rank names treated as synonyms in the Catalogue of Life717A genus or higher name CoL records only as a synonym.
Higher-rank placement differences that look like spelling variants94A higher taxon whose CoL parent name looks like a spelling variant of IUCN's.
Minor naming authority differences9,343Exact name match; the author is spelled differently.
Name pairs where IUCN and the Catalogue of Life differ on which name is accepted this page2,742Both catalogues hold both names and disagree only on which is accepted.
Higher-rank names placed differently in the Catalogue of Life1,663A higher taxon placed under a genuinely different CoL parent.

By rank

Every row is in the CSV download.

RankCount
species2,613
subspecies110
variety19

By class

197,008 assessments compared. Top classes shown; every row is in the CSV download.

ClassCount
MAGNOLIOPSIDA761
ACTINOPTERYGII702
INSECTA326
AVES195
LILIOPSIDA173
MAMMALIA141
AMPHIBIA116
GASTROPODA91
CLITELLATA50
BRYOPSIDA39
PINOPSIDA23
POLYPODIOPSIDA22
REPTILIA18
BIVALVIA14
CHONDRICHTHYES14

Preview

IUCN nameIUCN authorityIUCN statusCoL nameCoL authorityAuthority yearsCoL entryClassFamilyTaxon idRed ListDetail
Schizopygopsis microcephalusHerzenstein, 1881LCHerzensteinia microcephalus(Herzenstein, 1891)IUCN 1881 vs CoL 1891viewACTINOPTERYGIICYPRINIDAE181240viewThe Catalogue of Life treats Schizopygopsis microcephalus as a synonym of Herzensteinia microcephalus; IUCN treats Herzensteinia microcephalus as a synonym of Schizopygopsis microcephalus. Both credit Herzenstein, but the years differ: 1881 in IUCN, 1891 in the Catalogue of Life.
Devario jayarami(Barman, 1984)DDInlecypris jayarami(Barman, 1985)IUCN 1984 vs CoL 1985viewACTINOPTERYGIIDANIONIDAE181302viewThe Catalogue of Life treats Devario jayarami as a synonym of Inlecypris jayarami; IUCN treats Inlecypris jayarami as a synonym of Devario jayarami. Both credit Barman, but the years differ: 1984 in IUCN, 1985 in the Catalogue of Life.
Paragobiodon xanthosomus(Bleeker, 1852)LCParagobiodon xanthosoma(Bleeker, 1853)IUCN 1852 vs CoL 1853viewACTINOPTERYGIIGOBIIDAE193168viewThe Catalogue of Life treats Paragobiodon xanthosomus as a synonym of Paragobiodon xanthosoma; IUCN treats Paragobiodon xanthosoma as a synonym of Paragobiodon xanthosomus. Both credit Bleeker, but the years differ: 1852 in IUCN, 1853 in the Catalogue of Life.
Megophrys glandulosaFei, Ye & Huang, 1991LCXenophrys glandulosa(Fei, Ye & Huang, 1990)IUCN 1991 vs CoL 1990viewAMPHIBIAMEGOPHRYIDAE57638viewThe Catalogue of Life treats Megophrys glandulosa as a synonym of Xenophrys glandulosa; IUCN treats Xenophrys glandulosa as a synonym of Megophrys glandulosa. Both credit Fei, Ye & Huang, but the years differ: 1991 in IUCN, 1990 in the Catalogue of Life.
Litoria aurea(Lesson, 1830)NTRanoidea aurea(Lesson, 1829)IUCN 1830 vs CoL 1829viewAMPHIBIAPELODRYADIDAE12143viewThe Catalogue of Life treats Litoria aurea as a synonym of Ranoidea aurea; IUCN treats Ranoidea aurea as a synonym of Litoria aurea. Both credit Lesson, but the years differ: 1830 in IUCN, 1829 in the Catalogue of Life.
Papurana papua(Lesson, 1826)LCHylarana papua(Lesson, 1829)IUCN 1826 vs CoL 1829viewAMPHIBIARANIDAE58691viewThe Catalogue of Life treats Papurana papua as a synonym of Hylarana papua; IUCN treats Hylarana papua as a synonym of Papurana papua. Both credit Lesson, but the years differ: 1826 in IUCN, 1829 in the Catalogue of Life.
Pulchrana baramica(Boettger, 1901)LCHylarana baramica(Boettger, 1900)IUCN 1901 vs CoL 1900viewAMPHIBIARANIDAE58558viewThe Catalogue of Life treats Pulchrana baramica as a synonym of Hylarana baramica; IUCN treats Hylarana baramica as a synonym of Pulchrana baramica. Both credit Boettger, but the years differ: 1901 in IUCN, 1900 in the Catalogue of Life.
Edolisoma mindanense(Tweeddale, 1878)VUCoracina mindanensis(Tweeddale, 1879)IUCN 1878 vs CoL 1879viewAVESCAMPEPHAGIDAE22706596viewThe Catalogue of Life treats Edolisoma mindanense as a synonym of Coracina mindanensis; IUCN treats Coracina mindanensis as a synonym of Edolisoma mindanense. Both credit Tweeddale, but the years differ: 1878 in IUCN, 1879 in the Catalogue of Life.
Edolisoma sulaHartert, 1917LCCoracina sula(Hartert, 1918)IUCN 1917 vs CoL 1918viewAVESCAMPEPHAGIDAE22706588viewThe Catalogue of Life treats Edolisoma sula as a synonym of Coracina sula; IUCN treats Coracina sula as a synonym of Edolisoma sula. Both credit Hartert, but the years differ: 1917 in IUCN, 1918 in the Catalogue of Life.
Lalage polioptera(Sharpe, 1879)LCCoracina polioptera(Sharpe, 1878)IUCN 1879 vs CoL 1878viewAVESCAMPEPHAGIDAE22706633viewThe Catalogue of Life treats Lalage polioptera as a synonym of Coracina polioptera; IUCN treats Coracina polioptera as a synonym of Lalage polioptera. Both credit Sharpe, but the years differ: 1879 in IUCN, 1878 in the Catalogue of Life.
Plesiodryas albonotata(Salvadori, 1876)LCPoecilodryas albonotata(Salvadori, 1875)IUCN 1876 vs CoL 1875viewAVESPETROICIDAE22704883viewThe Catalogue of Life treats Plesiodryas albonotata as a synonym of Poecilodryas albonotata; IUCN treats Poecilodryas albonotata as a synonym of Plesiodryas albonotata. Both credit Salvadori, but the years differ: 1876 in IUCN, 1875 in the Catalogue of Life.
Tangara glaucocolpaCabanis, 1850LCThraupis glaucocolpaCabanis, 1851IUCN 1850 vs CoL 1851viewAVESTHRAUPIDAE22722531viewThe Catalogue of Life treats Tangara glaucocolpa as a synonym of Thraupis glaucocolpa; IUCN treats Thraupis glaucocolpa as a synonym of Tangara glaucocolpa. Both credit Cabanis, but the years differ: 1850 in IUCN, 1851 in the Catalogue of Life.
Pachysylvia aurantiifrons(Lawrence, 1862)LCHylophilus aurantiifronsLawrence, 1861IUCN 1862 vs CoL 1861viewAVESVIREONIDAE22705309viewThe Catalogue of Life treats Pachysylvia aurantiifrons as a synonym of Hylophilus aurantiifrons; IUCN treats Hylophilus aurantiifrons as a synonym of Pachysylvia aurantiifrons. Both credit Lawrence, but the years differ: 1862 in IUCN, 1861 in the Catalogue of Life.
Pogonornis bidentatus(Shaw, 1798)LCLybius bidentatus(Shaw, 1799)IUCN 1798 vs CoL 1799viewAVESLYBIIDAE22681861viewThe Catalogue of Life treats Pogonornis bidentatus as a synonym of Lybius bidentatus; IUCN treats Lybius bidentatus as a synonym of Pogonornis bidentatus. Both credit Shaw, but the years differ: 1798 in IUCN, 1799 in the Catalogue of Life.
Hylatomus schulzii(Cabanis, 1883)NTDryocopus schulzii(Cabanis, 1882)IUCN 1883 vs CoL 1882viewAVESPICIDAE22681373viewThe Catalogue of Life treats Hylatomus schulzii as a synonym of Dryocopus schulzii; IUCN treats Dryocopus schulzii as a synonym of Hylatomus schulzii. Both credit Cabanis, but the years differ: 1883 in IUCN, 1882 in the Catalogue of Life.

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