Is what we see what we have got? Species concepts and modes of speciation in birds

Taxonomy for conservation becomes patently unworkable, indeed irrelevant, if it is applied at the level of individuals. For practical reasons a line has to be drawn, and this line, from biological theory to ecological practice and law, is currently the species. But how appropriate is the species taxon to conservation? Because there are at least seven different species concepts in use, the criteria upon which species are delimited vary chaotically; and the "species" has become entangled in a conceptual quagmire. This chapter discusses genetic, cultural and behavioural speciation models, focuses on effective conservation management and highlights the need for a species concept that more accurately reflects the biological entities we manage by accommodating the processes that have produced them.