Subspecies groups and future splits (3 Viewers)

[Mysticete]

There is that single specimen of the very large maxima subspecies of Crested Coua that is of unknown status in every respect

Yeah...I am aware of that bird but I believe there is debate over whether it might be a distinct subspecies or a hybrid or something else. Seems like a mystery that might never be really solved.

 

[Mysticete]

After a period of being too busy, here are the first batch of subspecies groups for Caprimulgidae. If there are suggestions for additions, corrections, etc, I am more than happy to add them in

Great Eared Nightjar
Philippine Eared Nightjar - Lyncornis (macrotis) macrotis
Great Eared Nightjar - Lyncornis (macrotis) cerviniceps
Simeleu Eared Nightjar - Lyncornis (macrotis) jacobsoni
Sulawesi Eared Nightjar - Lyncornis (macrotis) macropterus

Band-tailed Nighthawk
Band-tailed Nighthawk - Nyctiprogne (leucopyga) leucopyga
Small-billed Nighthawk - Nyctiprogne (leucopyga) latifascia

Short-tailed Nighthawk
Short-tailed Nighthawk - Lurocalis (semitorquatus) semitorquatus
Natterer's Nighthawk - Lurocalis (semitorquatus) nattereri

Band-winged Nightjar
Lesser Band-winged Nightjar - Systellura (longirostris) longirostris
Tepui Nightjar - Systellura (longirostris) roraimae
Rufous-naped Nightjar - Systellura (longirostris) ruficervix
Greater Band-winged Nightjar - Systellura (longirostris) atripunctata
Austral Nightjar - Systellura (longirostris) bifasciata
Mocha Nightjar - Systellura (longirostris) mochaensis

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

Tepui Nightjar - Systellura (longirostris) roraimae

Now in monotypic genus Tepuiornis

 

[Mysticete]

Now in monotypic genus Tepuiornis

Correct!. Thanks for catching that. I actually had that in my checklist twice, since Tepuiornis WAS listed elseshwere. So scratch that one

 

[Swindon Addick]

So there must be at least one of the main authorities which will be moving that taxon straight from being a subspecies to a monotypic genus in one jump. Can't imaging that's happened too often.

 

[Mysticete]

So there must be at least one of the main authorities which will be moving that taxon straight from being a subspecies to a monotypic genus in one jump. Can't imaging that's happened too often.

Tepuiornis is a brand-spanking new name, and I am don't think it's yet recognized by any major checklist. Hell, I don't think most checklist even recognize it as a valid species yet.

 

[vinividivici]

Dear Mysticete,

Instead of "Simeleu Eared Nightjar", it should read "Simeulue Eared Nightjar". Note that in older literature, this Indonesian island (off NW Sumatra) is often referred to as Simalur, or a variant spelling thereof.

 

[Mysticete]

Now in monotypic genus Tepuiornis

Actually, looking through this tonight, I think you have this confused. The Tepui form of Band-winged Nightjar is completely different from Tepuiornis whitelyi

It's just the common names are a bit misleading, since Tepui Nightjar is Systellura (longirostris) roraimae, while Roraiman Nightjar is Tepuiornis whitelyi

So in other words, the bird with Tepui in its common name is not Tepuiornis, while the bird that has Roraiman in it's common name doesn't have the subspecies name roraimae

And now my brain hurts

 

[Mysticete]

So there must be at least one of the main authorities which will be moving that taxon straight from being a subspecies to a monotypic genus in one jump. Can't imaging that's happened too often.

See my correction...they are different birds, just very poorly named.

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

Actually, looking through this tonight, I think you have this confused. The Tepui form of Band-winged Nightjar is completely different from Tepuiornis whitelyi

It's just the common names are a bit misleading, since Tepui Nightjar is Systellura (longirostris) roraimae, while Roraiman Nightjar is Tepuiornis whitelyi

So in other words, the bird with Tepui in its common name is not Tepuiornis, while the bird that has Roraiman in it's common name doesn't have the subspecies name roraimae

And now my brain hurts

Ah sorry, you're right. I'm totally confused, it's a member of genus Systellura

Tepuiornis is for whitelyi and Quechuavis is for decussata.

 

[vinividivici]

So there must be at least one of the main authorities which will be moving that taxon straight from being a subspecies to a monotypic genus in one jump. Can't imaging that's happened too often.

Rare indeed, but this is an example among frogmouths from not too long ago:

Cleere, N., A.W. Kratter, D.W. Steadman, M.J. Braun, C.J. Huddleston, C.E. Filardi, and G. Dutson. 2007.
A new genus of frogmouth (Podargidae) from the Solomon Islands – results from a taxonomic review of Podargus ocellatus inexpectatus Hartert 1901. Ibis 149: 271-286.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2006.00626.x

 

[njlarsen]

I believe the Italian Sparrow was moved from status as "not a taxon" (= hybrid swarm) to species a few years ago.
Niels

 

[Jacana]

I believe the Italian Sparrow was moved from status as "not a taxon" (= hybrid swarm) to species a few years ago.
Niels

And just a few months ago, Rufous-backed Kingfisher jumped two levels, going from unrecognised at the subspecies level, to its own species, complete with additionally raised subspecies. At least for the IOC.

 

[Mysticete]

The rest of the New World Caprimulgidae

Pauraque
Amazonian Pauraque - Nyctidromus (albicollis) albicollis
Northern Pauraque - Nyctidromus (albicollis) merrilli
Southern Pauraque - Nyctidromus (albicollis) derbyanus

White-tailed Nightjar
Eastern White-tailed Nightjar - Hydropsalis (cayennensis) cayennensis
Western White-tailed Nightjar - Hydropsalis (cayennensis) albicauda

Silky-tailed Nightjar
Atlantic Silky-tailed Nightjar - Antrostomus (sericocaudatus) sericocaudatus
Amazonian Silky-tailed Nightjar - Antrostomus (sericocaudatus) mengeli

Rufous Nightjar
Southern Rufous Nightjar - Antrostomus (rufus) rufus
St Lucia Nightjar - Antrostomus (rufus) otiosus
Northern Rufous Nightjar - Antrostomus (rufus) minimus

Lesser Nighthawk
Lesser Nighthawk - Chordeiles (acutipennis) acutipennis
Texas Nighthawk - Chordeiles (acutipennis) texensis

 

[Mysticete]

Old World Nightjars. I don't know even less about this group, and they seem criminally understudied. Any further suggestions most appreciated

Nubian Nightjar
Nubian Nightjar - Caprimulgus (nubicus) nubicus
Torrid Nightjar - Caprimulgus (nubicus) torridus
Socotra Nightjar - Caprimulgus (nubicus) jonesi

Fiery-necked Nightjar
Fiery-necked Nightjar - Caprimulgus (pectoralis) pectoralis
Black-shouldered Nightjar - Caprimulgus (pectoralis) nigriscapularis

Montane Nightjar
Abyssinian Nightjar - Caprimulgus (poliocephalus) poliocephalus
Rwenzori Nightjar - Caprimulgus (poliocephalus) ruwenzorii

Savanna Nightjar
Sunda Nightjar - Caprimulgus (affinis) affinis
Savanna Nightjar - Caprimulgus (affinis) monticolus

 

[Jacana]

Great Eared Nightjars have been suggested for a split
Integrative taxonomy of eared nightjars (Aves: Lyncornis) underscores the complementarity of morphology, vocalizations and DNA evidence
GEORGE SANGSTER1,2,*, , BEN F. KING3, MARTIN IRESTEDT1 andPER G. P. ERICSON, F.L.S.1
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2022, 196, 1464–1484.

See post #122

 

[Mysticete]

Final batch of Nocturnal Strisores, the "everything else" post

Nyctibiidae

Long-tailed Potoo
Amazonian Long-tailed Potoo -Nyctibius (aethereus) aethereus
Atlantic Long-tailed Potoo - Nyctibius (aethereus) longicaudatus

Northern Potoo
Jamaican Potoo - Nyctibius (jamaicensis) jamaicensis
Hispaniolan Potoo - Nyctibius (jamaicensis) abbotti
Northern Potoo - Nyctibius (jamaicensis) mexicanus

Podargidae

Marbled Frogmouth
Marbled Frogmouth - Podargus (ocellatus) ocellatus
Plumed Frogmouth - Podargus (ocellatus) plumiferus

Blyth's Frogmouth
Blyth's Frogmouth - Batrachostomus (affinis) affinis
Indochinese Frogmouth - Batrachostomus (affinis) continentalis

Palawan Frogmouth
Palawan Frogmouth - Batrachostomus (chaseni) pygmaeus
Calamanian Frogmouth - Batrachostomus (chaseni) chaseni

Sunda Frogmouth
Sumatran Frogmouth - Batrachostomus (cornutus) cornutus
Bornean Frogmouth - Batrachostomus (cornutus) adspersus

Aegothelidae

Barred Owlet-nightjar
Barred Owlet-nightjar - Aegotheles (bennettii) bennettii
Diamond's Owlet-nightjar - Aegotheles (bennettii) terborghi
Dwarf Owlet-nightjar - Aegotheles (bennettii) plumifer

Mountain Owlet-nightjar
Albert's Owlet-nightjar - Aegotheles (albertisi) albertisi
Archbold's Owlet-nightjar - Aegotheles (albertisi) archboldi

 

[johnallcock]

If folks know of other potential cuckoo splits (likely or unlikely), let me know!

Do you know if anyone has looked into Indian Cuckoo? The vocalisations are very different between resident Sundaic birds (concretus) and northern migrants (micropterus).
Maybe also Common Cuckoo? The song of bakeri sounds a bit different to me, but I'm not sure how reliable this is.

 

[cajanuma]

If folks know of other potential cuckoo splits (likely or unlikely), let me know!

Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo looks like it's ripe for splitting:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1552654754488016899

 

[sicklebill]

Final batch of Nocturnal Strisores, the "everything else" post



Podargidae

Marbled Frogmouth
Marbled Frogmouth - Podargus (ocellatus) ocellatus
Plumed Frogmouth - Podargus (ocellatus) plumiferus

intermedius and perhaps meeki have very distinct vocalisations and ocellatus is worth a new look