Trochilidae (3 Viewers)

[Jacana]

Brian M Myers, Kevin J Burns, Christopher J Clark, Alan Brelsford, Sampling affects population genetic inference: A case study of the Allen’s (Selasphorus sasin) and rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus), Journal of Heredity, Volume 114, Issue 6, December 2023, Pages 625–636, doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esad044

Gene flow can affect evolutionary inference when species are undersampled. Here, we evaluate the effects of gene flow and geographic sampling on demographic inference of 2 hummingbirds that hybridize, Allen’s hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) and rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus). Using whole-genome data and extensive geographic sampling, we find widespread connectivity, with introgression far beyond the Allen’s × rufous hybrid zone, although the Z chromosome resists introgression beyond the hybrid zone. We test alternative hypotheses of speciation history of Allen’s, rufous, and Calliope (S. calliope) hummingbird and find that rufous hummingbird is the sister taxon to Allen’s hummingbird, and Calliope hummingbird is the outgroup. A model treating the 2 subspecies of Allen’s hummingbird as a single panmictic population fit observed genetic data better than models treating the subspecies as distinct populations, in contrast to morphological and behavioral differences and analyses of spatial population structure. With additional sampling, our study builds upon recent studies that came to conflicting conclusions regarding the evolutionary histories of these 2 species. Our results stress the importance of thorough geographic sampling when assessing demographic history in the presence of gene flow.

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

GUY M. KIRWAN, PAOLO RAMONI-PERAZZI, CHRISTOPHER J. SHARPE (2023). Is Eriocnemis luciani meridae (Aves: Trochilidae) a diagnosable taxon and does it come from Venezuela, with remarks on the collectors Salomón Briceño and Walther Frederick Henninger. Zootaxa 5374(4): 563-574

Is Eriocnemis luciani meridae (Aves: Trochilidae) a diagnosable taxon and does it come from Venezuela, with remarks on the collectors Salomón Briceño and Walther Frederick Henninger | Zootaxa

www.mapress.com

Abstract
Eriocnemis luciani meridae was originally described from a single specimen collected in the late 19th century in western Venezuela. Subsequently a second specimen of E. luciani, also labelled “Venezuela”, has been taken as additional proof for a highly disjunct population of this hummingbird, which otherwise ranges from southwest Colombia to southern Peru (taxonomy-dependent). Eriocnemis l. meridae has been accepted by all of the global checklists of birds, but has been routinely ignored by Venezuelan sources. In an effort to resolve this dichotomy of treatment, we re-examined the specimens’ plumage in comparison with relevant material in two major European bird collections. We found that the characters used to erect E. l. meridae are only doubtfully or weakly expressed in the holotype and appear invisible in the Ohio specimen, but both are clearly referrable to the species E. luciani. Evidence that the second specimen was definitely collected in Venezuela is weak and its overall provenance is unclear. In contrast, an extensive historical investigation of the relevant collectors indicates that the holotype does appear to have been taken in Venezuela, although perhaps not in the precise locality indicated for it. This leaves an unusual situation whereby we consider the case for a separate Venezuelan endemic taxon to be unproven, but there is no incontrovertible reason to exclude the species from the country’s avifauna; according to recent niche modelling data it is best searched for in the Sierra Nevada of Mérida state. In contrast, a second subspecies of E. luciani, E. l. baptistae, described by the same authors as endemic to part of western Ecuador is, according to our reappraisal, clearly diagnosable and is upheld.

 

[Peter Kovalik]

Kirwan, Guy M., and Nigel J. Collar (2023) Lophornis melaniae Floericke, 1920 (Aves: Trochilidae), is a synonym of L. stictolophus Salvin & Elliot, 1873, not of L. delattrei (Lesson, 1839). Bonn zoological Bulletin 72: 200-207. https://doi.org/10.20363/bzb-2023.72.2.200

Abstract:
We re-evaluate the taxonomic status of a poorly known and largely ignored hummingbird taxon, Lophornis melaniae Floericke, 1920, which was described from two male syntypes. Reported to have been destroyed, these specimens survive in the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart. None of the three commentators on this case inspected this material and only one read Floericke’s original description. Comparison of the syntypes with specimen material and photographs available online of Rufous-crested Coquette L. delattrei (Lesson, 1839) and Spangled Coquette L. stictolophus Salvin & Elliot, 1873, suggests that, on the basis of its crest feathers being relatively densely packed and bushy rather than spiky, wiry and splayed, and on the broader distribution and greater number of dark spots on the crest, L. melaniae is a synonym of L. stictolophus rather than of L. delattrei, as had been postulated previously.

pdf there

 

[Peter Kovalik]

Proposal (989) to SACC

Treat Ocreatus underwoodii as multiple species

 

[Taphrospilus]

What they did solved nothing, I'm afraid. They wrote:

In this text, they are obviously mixing the content of the [OD] of 1866 with that of Mulsant & Verreaux's Histoire naturelle des oiseaux-mouches, ou, Colibris constituant la famille des trochilidés of 1874 [here].
In the OD, no subgenera were recognized (Cyanomya is just cited as the generic name that was used by Gould for some of the species), and it seems obvious that Cyanomyia viridifrons Elliot 1871 [OD] cannot have been originally included in a genus described in 1866: there is definitely no way that it might be eligible to become the type.

A designation of violiceps would have been valid, assuming no earlier valid designation is hidden out there in the non-digitized literature; this was an OINS. The above is clearly not valid at all.

Sorry to come back on that:

• Ramosomyia viridifrons wagneri (Phillips, AR 1966) Ramosomyia viridifrons wagneri (Green-fronted Hummingbird (wagneri)) - Avibase
• Leucolia wagneri The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=1150059#null
• Ramosomyia wagneri
  Hummingbirds – IOC World Bird List

I am now totally confused.
1) Ramosomyia or Leucolia?
2) Spezies od Subspezies?
3) Based on what?

 

[Xenospiza]

Sorry to come back on that:

• Ramosomyia viridifrons wagneri (Phillips, AR 1966) Ramosomyia viridifrons wagneri (Green-fronted Hummingbird (wagneri)) - Avibase
• Leucolia wagneri The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ITIS - Report: Leucolia wagneri
• Ramosomyia wagneri
  Hummingbirds – IOC World Bird List

I am now totally confused.
1) Ramosomyia or Leucolia?
2) Spezies od Subspezies?
3) Based on what?

The NACC (using Leucolia) quite unanimously voted against splitting (proposal 2022-A-18):

https://americanornithology.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022-A-final.pdf

2022 Proposals - American Ornithological Society

Proposals 2022-A View Comments 2022-A-1: Reinstate Northwestern Crow Corvus caurinus as a species – FAILED 2022-A-2: Recognize Turdus confinis (San Lucas Robin) as a separate species from Turdus migratorius (American Robin) – FAILED 2022-A-3a: Treat Turdus plumbeus (Red-legged Thrush) as two...

americanornithology.org

The IOC obviously used the same data to split it.

Leucolia cannot be used based on priority; the Red List is just not up to date.

Ramosomyia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[l_raty]

I still feel that bronze-green upperparts, white underparts, and a 'more or less' bronzy rump and tail, are characters too trivial and widespread among hummingbirds to be construed as "purported to differentiate" a new genus of Trochilidae (in the absence of an express statement that they were so intended), thus IMO Ramosomyia is best treated as unavailable.

Leucolia cannot be used (anymore), because the authors who proposed Ramosomyia wrote that its type is Trochilus fallax Bourcier 1843, which made it a junior objective synonym of Leucippus Bonaparte 1850. Leucolia is not a synonym of Ramosomyia.

 

[Melanie]

Discosura letitiae

Was there ever a DNA analysis to clarify the validity of Discosura letitiae?

Seven years later and new efforts to solve the mystery of Discosura letitiae. This is science

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

They are completely tired at H&M, why did they put the species of the genus Oxypogon in Chalcostigma? They need rest 😂

 

[Mike Earp]

They are completely tired at H&M, why did they put the species of the genus Oxypogon in Chalcostigma? They need rest 😂

Did they? The 4 forms are all lumped in one species but it's in Oxypogon which has priority over Chalcostigma.

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

Did they? The 4 forms are all lumped in one species but it's in Oxypogon which has priority over Chalcostigma.

I think they rushed

 

[Mike Earp]

I think they rushed

Rushed what?

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

Rushed what?

They kept only one genus, Chalcostigma, but deleted Oxypogon. But it should be the opposite

 

[Mike Earp]

They kept only one genus, Chalcostigma, but deleted Oxypogon. But it should be the opposite

Looks like they kept both to me, at least online ...

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

Looks like they kept both to me, at least online ...View attachment 1563643

It's online too here

 

[jts1882]

Looks like they kept both to me, at least online ...View attachment 1563643

Oxypogon is in the old version based on H&M4.1

H&M4 Checklist family by family - The Trust for Avian Systematics
https://www.aviansystematics.org/checklist?viewfamilies=80

But not in the new revised online version (H&M5?):

H&M4 Checklist family by family - The Trust for Avian Systematics
https://www.aviansystematics.org/checklist?viewfamilies2=TROCHILIDAE

P.S. What is your screenshot of, with the "Hidden subfamily of monotypic family"?

 

[Mike Earp]

P.S. What is your screenshot of, with the "Hidden subfamily of monotypic family"?

Result of search for genus Oxypogon.

 

[jts1882]

Result of search for genus Oxypogon.

Interesting, I've never tried the search like that.

The search is picking up the old H&M4.1 arrangement. The Trochilidae are among the first group of families that got an update last August.

 

[l_raty]

The search is picking up the old H&M4.1 arrangement.

The search is probably simply picking up the latest arrangement that has Oxypogon in it.
It's a bit unfortunate that nothing makes it clear that this arrangement is from an outdated version, though...

 

[Mike Earp]

The search is probably simply picking up the latest arrangement that has Oxypogon in it.
It's a bit unfortunate that nothing makes it clear that this arrangement is from an outdated version, though...

I think the search function is searching version 4.1. As Jim says, they seem to have erred by merging Oxypogon in Chalcostigma. IOC and Clements (still) treat them separately.