TAXONOMIC NOTES
Class Aves Linnaeus, 1758
Order Galliformes Temminck, 1820
Family Phasianidae Horsfield, 18215
Genus Perdix Brisson,
Perdix palaeoperdix Mourer-Chauviré, 1975
Material: NI 3 (Perdix perdix/palaeoperdix) (Table 1). The Middle-Late Pleistocene P. palaeoperdix is considered to be the sister taxon to P. perdix (see Mourer-Chauviré, 1975). Its long bones in general were significantly shorter than these of the modern grey partridge. The collected specimens from the Kiliite Cave show the same correlations to P. perdix.
Records in Bulgaria: Kozarnika (Suhi Pech) Cave, Devetashka Cave, Filipovska Cave, Razhishka Cave (Boev, 1999, 2001).
Records abroad: Early Pleistocene (MNQ 19) – Middle Pleistocene (MNQ 24) from China, France, Greece, Romania, Spain, and Turkey (Tyrberg, 1998).
Perdix perdix (Linnaeus, 1758
Material: 1 (cf. 2) bone, MNI 1 (Table 1). The grey partridge inhabits bog and marshland, steppes, lowland meadows and open scrub (Harrison, 1982).
Records in Bulgaria: Morovitsa Cave, Kozarnika (Suhi Pech) Cave, Cave No 16, Bacho Kiro Cave, Filipovska Cave, Mechata Dupka Cave, Kozarska Cave, Razhishka Cave (Boev, 1999, 2001).
Records abroad: Early Pleistocene (MNQ 19/20) – present from Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia,
Slovakia, Spain, Syria, Ukraine, and United Kingdom (Tyrberg, 1998).
Genus Coturnix Garsault, 1764
Coturnix coturnix (Linnaeus, 1758)
Material: 3 bones, MNI 2 (Table 1). The northern limit of the distribution of the common quail approaches the July 15 °C isotherm (Harrison, 1982). This is an important feature for the reconstruction of the Pleistocene palaeoenvironment around the Kiliite Cave. The species occupies grassland and areas of low herbage, and well-drained terrains in the north. It occurs from the desert edge and steppes to warmer alpine meadows to the south (Harrison, 1982).
Records in Bulgaria: Kunino, Cherdzhenitsa, Morovitsa, Kozarnika (Suhi Pech) Cave, Cave No 16, Bacho Kiro Cave, Temnata Dupka Cave, Devetashka Cave, Filipovska Cave, Tsareva Tsarkva Cave, Razhishka Cave (Boev, 1999, 2001).
Records abroad: Early Pleistocene (MNQ 19) – present from Austria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malta, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Spain, Ukraine, and United Kingdom (Tyrberg, 1998).
Passeriformes Linnaeus, 1758
Family Corvidae Leach, 1820
Genus Coloeus Kaup, 1829
Coloeus monedula (Linnaeus, 1758)
Material: 2 bones, MNI 1 (Table 1). The western jackdaw occurs in open areas with well-grown trees or rock outcrops, along coasts with cliffs, rugged hills with rocky outcrops, in open forest by grass-
land, and riverine forests. In mountains, it may be found up to the tree line (Harrison, 1982).
Records in Bulgaria: Temnata Dupka Cave, Kozarnika (Suhi Pech) Cave, Bacho Kiro Cave, Devetashka Cave, Filipovska Cave, Tsareva Tsarkva Cave, Kozarska Cave, Razhishka Cave (Boev, 1999, 2001).
Records abroad: Early Pleistocene (MNQ 19) – present from Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Her-zegovina, China, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Moldova, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom (Tyrberg, 1998).
Genus Pica Brisson, 1760
Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758)
Material: 1 bone, MNI 1 (Table 1). The Eurasian magpie occurs in open areas and scrub of dense trees, open forest, clearings, and forest edge, heathland, scrub on hills and mountains, shelterbelts, orchards, gardens, grassland with scattered patches of trees, tall shrubs, forest steppes, trees in any open country (Harrison, 1982).
Records in Bulgaria: Temnata Dupka Cave, Cave No 16, Devetashka Cave, Filipovska Cave, Mirizlivka Cave (Boev, 1999, 2001).
Records abroad: Early Pleistocene (MNQ 19) – present from Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Croatia, Czechia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Moldova,
Morocco, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Syria, Ukraine, and United Kingdom (Tyrberg, 1998).
Genus Garrulus Brisson, 1760
Garrulus glandarius (Linnaeus, 1758)
Material: 1 bone (cf.), MNI 1 (Table 1). The Eurasian jay occurs in broadleaf forests with oak (species’ principal food tree), mixed and conifer forests in lowland and mountains up to the tree line, in riv-
erine forests, shelterbelts and plantations, parklands, orchards, and secluded gardens (Harrison, 1982).
Records in Bulgaria: Kozarnika (Suhi Pech) Cave, Cave No 16, Devetashka Cave, Razhishka Cave (Boev, 1999, 2001).
Records abroad: Early Pleistocene (MNQ 20) – present from Austria, Belgium, Czechia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Luxemburg, Mol-
dova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, and United Kingdom (Tyrberg, 1998).
Family Sturnidae Rafinesque, 1815
Genus Sturnus Linnaeus, 1758
Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758
Material: 1 bone, MNI 1 (Table 1). The common starling occurs in open, grassy areas where cavities for nesting exist, in open forests, forest edges, open mountain forests with grassy clearings, riverine
forests, in meadows, scattered trees, orchards, and groves (Harrison, 1982).
Records in Bulgaria: Temnata Dupka Cave, Cave No 16, Devetashka Cave, Filipovska Cave (Boev, 1999, 2001).
Records abroad: Early Pleistocene (MNQ 19) – present from Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Croatia, Czechia, France, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Palestine, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine, and United Kingdom (Tyrberg, 1998).
Family Muscicapidae Fleming, 1822
Genus Monticola Boie, 1822
Monticola saxatilis (Linnaeus, 1766)
Material: 1 bone, MNI 1 (Table 1). The common rock thrush occurs on dry, open hill and mountain slopes with rocks, screes and boulders, patches of herbage, and sparse shrubs or trees, in arid, stony lowland areas (Harrison, 1982).
Records in Bulgaria: Cherdzhenitsa Cave, Kozarnika (Suhi Pech) Cave, Cave No 16, Toplya Cave (Boev, 1999, 2001).
Records abroad: Middle Pleistocene (MNQ 24) – present from Austria, France, Italy, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, and Spain (Tyrberg, 1998).
Family Turdidae Rafinesque, 1815
Genus Turdus Linnaeus, 1758
Turdus viscivorus Linnaeus, 1758
Material: 1 bone, MNI 1 (Table 1). The Mistle thrush occurs in mature, open forest with little undergrowth, in mountain forest with well-grown trees, in shelterbelts and rows of trees in cultivation and hedgerows, and parkland and gardens, and in
open grassland (Harrison, 1982).
Records in Bulgaria: Temnata Dupka Cave, Devetaska Cave, Kozarnika (Suhi Pech), Cave (Boev, 1999, 2001).
Records abroad: Middle Pleistocene (MNQ 22) to present from Austria, Belgium, Czech Repub- lic, France, Germany, Hungary, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine, and United Kingdom (Tyrberg, 1998).
Family Sylviidae Leach, 1820
Genus Curruca Bechstein, 1802
Curruca nisoria (Bechstein, 1792)
Material: 1 bone, MNI 1 (Table 1). The Barred warbler occurs in thorny and well-grown shrubs, on the edge of mixed or broadleaf forest, clearings, undergrowth of open forest, riverine forest, parklands, orchards, hedgerows, shelterbelts, or in overgrown
marshy or moist areas and the shrubby borders of lakes and rivers (Harrison, 1982).
Records in Bulgaria: Not recorded (Boev, 1999, 2001).
Records abroad: Middle Pleistocene (MNQ 23) – present from France (Tyrberg, 1998).
Further some Mammals from Bulgaria are noted, but for those see the paper.
Fred
