Bee-eater confusion (1 Viewer)

[Andy Adcock]

Just going through some familiarisation before a trip to Ghana and I come to Merops viridissimus, split from M. orientalis.

My edition of the birds of Ghana, pre-dates this split however, neither viridissimus or orientalis are in the book, just M. pusillus however, both virisissimus and pusillus are on my list from Scythebill.

I'm sure it's simple but just can't get my head around it so can someone tell me the story here, which is which in Ghana!

 

[njlarsen]

My Birds of Ghana (2nd ed) shows pusillus (Little B) and orientalis (Little green B.). The second have been split so orientalis belongs with Asian Green Bee-eater - BirdForum Opus and the African form of it is now African Green Bee-eater - BirdForum Opus
Of course, there are also other bee-eaters in Ghana.
Niels

Edit: A third section of the Little Green B became Arabian ....

 

[Andy Adcock]

My Birds of Ghana (2nd ed) shows pusillus (Little B) and orientalis (Little green B.). The second have been split so orientalis belongs with Asian Green Bee-eater - BirdForum Opus and the African form of it is now African Green Bee-eater - BirdForum Opus
Of course, there are also other bee-eaters in Ghana.
Niels

Edit: A third section of the Little Green B became Arabian ....

Niels, as I said, my book (Borrow and Demey Helm) predates the split but does not show orientalis only pusillus?

 

[njlarsen]

Niels, as I said, my book (Borrow and Demey Helm) predates the split but does not show orientalis?

is yours a first edition? Second edition shows it on page 180 (plate 77

 

[Andy Adcock]

Am I being dumb?

 

[Andy Adcock]

is yours a first edition? Second edition shows it on page 180 (plate 77

Yes 1st ed but orientalis should be shown?

 

[Andy Adcock]

Just bought the 2nd ed, there is other stuff that's been split too so it's worth having, not having been in the market recently, I hadn't been aware of the update.

If anyone is aware of any splits other than these, please let me know.

Melancholy Woodpecker Dendropicos lugubris from Gabon Woodpecker
Blue-moustached Bee-eater Merops mentalis from Blue-headed Bee-eater
Fanti Drongo Dicrurus atactus from Velvet-mantled Drongo
Red-chested Goshawk Accipiter toussenelii from African Goshawk
Bioko Batis Batis poensis now an endemic of Bioko Island with the name Fernando Pó Batis which will leave West African Batis Batis occulta on the mainland

 

[awiner]

The confusion is that [African] Green Bee-eater is a rarity in Ghana (and noted as such in Scythebill), and you should not expect to see it there. So there's every reason to think the book either the book didn't bother to depict it or the first record happened since the 1st edition.

 

[gusasp]

Just bought the 2nd ed, there is other stuff that's been split too so it's worth having, not having been in the market recently, I hadn't been aware of the update.

If anyone is aware of any splits other than these, please let me know.

Melancholy Woodpecker Dendropicos lugubris from Gabon Woodpecker
Blue-moustached Bee-eater Merops mentalis from Blue-headed Bee-eater
Fanti Drongo Dicrurus atactus from Velvet-mantled Drongo
Red-chested Goshawk Accipiter toussenelii from African Goshawk
Bioko Batis Batis poensis now an endemic of Bioko Island with the name Fernando Pó Batis which will leave West African Batis Batis occulta on the mainland

Fanti is back with Velvet-mantled though (both IOC & eBird/Clements) and toussenelii with African Goshawk (only eBird/Clements yet).

 

[Andy Adcock]

Thanks guys, just can't keep up!