Info needed re: splits - neotropic region

[James Lowther]

Hello all,

I would be monumentally grateful if someone could give me some info on the following tentative/putative splits, principally the relative distributions of the split forms and particularly which form is likely to occur in Belize..

Opinions on the validity of the splits also welcome!!

Bronze-winged and golden-olive woodpeckers (Piculus aeruginosus and P.rubiginosus)

Blue-crowned, Lesson's, tawny-bellied, blue-diademed and highland motmots (Momotus coeruliceps, lessonii, subrufescens, momota, aequatorialis)

Wedge-tailed and curve-winged sabrewings (Campylopterus pampa and C. curvipennus)

Lesser and grey-headed greenlets (Hylophilus minor and H. decurtatus)

Rufous-capped and chestnut-capped warblers (Basileuterus rufifrons and B. delattrii)

cheers,

James

[Steve Lister]

There is a web site that gives up to date info on the decisions of the South American Checklist Committee of the AOU -see Cuckooroller's post. One recent thing they did was re-lump Highland Motmot, costing me a bird.

A lot of splits in South America have been done with no scientific evidence being presented. A good example is Inca Jay, really still Green Jay. One birding tour company seems to have their own taxonomic treatment based on what their staff think, and this obviously leads to confusion.

Steve

[cuckooroller]

James,
Here is another link: http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.html

[Chris Benesh]

Hello all,

I would be monumentally grateful if someone could give me some info on the following tentative/putative splits, principally the relative distributions of the split forms and particularly which form is likely to occur in Belize..

Opinions on the validity of the splits also welcome!!

Hi James,

Some great taxonomic questions. Without speculating too much on that which I know too little, I'll stick mainly to the question of what is in Belize.

Bronze-winged and golden-olive woodpeckers (Piculus aeruginosus and P.rubiginosus)

Bronze-winged is restricted to northeast Mexico with the break coming in Veracruz (i.e. it is parapatric with Golden-olive Woodpecker to the south). I haven't seen this form in 18 years, so I cannot really even speculate on its validity. Those who know it feel it is distinctive. That said, Golden-olive Woodpecker seem somewhat different to me in various parts of its range too.

Blue-crowned, Lesson's, tawny-bellied, blue-diademed and highland motmots (Momotus coeruliceps, lessonii, subrufescens, momota, aequatorialis)

Birds in Belize are Lesson's, being double hooters with blue-diadems. The systematics of Momotus momota are in need of major analysis, with the potential for a few good species.

Wedge-tailed and curve-winged sabrewings (Campylopterus pampa and C. curvipennus)

The form in Belize is pampa. I'm not familiar with birds from the non-Yucatan portion of Mexico, so I can't comment from personal experience. Howell & Webb state that the morphological differences are slight and that voice and behavior are similar between populations.

Lesser and grey-headed greenlets (Hylophilus minor and H. decurtatus)

Birds in Belize are part of the Middle American decurtatus group. The two groups are said to intergrade in Panama, thus resulting in their being lumped together.

Rufous-capped and chestnut-capped warblers (Basileuterus rufifrons and B. delattrii)

Birds in Belize are of the subspecies salvini, which is a yellow-bellied form allied with B. rufifrons. There are some minor structural/vocal differences between rufifrons and delattrii, suggesting they might be good species. On the other hand, they can be tough to sort out in the field.

Chris

[James Lowther]

Thanks all,
particularly Chris for spoon-feeding me the info i wanted ;)
will check out the other links menttioned later
James

[AlexC]

Just a sub-link of Steve's link, but thought some might take interest:
http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCproproster.html

[Larry Wheatland]

Just a sub-link of Steve's link, but thought some might take interest:
http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCproproster.html

Nice link Alex. I wish there were English names in there though, It'll take me a while to work out what most of that means !

[James Lowther]

Indeed, spectacular stuff!
Cheers Alex