Bedankt Carl. :t:
Quite complex nomenclatural situation here.
Cinnyris chalybeus gertrudis Grote 1926 [
retranscription of OD] is regarded by Irwin et al as a subjective senior synonym of
Nectarinia chalibea pintoi Wolters 1965, the latter [
OD p.357 behind the paywall here] being a new name for
Nectarinia intermedia Bocage 1878 [
OD], preoccupied by
Arachnethera intermedia Hume 1870 [
OD] (now
Cinnyris asiaticus intermedius) when these two are treated as congeneric.
C. manoensis pintoi (Wolters) is widely recognised as (at least) a valid ssp.
HBW online:
Recent work indicates that pintoi is probably best treated as a separate species; occurs in sympatry with nominate along Muchinga Escarpment in Zambia; apparent ecological separation in the same zone, pintoi occupying pure miombo, with nominate found more towards rocky edge habitat with aloes; eggs and nest reported to be recognizably different from those of nominate; also, consistent morphological differences, with no evidence of intergradation.
The renaming appears to stem from a reinterpretation of the name
gertrudis (type locality Songea, SE Tanzania). H&M4 made this name a synonym of
manoensis, citing Cheke & Mann 2001 [
here]. Irwin et al wrote that
manoensis occurs exclusively in the SW of Tanzania (Mano district), all other populations in this country (incl. in Songea) being attributable to the Western Miombo DC Sunbird. If this is correct,
gertrudis must be used as the valid name of the taxon under current generic limits; but,
intermedius having been replaced after 1960 and the homonymy being secondary, this name is not permanently invalid: it should be reinstated if the Western Miombo DC Sunbird ceases to be treated as congeneric with the Purple Sunbird.
Re. genetic data, Irwin et al wrote:
At about the same time we were also informed by Raurie Bowie (in litt.) that a molecular assessment revealed that these two sunbirds were not even each other’s immediate relatives.
This remains unpublished, I think, but analyses that includes sequences of these birds appear in chapters 4 and 5 of Rauri Bowie's thesis:
Bowie R. 2003. Birds, molecules, and evolutionary patterns among Africa's islands in the sky. PhD thesis, University of Cape Town.
[
pdf here]