[AlexC]

Discussion thread for Purple Swamphen. If you would like to add a comment, click the Post Reply button.

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Citation needed for the "proposed six-way split" listed under Taxonomy.

[njlarsen]

http://www.bsc-eoc.org/avibase/speci...53&sec=summary

Niels

[AlexC]

Originally Posted by njlarsen

http://www.bsc-eoc.org/avibase/speci...53&sec=summary

Niels

But based on the links provided for each "species" account on Avibase, it seems that no authorities support these splits - IOC is the only body claiming to separate "madagascarensis" - and haven't we agreed they're not a taxonomic authority? Are there papers that support a six-way split proposal?

[njlarsen]

Denis often also takes into account e.g., different field guides, even though he does not list them as taxonomic sources.

My reason to include it in the text (and I am fairly sure this is one of mine) was to mention that it had been proposed. Even if not currently recognized by the authorities we go by, these splits may eventually become accepted, and the average birder may want to know that it is a good idea to keep track of which subspecies he/she has seen. I would not base a new entry on something like that, but a vague statement like the one made here that a split has been proposed does not need quite as strong support, I would say.

See also http://www.birdforum.net/showthread....ight=Porphyrio
and post 5 in http://www.birdforum.net/showthread....ight=Porphyrio

Niels

[Alan Manson]

Hockey ''et al'' (2005) recognise African Purple Swamphen as a separate species, citing Trewick (1997).

Also, from BirdLife International (2008):

Porphyrio porphyrio (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) was split into P. porphyrio, P. indicus, P. madagascariensis, P. melanotus, P. poliocephalus and P. pulverulentus by Sangster et al. (1998), but this treatment is not adopted by the BirdLife Taxonomic Working Group. This is because although there is fair degree of variation between the continental forms of porphyrio (with the race pulverulentus the most distinct), a detailed analysis of character differences is required to determine levels of distinctiveness and variation. Pending such studies, porphyrio is retained as a single polytypic species.

==References==
BirdLife International. (2008). The BirdLife checklist of the birds of the world, with conservation status and taxonomic sources. Version 1. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/downloads/BirdLife_Checklist_Version_1.zip [.xls zipped 1 MB].

Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ & Ryan PG (eds) 2005. ''Robert's Birds of Southern Africa'', 7th edition. John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa. ISBN 0620340533

Sangster, G. (1998) Purple Swamp-hen is a complex of species. Dutch Birding 20: 13-22.

Trewick SA. 1997. Flightlessness and phylogeny amongst endemic rails (Aves: Rallidae) of the New Zealand region. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. B Biol Sci. 352, 429-446.

Latter added to the Opus page.

[AlexC]

Originally Posted by Alan Manson

Hockey ''et al'' (2005) recognise African Purple Swamphen as a separate species, citing Trewick (1997).

Also, from BirdLife International (2008):


==References==
BirdLife International. (2008). The BirdLife checklist of the birds of the world, with conservation status and taxonomic sources. Version 1. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/downloads/BirdLife_Checklist_Version_1.zip [.xls zipped 1 MB].

Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ & Ryan PG (eds) 2005. ''Robert's Birds of Southern Africa'', 7th edition. John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa. ISBN 0620340533

Sangster, G. (1998) Purple Swamp-hen is a complex of species. Dutch Birding 20: 13-22.

Trewick SA. 1997. Flightlessness and phylogeny amongst endemic rails (Aves: Rallidae) of the New Zealand region. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. B Biol Sci. 352, 429-446.

Latter added to the Opus page.

Thanks Alan. I found the abstract of that paper - some interesting stuff, Purple Swamphen polyphyly aside:
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1997RSPTB.352..429T