Stork-billed Kingfisher (pelargopsis capensis/p. c. cyanopteryx)? Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo (1 Viewer)

[dixonlau]

Location: Sibu (lowland), Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo
Date: 20-Oct-2021



I am confused between pelargopsis capensis & pelargopsis capensis cyanopteryx of Stork-billed Kingfisher. Which has buff cap?

According to Phillipps Field Guide, "Sumatra and Borneo race (p. c. cyanopteryx) has a buff cap". Based on my own google search, the one with buff cap most directed to "pelargopsis capensis" instead.

Need help to clarify this if someone could point out the one I taken is pelargopsis capensis or pelargopsis capensis cyanopteryx.

Many thanks.

 

[Butty]

There seems to be some confusion here perhaps. Pelargopsis capensis isn't the name of a race - it's the name of the species as a whole, i.e. including all the races of that species. Pelargopsis capensis cyanopteryx is one of those races. In general with species that do not migrate it is not very useful or instructive to worry about what race individual birds belong to. The race of a bird that you see will be the race of all the other birds of that species occurring in that area. If the book says that the birds of a given area belong to a given race, then that is what what they will all belong to.

 

[dixonlau]

There seems to be some confusion here perhaps. Pelargopsis capensis isn't the name of a race - it's the name of the species as a whole, i.e. including all the races of that species. Pelargopsis capensis cyanopteryx is one of those races. In general with species that do not migrate it is not very useful or instructive to worry about what race individual birds belong to. The race of a bird that you see will be the race of all the other birds of that species occurring in that area. If the book says that the birds of a given area belong to a given race, then that is what what they will all belong to.

Awesome. Thank you @Butty