Sulidae (4 Viewers)

[Mysticete]

Yeah I read the proposal and found the preponderance of records of conspecific mate selection pretty convincing, at least as presented/summarized in the proposal!

Certainly at first read it seems far stronger an argument than, ie, two species of Short-tailed Albatross.

Which I assume means it won't pass lolz

 

[MJB]

VanderWerf, E. A., M. Frye, J. Gilardi, J. Penniman, M. Rauzon, H. D. Pratt, R. S. Steffy, and J. Plissner (2023) Range expansion, pairing patterns, and taxonomic status of Brewster’s Booby Sula leucogaster brewsteri. Pacific Science 77: 1-12.
Range Expansion, Pairing Patterns, and Taxonomic Status of Brewster's Booby Sula leucogaster brewsteri

Abstract
The Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) is a pantropical seabird that exhibits geographic variation. Brewster's Booby (S. l. brewsteri) is the most distinctive form morphologically and genetically. Until recently, Brewster's Booby was restricted to the eastern Pacific Ocean, but it is expanding westward, resulting in increasing sympatry with the Indo-Pacific form, S. l. plotus, and greater potential for interbreeding. We compiled observations of Brewster's Booby outside its usual range and we collected data on pairing patterns in the zone of overlap. At least 65 male and 53 female Brewster's Boobies have been observed on 20 islands in the central and western Pacific, with breeding documented on nine islands, mostly since 2000. Pairing by S. l. brewsteri and S. l. plotus was primarily assortative, with only a few instances of hybridization, all but one of which occurred in locations where no female S. l. brewsteri were present. The morphological differences between S. l. plotus and S. l. brewsteri appear to act as behavioral reproductive isolating mechanisms that restrict interbreeding. The morphological, genetic, and behavioral differences between S. l. brewsteri and other forms of the Brown Booby suggest it would be appropriate under all species concepts to consider Brewster's Booby as a distinct species.

Peter, I don't have access to this paper. Can you tell me if the proposed Sula brewsteri includes ssp etesiaca?
MJB

 

[Melanie]

Peter, I don't have access to this paper. Can you tell me if the proposed Sula brewsteri includes ssp etesiaca?
MJB

Yes, it includes ssp etesiaca

 

[MJB]

Yes, it includes ssp etesiaca

Thank you Melanie!
MJB

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

Yes, it includes ssp etesiaca

Where is S. l. plotus, subspecies of leucogaster or brewsteri ?

 

[MJB]

Where is S. l. plotus, subspecies of leucogaster or brewsteri ?

Howell & Zufelt 2019 treat Brown Booby as a 3-species superspecies, Brewster's Brown S.[l.] brewsteri with ssp etesiaca, Atlantic Brown S.[l.] leucogaster, and the widespread Indo-Pacific Brown S.[l.] plotus. How much traction plotus has with other taxonomic sources...?

At ssp level, I presume plotus is a ssp of leucogaster, if only for convenience...
MJB
Howell, SNG and K Zufelt. 2019. Oceanic Birds of the World: a Photo Guide. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA.

 

[Mysticete]

Howell & Zufelt 2019 treat Brown Booby as a 3-species superspecies, Brewster's Brown S.[l.] brewsteri with ssp etesiaca, Atlantic Brown S.[l.] leucogaster, and the widespread Indo-Pacific Brown S.[l.] plotus. How much traction plotus has with other taxonomic sources...?

At ssp level, I presume plotus is a ssp of leucogaster, if only for convenience...
MJB
Howell, SNG and K Zufelt. 2019. Oceanic Birds of the World: a Photo Guide. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA.

Yep....I believe this is stated or at least hinted at in the AOS proposal

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

Yes, it includes ssp etesiaca

You have the paper ?

 

[Melanie]

You have the paper ?

Yes

 

[Melanie]

Where is S. l. plotus, subspecies of leucogaster or brewsteri ?

S. l. plotus is a subspecies of Sula leucogaster.

 

[Peter Kovalik]

Proposal (995) to SACC

Treat Sula brewsteri as a separate species from Brown Booby S. leucogaster (Part A), and if Part A passes, establish English name for Sula brewsteri (Part B)

 

[pbjosh]

And notably, this footnote at the start of the proposal:

(Note from Remsen: This proposal was submitted to the North American Classification Committee and passed, and it is submitted here with permission from Eric VanderWerf. Note that brewsteri, as represented by the subspecies etesiaca, breeds in the SACC area on Isla Gorgona, Colombia.)

 

[Mysticete]

And notably, this footnote at the start of the proposal:

(Note from Remsen: This proposal was submitted to the North American Classification Committee and passed, and it is submitted here with permission from Eric VanderWerf. Note that brewsteri, as represented by the subspecies etesiaca, breeds in the SACC area on Isla Gorgona, Colombia.)

Going to need something to counteract to partially counteract that redpoll lump...?