Scarlet Robin / Pacific Robin (1 Viewer)

The Opus bases on Sibly & Monroe, but if Howard & Moore and Clements split a species we do so either. Some cases are not always straightforward so here is my question:

Clements doesn't split boodang from multicolor, H&M does. Does anyone know how strong the evidence is to split this species and if we can expect Clements to follow? The two Opus articles are not up-to-date:
Scarlet Robin boodang
Pacific Robin

Thanks
André

wintibird said:

Does anyone know how strong the evidence is to split this species and if we can expect Clements to follow?

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H&M 3 (2003) follows Schodde and Mason (1999) who split the Petroica multicolor complex into two species: P. boodang (mainland Australia and Tasmania) and P. multicolor (Norfolk Island, Melanesia and Polynesia).

HBW 12 (2007) recognizes two species as well.

Christidis and Boles (2008), who are rather conservative, also split this complex with the following comment:
The two groups certainly are readily recognizable and probably can be treated as separate species – the latter group (multicolor) may merit further subdivision.

I do not see one reason for Clements not to follow.

Petroica multicolor

Anna Kearns, Lauren White, Jeremy Austin, Kevin Omland. Distinctiveness of Pacific Robin subspecies in Vanuatu revealed from disparate patterns of sexual dichromatism, plumage colour, morphometrics and ancient DNA. Emu - Austral Ornithology, Just accepted article.

Abstract:

The Pacific Robin (Petroica multicolor) is a polytypic species with 14 subspecies recognised across the tropical south-west Pacific. Like most of this regionâs avifauna, the Pacific Robin has received little taxonomic attention since the works of those like Ernst Mayr in the 1930-1950s. Here, we used mtDNA, spectrophotometry of plumage colour and morphometric measurements to explore patterns of sexual dichromatism, and phenotypic and genetic variation of Pacific Robins in the Vanuatu archipelago. We showed for the first time that subspecies in Vanuatu display three types of sexual dichromatism— typical marked sexual dichromatism, and reduced sexual dichromatism where both sexes have either elaborate masculinised plumage or drab feminised plumage. Different types of sexual dichromatism were not correlated with phylogenetic relationships. We also find that distinctive mtDNA, bill length and throat plumage colour support the naming of a new subspecies for the population on Tanna Island, P. m. tannensis subsp. nov., which has long been treated as consubspecific with that on nearby Aneityum Island. Our study highlights the importance of revisiting the taxonomy and evolutionary history of other Pacific avifauna with molecular data and quantitative tests of phenotypic differentiation between island forms.

IOC split them too.

Kearns et al 2015

Peter Kovalik said:

Anna Kearns, Lauren White, Jeremy Austin, Kevin Omland. Distinctiveness of Pacific Robin subspecies in Vanuatu revealed from disparate patterns of sexual dichromatism, plumage colour, morphometrics and ancient DNA. Emu - Austral Ornithology, Just accepted article. Abstract

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Published online today.