Guianan Gnatcatcher (1 Viewer)

Whittaker, Aleixo, Whitney, Smith & Klicka 2013. A distinctive new species of gnatcatcher in the Polioptila guianensis complex (Aves: Polioptilidae) from western Amazonian Brazil. HBW SV: 301–305. [supp info]

Whitney & Alvarez Alonso 2005. A new species of gnatcatcher from white-sand forests of northern Amazonian Peru with revision of the Polioptila guianensis complex. Wilson Bull 117(2): 113–210. [abstract]

• Polioptila (guianensis) guianensis - Guianan Gnatcatcher
• Polioptila (guianensis) facilis - Rio Negro Gnatcatcher [IOC]
• Polioptila (guianensis) attenboroughi sp nov - Inambari Gnatcatcher
• Polioptila (guianensis) paraensis - Para Gnatcatcher [IOC]

AOU-SACC Proposal #619 (Carneiro & Aleixo, Dec 2013): Recognize newly described Polioptila attenboroughi and split Polioptila guianensis into three species.

[See also failed AOU-SACC Proposal #204 (Zimberlin, Feb 2006): Treat Polioptila facilis and Polioptila paraensis as a separate species from P. guianensis.]

Atwood & Lerman 2006 (HBW 11):

• Polioptila guianensis
• Polioptila facilis
• Polioptila paraensis

Polioptila attenboroughi

IOC Update Diary Jul 25:
Accept Inambari Gnatcatcher

Richard Klim said:

Whittaker, Aleixo, Whitney, Smith & Klicka 2013. A distinctive new species of gnatcatcher in the Polioptila guianensis complex (Aves: Polioptilidae) from western Amazonian Brazil. HBW SV: 301–305. [supp info]

Whitney & Alvarez Alonso 2005. A new species of gnatcatcher from white-sand forests of northern Amazonian Peru with revision of the Polioptila guianensis complex. Wilson Bull 117(2): 113–210. [abstract]

• Polioptila (guianensis) guianensis - Guianan Gnatcatcher
• Polioptila (guianensis) facilis - Rio Negro Gnatcatcher [IOC]
• Polioptila (guianensis) attenboroughi sp nov - Inambari Gnatcatcher
• Polioptila (guianensis) paraensis - Para Gnatcatcher [IOC]

AOU-SACC Proposal #619 (Carneiro & Aleixo, Dec 2013): Recognize newly described Polioptila attenboroughi and split Polioptila guianensis into three species.

[See also failed AOU-SACC Proposal #204 (Zimberlin, Feb 2006): Treat Polioptila facilis and Polioptila paraensis as a separate species from P. guianensis.]

Atwood & Lerman 2006 (HBW 11):

• Polioptila guianensis
• Polioptila facilis
• Polioptila paraensis

Click to expand...

TiF Update July 30:
The Rio Negro Gnatcatcher, Polioptila facilis, and Para Gnatcatcher, Polioptila paraensis, are split from the Guianan Gnatcatcher, Polioptila guianensis. Also, the newly described Inambari Gantcatcher, Polioptila attenboroughi, is added to the list. See Whitney and Alonso (2005) and Whittaker et al. (2013). I also took the opportunity to rearrange the gnatcatchers a bit.

AOU-SACC Proposal #619 (Carneiro & Aleixo, Dec 2013): Recognize newly described Polioptila attenboroughi and split Polioptila guianensis into three species.

Click to expand...

DID NOT PASS

I wonder if Zimmer's confusion over variation in schistaceigula (Slate-throated Gnatcatcher) in his comment to the SACC proposal stems from not knowing the distinct differences between the sexes. They are claimed to be alike in most literature, but are now known to be different. I guess the very small number of museum specimens was the basis for this confusion.

The dark male with eyering http://www.pbase.com/ahlman/image/151251565 (Ecuador)
http://www.pbase.com/ahlman/image/151251567 (Ecuador)
The paler female with eyebrow http://www.pbase.com/ahlman/image/140351546 (Ecuador)
http://www.pbase.com/ahlman/image/151251572 (Ecuador, partner of male in earlier photos)
Pair http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_i61d7tclu...Lh9_pwTd4/s1600/SlatethroatedGnatcatcher1.jpg (Panama)

The differences in darkness between the Ecuador and Panama birds is purely due to light and photo processing. The males and female don't vary much over their range.

The illustration in most field guides is the male, but Handbook of the Birds of the World has a female.

Polioptila guianensis complex

Proposal (751) to SACC
Revise species limits in Polioptila guianensis complex

Peter Kovalik said:

Proposal (751) to SACC
Revise species limits in Polioptila guianensis complex

Click to expand...

PASSED (20 May 2019)