BirdForum is the net's largest birding community dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE!

Register for an account to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Capreolus" data-source="post: 2551295" data-attributes="member: 104602">Doug Pratt (the authority on tropical Pacific birds who was consulted on the Saitoh paper, and for whom I have profound respect) disagree about which taxon should be designated "Nightinagle Reed Warbler" on the IOC list.I say, because the extinct Guam taxon was the nominate form in the former Nightingale RW complex (being known as Acrocephalus luscinius luscinius before the break-up), it should retain the name Nightingale RW. Its common name would therefore be in sync with its scientific name.Doug however believes that because the Saipan taxon is the only RW that still survives in the Marianas, and until it's recognition as a distinct species, was regarded as a subspecies of the Nightingale RW, and therefore has always been known by that name, it should get the name.The authors of the Saitoh paper agreed with Doug: "For A. hiwae, the sole surviving species, we suggest retention of the English name Nightingale Reed-Warbler – the only name it has ever had – in order to maintain consistency in the literature and to avoid nomenclatural confusion, and because a single-island name would be inappropriate."In addition to Saipan, hiwae also occurs on Almagan, which is located a considerable distance away in the Mariana chain (with several intervening islands on which no RWs occur).Yamashina (1942) named the Saipan taxon after Minori Hiwa, "assistant of the author, who made a valuable collection in Saipan Island."</blockquote>

Verification