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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Xenospiza" data-source="post: 1146359" data-attributes="member: 23772">One of the generally very interesting talks at the African Bird Club meeting yesterday was by Martim Melo and dealt with the birds of São Tomé and Príncipe.Not only are they the home to a lot of endemics for such a small place, they also host a number of birds with up till now uncertain relationships. However, much of these have been unravelled, with some huge surprises!(1) The small kingfishers should both be treated as subspecies of Alcedo cristata, Malachite Kingfisher, with nais (Príncipe) the most distinct.(2) Amaurocichla bocagii, Bocage’s Longbill or São Tomé Short-tail: this is a pipit! Will have to be renamed to Anthus bocagii (and São Tomé Pipit?)(3) Horizorhinus dohrni, Dohrn's Thrush-babbler: closely related to the hill-babblers (Pseudoalcippe) of the African mountains. The genus may not be retained.(4) The genus Speirops (melanocephalus, Cameroon, brunneus, Fernando Po, leucophoeus, Príncipe and lugubris, Black-capped Speirops) is polyphyletic and should be lumped with Zosterops.melanocephalus and brunneus belong to a “mainland clade” related to Z. stenocricotus (split from senegalensis?). The other two are in an “oceanic clade” related to the “normal-looking white-eyes” of São Tomé, Príncipe and Annobón. Moreover, Zosterops feae, São Tomé White-eye should be split from Z. ficedulinus, Príncipe White-eye. This leaves the latter, which is dependent on primary forest, as a highly threatened taxon (feae is common).(5) The three sunbirds are not related to each other, but to three different mainland lineages. The present treatment of sunbirds with many genera is nonsense anyway according to genetics... but there will be no endemic genus left once all has been resolved.(6) Turdus olivaceofuscus, Gulf of Guinea Thrush should be split into two island endemics, which means the primary forest dwelling T. xanthorhynchus, Príncipe Thrush is highly endangered. The form on São Tomé should be called São Tomé Thrush of course.(7) The weavers should all stay in Ploceus. Genetics have shown that the curious São Tomé Weaver (sometimes called Thomasophantes sanctithomae) is related to Anaplectes rubriceps, Red-headed Weaver: this genus should be lumped into Ploceus.(8) Last, but not least the seedeaters. The enigmatic Neospiza concolor, São Tomé Grosbeak (now easier to find since its favourite food plant is known) turned out to be the largest canary in the world (in good company with the largest sunbird, oriole and weaver). It is more closely related to Serinus rufobrunneus thomensis, “São Tomé Seedeater” than this “subspecies” is to the nominate Serinus r. rufobrunneus, Príncipe Seedeater. Obviously, this requires another split! S. rufobrunneus fradei living on Boné do Jóquei (a rock off Príncipe’s coast) is already genetically distinct (although very moderately), with no evidence of mixing with its neighbours across the water.More interesting perhaps is that these relationships seem to indicate that the São Tomé Grosbeak and São Tomé Seedeater evolved sympatrically from a common ancestor (good news for people who study crossbills).</blockquote>

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