Thanks Richard!
The BBBC is extremely grateful to you.
After a review of the literature, here follows The BBBC's first draft of its proposal for the taxonomic re-classification of the Scimitar Babbler complex, and its preferred nomenclature, as it affects
The BBBC List of the Birds of China.
Presently: "Large Scimitar Babbler":
Pomatorinus hypoleuco
Proposed splits:
Pomatorhinus tickelli Tickell's Scimitar Babbler south China
Pomatorhinus hainanus Hainan Scimitar Babbler Hainan
Presently "Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler":
Pomatorhinus ruficollis
Proposed splits:
Pomatorhinus similis (albipectus) Rothschild's Scimitar Babbler sw Sichuan (similis) and western Yunnan (albipectus)
Pomatorhinus ruficollis (godwini) Godwin's Scimitar Babbler se Xizang (godwini)
Pomatorhinus reconditus Bangs's Scimitar Babbler s, c, ad w China
(
reconditus, eidos, hunanensis, laurentei) reconditus in se Yunnan; eidos is endemic to Emei Shan, Sichuan; hunanensis in c&s China; laurentei in nc Yunnan)
Pomatorhinus stridulus Strident Scimitar Babbler central China, inc Wuyi mountains
Pomatorhinus nigrostellatus Swinhoe's Scimitar Babbler Hainan
Presently "Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler":
Pomatorhinus ferruginosus
Proposed splits:
Pomatorhinus ferruginosus Blyth's Scimitar Babbler SE Xizang
Pomatorhinus stanfordi Stanford's Scimitar Babbler westernmost Yunnan
Pomatorhinus orientalis Delacour's Scimitar Babbler se Yunnan
The BBBC is also considering an additional split as follows:
Pomatorhinus ferrugilatus Hodgson's Scimitar Babbler Torsa Chumbi Valley
Presently classified as
Pomatorhinus Erythrogenys "Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler" (4 sub-species)
The following Scimitar Babbler has not been recorded in China as far as The BBBC understands, but is a possible future vagrant:
Pomatorhinus olivaceus (ripponi) Rippon's Scimitar Babbler Hills of eastern Burma, therefore a POTENTIAL vagrant to south-western Yunnan
(Presently classified as "White-browed Scimitar Babbler")
The status of the following Scimitar-Babblers is unaffected:
Pomatorhinus erythrocnemis Gould's Scimitar Babbler Taiwan
(Formerly known as Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler)
Pomatorhinus musicus Taiwan Scimitar Babbler Taiwan
(Formerly within Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler complex)
Pomatorhinus gravivox Pere David's Scimitar Babbler
(Formerly known as Black-streaked Scimitar Babbler)
There are five sub-species in China:
gravivox c China
cowensae sc China
dedekensi e Qinghai and nw Yunnan
decarlei Qinghai, s Sichuan and nw Yunnan
odicus s china
Pomatorhinus swinhoei Grey-sided Scimitar Babbler s & se China
Pomatorhinus ochraceiceps Red-billed Scimitar Babbler
Two sub-species in China:
stenorhynchus in w Yunnnan
nominate ochraceiceps is resident in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan
Pomatorhinus superciliaris Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler Yunnan and perhaps se Xizang
perhaps 4 races in China
foresti w Yunnan
nominate superciliaris perhaps se Xizang
intextus perhaps se Xizang
rothschildi perhaps Jinping, se Yunnan
In its extensive research for this article, The BBBC unearthed several papers of interest to those interested in the history of avian taxonomy and nomenclature (related to the birds of China), including the following 1954 paper by Charles Vaurie, published by the American Museum of Natural History:
http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspa...ace/ingest/pdfSource/nov/N1669.pdf?sequence=1
Also ECS Baker's "Flora of British India", published in 1922 by the University of Southern California:
http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-e...birds-volume-1-ala/1-birds-volume-1-ala.shtml
Also Birds of Burma (72 page PDF of 2nd Edition published in 1953)
BERTRAM E. SMYTHIES
B.A., M.B.O.U.
Colonial Forest Service, late Burma Forest Service
With 31 Colour Plates by COMMANDER A. M. HUGHES, O.B.E., R.N.(retd.)
http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs13/Birds_of_Burma-ocr-to-op75-red.pdf
And
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE N'MAI HKA DRAINAGE, NORTHERN BURMA
BERTRAM E. SMYTHIES
B.A., M.B.O.U.
Published in Ibis in October 1949
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/...ionid=B36AA1B7AF530B6C3D3E2A1E6532BB3F.d03t02
Best regards.
Shi Jin
