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Siberian Chiffchaff (1 Viewer)

Hybridisation

Marova, Shipilina, Fedorov & Ivanitskii 2013. Hybridization zone between Eastern European Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita abietinus and Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus (collybita) tristis. EOU2013UK. (abstract on p147)
 
I'm just a simple lad but surely this level of dominance in the hybrid zone indicates two species with unequal properties rather than two halves of the same apple?

Christmas tick this year?

John
 
Lindholm 2008 pdf

van den Berg, AB 2009. Calls, identification and taxonomy of Siberian Chiffchaff: an analysis. Dutch Birding 31(2): 79–85.
... It is presumably based upon the cline in colour within the range of tristis, or perhaps upon the incidence of mixed-song which, by definition, is more likely to occur in western areas where abietinus may turn up (Lindholm 2008). ...
Lindholm 2008. Mixed song of Chiffchaffs in Northern Russia. Alula 14(3): 108–115. [pdf]

[With thanks to Alan Dean for posting link on Surfbirds.]
 
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Ref: Dean & Svensson 2005. 'Siberian Chiffchaff' revisited. British Birds 98(8): 396–410. [pdf]

[Open access to pre-2007 BB pdfs without registration/log-in wef 26 Dec 2012.]

Nice paper, thank you!
However, I saw in the references:
Buturlin, S. A., & Dementiev, G. P. 1937. [Identification Guide to the Birds of the USSR.Vol. 4. Passeriformes.] Moscow - Leningrad. (In Russian)

From this book I will translate something interesting about the defference of abietinus and tristis, but only in hand:

"Phylloscopus collybitus abietinus - 2nd primary usually longer than 7"

"Phylloscopus collybitus tristis - 2nd primary, between 7 and 8. Rarely = 7 and more rarely shorter than 8"

So, according to this book, birds with 2nd primary longer than 7 are surely abietinus.
 
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CSNA treatment

Christmas came early in the Netherlands: http://www.dutchavifauna.nl/species/siberische_tjiftjaf#en
Not sure this was every formally noted down in a CSNA report?
Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus tristis was recognised as a full species wef 1 Jan 2014 in Dutch Birding 36(1), but the most recent CSNA report was published in 2009 (as far as I'm aware).

Incidentally, further to post #21 (Hybridisation), Dutch Birding 36(1) cites Marova et al 2013 in support, which hasn't been mentioned here before...
Marova, I M, Shipelina, D A, Fedorov, V V & Ivanitskii, V V 2013. Siberian and East European chiffchaffs: geographical distribution, morphological features, vocalization, phenonemon of mixed singing, and evidences of hybridization in sympatry zone. In: Rodríguez, N, Garcia, J & Copete, J L (redactie), El mosquitero ibérico. Léon.
[nhbs]​
 
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There are these yearly short notes in Dutch Birding (I think the first number of the year) with recent decisions.
Yes, the annual 'Redactiemededelingen: Naamgeving van taxa in Dutch Birding', which lists DB changes to WP taxa (including CSNA taxonomic changes affecting the Dutch avifaunal list).

Given that the last (2009) CSNA report covered five years (2004–2008), the next will presumably be soon...
 
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I thought the two were synonymous.
My understanding is that (formally) DB follows the taxonomic decisions of CSNA for species on the Dutch avifaunal list (although sometimes provisional changes have been published before formal consideration by CSNA); and DB follows the advice of CSNA members for the taxonomy of other WP species. So, in practice, AvdB (DB Chief Ed) probably takes advice on WP taxa from AvdB (CSNA member). ;)
 
There are four research groups actively working on Chiffchaff DNA, and a fifth group recently published a paper in a Spanish-language book on the Chiffchaff complex. The situation is more complex than most of us realise. Any change in rank at this time is premature. Best to wait until things are sorted out. CSNA has not decided on this, pending ongoing DNA work.
 
There are four research groups actively working on Chiffchaff DNA, and a fifth group recently published a paper in a Spanish-language book on the Chiffchaff complex. The situation is more complex than most of us realise. Any change in rank at this time is premature. Best to wait until things are sorted out. CSNA has not decided on this, pending ongoing DNA work.
What four groups?
I know only 3
 
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