Waigeo ? Azure Dollarbird record 2019 (1 Viewer)

[sicklebill]

The late David Fisher sent me a photo of an Azure Dollarbird seemingly photographed on Waigeo in West Papua in 2019 (?) It's a pretty rare Halmahera endemic so a surprising record and I'd like to verify it. Does anyone have any details or know someone I can contact? The second edition of the Lynx New Guinea Field Guide is well under way and I may include this record if I can get more details. Thanks

 

[James Eaton]

Phil - the resident race, waigiouensis, which appears to be uncommon, is extremely similar to Azure Dollarbird. I reviewed a paper a while ago rejecting a claim of Azure Dollarbird on Waigeo based on this - I would recommend details just how distinct waigiouensis is from other Oriental Dollarbird taxa. There's a handful of photos on eBird of this taxon. Vast majority of records from Waigeo concern migratory pacificus.

James

 

[sicklebill]

Phil - the resident race, waigiouensis, which appears to be uncommon, is extremely similar to Azure Dollarbird. I reviewed a paper a while ago rejecting a claim of Azure Dollarbird on Waigeo based on this - I would recommend details just how distinct waigiouensis is from other Oriental Dollarbird taxa. There's a handful of photos on eBird of this taxon. Vast majority of records from Waigeo concern migratory pacificus.

James

Excellent, thank you, that clears up the mystery and confirms what I suspected. I will have a look at that NG taxon and add comments accordingly in the FG.

 

[THE_FERN]

[doesn't the genetic data suggest that Azure is so close to common as to warrant lumping?]

 

[sicklebill]

[doesn't the genetic data suggest that Azure is so close to common as to warrant lumping?]

Seems borderline, but they also suggest the Solomons taxon may be distinct enough to be classified as a species

 

[James Eaton]

Genetic evidence points to Australasian taxa being more closely related to Azure Dollarbird than Asian taxa, yes, though conclusion is a larger sample size required in Eastern Indonesia (as is so often the case, unfortunately). See: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790323002099

Phil - I should add, not knowing New Guinea in the slightest, I hadn't appreciated that waigiouensis is found throughout the islands + offshore islands such as Waigeo. Though majority of photos on eBird appear to be of pacificus, I think the harsh tropical light makes waigiouensis appear much darker in the field, especially upperparts than specimens would, and hence closer to Azure Dollarbird in appearance.

waigiouensis on Waigeo birds:
ML507689711 - Dollarbird - Macaulay Library
ML210773061 - Dollarbird - Macaulay Library
ML107521161 - Dollarbird - Macaulay Library

ML124463991 - Dollarbird - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML124463991; © Jeroen Vanheuverswyn; Papua Barat, Papua, Indonesia

macaulaylibrary.org

James

 

[temmie]

In good light one can see the greenish tints:

Oriental Dollarbird ssp waigiouensis - Eurystomus orientalis waigiouensis 2018-08-12 | Indonesia | Observation.org

Indonesia | Observation.org - All observations from nature online

indonesia.observation.org

vs. Azure Dollarbird (or is it Roller? ):

ML205787081 - Azure Roller - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML205787081; © James Eaton; Maluku Utara, Maluku, Indonesia

macaulaylibrary.org