Zappey's Flycatcher (1 Viewer)

[dnsallen]

Leader and Carey 2012 Zappey's Flycatcher Cyanoptila cumatilis, a forgotten Chinese breeding endemic Forktail 28 121-128

 

[Daniel Philippe]

Interesting. Does it mean that the ranges of both taxa (cyanomelaena, cumatilis) as in HBW, H&M, ... are wrong ?

 

[Richard Klim]

Hmm. I'd assumed that migrants seen in Hebei would almost certainly be cumatilis. But they could be Russian/N Korean breeders, which are presumably reassigned to cyanomelana (if the breeding range of cumatilis is now considered to be restricted to China)...?

 

[Paul Leader]

I am not sure if this is the final abstract which is on my office computer but if not it is pretty close:



The Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana is a summer visitor to north-east Asia. A review of museum material demonstrates that the present treatment of two subspecies (nominate and cumatilis) is untenable as a) intermedia, although not currently recognised, is considered valid, and b) the name cumatilis is currently incorrectly ascribed, being restricted in reality to central China (outside of the published range of Blue-and-white Flycatcher). Populations of all three taxa were studied on the breeding grounds in Russia, China and Japan and their songs recorded. Using criteria (Tobias et al. 2010) that grade morphological and vocal differences between allopatric taxa, cumatilis readily achieves the threshold for species status. The English name Zappey’s Flycatcher is proposed in honour of the collector of the type specimen. Two subspecies of Blue-and-white Flycatcher are recognised, nominate and intermedia.

22 Aug: minor changes made to conform with final proof (I don't yet have a PDF of the published paper).

 

[Daniel Philippe]

Thank you Paul. :t:

 

[Paul Leader]

Distribution of all three taxa:

cumatilis: a Chinese breeding endemic occurring in central China, north to Beijing, west to Shaanxi (P. Alström in litt. 2011) and south to north-west Hubei; presently known from only a small number of locations (Figure 1);

cyanomelana: southern Kuril Islands (specimens examined) and Japan (Kyushu, Tsushima, Shikoku, Honshu and Hokkaido) (Brazil 1991);

intermedia: north-east China (Heilongjiang south to eastern Hebei) (Cheng 1987), south-east Russia (Amurskaya Oblast and Primorskiy Kray) (Dementiev & Gladkov 1954) and the Korean
peninsula.

 

[Richard Klim]

Thanks again, Paul. Looking forward to reading the paper.

Re Shaanxi, I noticed that Paul Holt reported two (presumably cumatilis) north of Hanzhong on 4 Jun 2007.

More surprising were three males reported by Jesper Hornskov near Chaka, Qinghai on 9 Jun 2005.

[China Bird Report 2007/2005.]

 

[Paul Leader]

The Qinghai records are indeed surprising, I believe Jesper also had one there fairly recently. Not sure what to make of these records, it would be nice if there photos to determine which taxon was involved.

 

[lewis20126]

Paul, I assume that a male we saw singing in forest at Xianglomen, about 3 hours west of Beijing would be cumatilis? This is a site for Brown-eared Pheasant, Grey-sided Thrush, White-throated Rock-thrush and others.

cheers, alan

 

[Paul Leader]

Alan,

Yes Xialongmen is a site for cumatils, and one we visited during our fieldwork. Cumatilis actually has a very similar range to both Brown-eared Pheasant and Grey-sided Thrush.

I now have a low-res PDF of the paper so if anyone would like me to email them a copy please send me a PM.

 

[lewis20126]

Alan,

Yes Xialongmen is a site for cumatils, and one we visited during our fieldwork. Cumatilis actually has a very similar range to both Brown-eared Pheasant and Grey-sided Thrush.

I now have a low-res PDF of the paper so if anyone would like me to email them a copy please send me a PM.

Thanks, I've got Forktail 28 but currently stuck on the Ninox paper!

cheers, alan

 

[Ian Lewis]

[
More surprising were three males reported by Jesper Hornskov near Chaka, Qinghai on 9 Jun 2005.

Are you sure that is the correct date? I was birding with Jesper on that date and we were travelling from Huashixia to Yushu via Bayankala pass. We birded the Chaka area on 5 Jun 05 and I have no mention of 'Blue-and-White Fly' seen by any members of the group in my notebook or trip write up.

 

[Richard Klim]

Qinghai

More surprising were three males reported by Jesper Hornskov near Chaka, Qinghai on 9 Jun 2005.

Are you sure that is the correct date?

Ian, it's definitely the date given in China Bird Report 2005, in both the Chinese and English versions of the Blue-and-white Flycatcher species account:

• "Qinghai: Three males near Chaka on 9 June. [JH]. Apparently the first record for Qinghai & Tibet."

Maybe the record's been attributed to the wrong month, or even year...?

 

[Paul Leader]

Ian, it's definitely the date given in China Bird Report 2005, in both the Chinese and English versions of the Blue-and-white Flycatcher species account:

• "Qinghai: Three males near Chaka on 9 June. [JH]. Apparently the first record for Qinghai & Tibet."

Maybe the record's been attributed to the wrong month, or even year...?

That would make sense, but given the distribution of all three tatxa, even records of migrants there are pretty remarkable.

 

[Richard Klim]

IOC World Bird List

Split of Zappey's Flycatcher Cyanoptila (cyanomelana) cumatilis accepted for v3.5 (Draft).
www.worldbirdnames.org/updates/update-diary/
www.worldbirdnames.org/updates/species-updates-3-3/

 

[Snapdragyn]

Can anyone point me toward accessible information on differences between the females of Zappey's & Blue-and-White s.s.?

 

[Richard Klim]

Females

Can anyone point me toward accessible information on differences between the females of Zappey's & Blue-and-White s.s.?

Leader & Carey 2012...

Subtle differences in the plumages of females were also noted; however, as it was not possible to compare specimens of females directly from all three regions, this issue requires research and is not taken further here.

Clement 2006 (HBW 11)...

Race cumatilis ...female is darker or more rufous-brown than nominate.

 

[Paul Leader]

Leader & Carey 2012...

Clement 2006 (HBW 11)...

However, the population treated as cumatilis by Clement 2006 (HBW 11) is what we consider to be intermedia in our paper.

 

[Richard Klim]

However, the population treated as cumatilis by Clement 2006 (HBW 11) is what we consider to be intermedia in our paper.

Of course! Thanks, Paul.

 

[Richard Klim]

Leader & Carey 2012 pdf

Leader and Carey 2012 Zappey's Flycatcher Cyanoptila cumatilis, a forgotten Chinese breeding endemic Forktail 28 121-128

Leader & Carey 2012. [pdf]

(Wef yesterday, all Forktail 28 (2012) articles are now available online: orientalbirdclub.org/forktail28/.)