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Review- the Directory of Australian Birds: Passerines by Richard Schodde and Ian Mason

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Review- the Directory of Australian Birds: Passerines by Richard Schodde and Ian Mason REVIEW: The Directory of AUSTRALIAN 320 Australian Birds: Passerines BIRD WATCHER Review- The Directory of Australian Birds: Passerines by Richard Schodde and Ian Mason. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, 1999. Hardcover, pp. 800, 21 x 30 cm. RRP $180.00. This book, subtitled 1\. taxonomic and zoogeographic atlas of the biodiversity of birds in Australia and its territories', is a systematic list, with distribution maps, of passerine species and subspecies. Volumes on the non-passerines will follow. The book introduces the concept of the 'ultrataxon': the terminal recognisably distinct form (whether species or subspecies), which is the unit of adaptation and evolution and therefore of conservation interest. Recognition of each ultrataxon is based on a scientific assessment of the evidence (mostly a quantitative examination of series of museum specimens). The book is structured as follows. (1) Introductory explanatory chapter, covering the rationale, definitions and concepts. (2) Synopsis of families, with an explanation of their circumscription and criteria (the sequence differs slightly from Christidis & Boles 1994, to reflect recent understanding of relationships). (3) Conspectus [list] of species and ultrataxa (the sequence differs somewhat from Christidis & Boles both within and between families). ( 4) Checklist of new and re-circumscribed taxa, including generic and specific lumpings and splits, and 46 newly described subspecies. ( 5) The taxa: a compendium of the species and their subspecies, with maps showing their distributions and zones of intergradation. Descriptions highlight the differences between ultrataxa. Taxonomic circumscriptions provide the rationale for recognising, as applicable, genera and species (where these have been controversial) and ultrataxa, and provide the justification for the taxa listed in Chapters 3 and 4. ( 6) Supplementary list of vagrants. The book concludes with a glossary, list of references, and indexes of scientific and common names. In the lists of taxa, the conservation status of each ultrataxon is given. Species (re)combined include the White-browed and Tasmanian Scrubwrens, Large-billed and rropical Scrubwrens, Yellow-throated and Black-eared Miners, and the catbirds. Re-split or newly recognised species include (with the 'new' species in parentheses): Striated (Short-tailed) Grasswren, Dusky (Kalkadoon) Grasswren, Rufous (Western) Fieldwren, Little (Western) Wattlebird, White­ browed (Buff-sided) Robin, Scarlet (Pacific) Robin, Western (Mallee) Whipbird, Eastern (Northern and Western) Shrike-tit, Rufous (Arafura) Fantail, Frilled (Frill-necked) Monarch, Restless (Paperbark) Flycatcher, Grey (Silver-backed) Butcherbird, White-winged (White-shouldered) Triller, Green (Australasian) Figbird, Clamorous (Australian) Reed-Warbler, and Singing (Horsfield's) VOL.18 (8) REVIEW: The Directory of DECEMBER2000 Australian Birds: Passerines 321 Bushlark. Generic lumpings include (with the submerged genus in parentheses): fieldwrens and heathwrens Calamanthus (Hylacola), Redthroat and Speckled Warbler Pyrrholaemus (Chthonicola), Grey-headed Robin Poecilodryas (Heteromyias), and Green-backed Honeyeater Timeliopsis (Glycichaera). Generic splits include Tawny-crowned Honeyeater Gliciphila, Mangrove Robin Peneoenanthe, Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis, and martins Petrochelidon. On reviewing the evidence presented by the authors, virtually all these decisions on generic and specific limits make sense to me. However, on their logic, perhaps the Cicadabird should be afforded its own genus (Edolisoma) too. It seems that taxonomists want to make their mark in some way, by describing new taxa or making controversial taxonomic decisions. In the present case, a 'trademark' is the excessive use of nonsensical anagrams of existing subspecific names as labels for new subspecies of the particular species, when (to me) scientific names are supposed to be descriptive (or eponymous) and say something about the taxon. This is a scholarly work, and I noticed very few typographical errors or other minor lapses. It is state of the art in taxonomic understanding of the Australian passerines, and is therefore of great interest to all birders, if frightfully expensive for amateurs. It is essential reading for ornithologists and those concerned with the conservation of Australian birds. It is available from CSIRO Publishing, P.O. Box 1139, Collingwood, Vic. 3066, ph. 03 9662 7666, fax 03 9662 7555, email [email protected], or the web http://www.publish.csiro.au Reference Christidis, L. & Boles, WE. (1994), The Taxonomy and Species of Birds of Australia and Its Territories, RAOU Monograph 2, Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, Melbourne. Stephen Debus .
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