Disaggregation of Bird Families Listed on Cms Appendix Ii

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Disaggregation of Bird Families Listed on Cms Appendix Ii Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals 2nd Meeting of the Sessional Committee of the CMS Scientific Council (ScC-SC2) Bonn, Germany, 10 – 14 July 2017 UNEP/CMS/ScC-SC2/Inf.3 DISAGGREGATION OF BIRD FAMILIES LISTED ON CMS APPENDIX II (Prepared by the Appointed Councillors for Birds) Summary: The first meeting of the Sessional Committee of the Scientific Council identified the adoption of a new standard reference for avian taxonomy as an opportunity to disaggregate the higher-level taxa listed on Appendix II and to identify those that are considered to be migratory species and that have an unfavourable conservation status. The current paper presents an initial analysis of the higher-level disaggregation using the Handbook of the Birds of the World/BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World Volumes 1 and 2 taxonomy, and identifies the challenges in completing the analysis to identify all of the migratory species and the corresponding Range States. The document has been prepared by the COP Appointed Scientific Councilors for Birds. This is a supplementary paper to COP document UNEP/CMS/COP12/Doc.25.3 on Taxonomy and Nomenclature UNEP/CMS/ScC-Sc2/Inf.3 DISAGGREGATION OF BIRD FAMILIES LISTED ON CMS APPENDIX II 1. Through Resolution 11.19, the Conference of Parties adopted as the standard reference for bird taxonomy and nomenclature for Non-Passerine species the Handbook of the Birds of the World/BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World, Volume 1: Non-Passerines, by Josep del Hoyo and Nigel J. Collar (2014); 2. Resolution 11.19 requested the Scientific Council to consider the implications of adopting as a standard reference for passerine birds the Handbook of the Birds of the World/BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World, Volume 2: Passerines, which was published in late 2016; 3. The CMS Secretariat has undertaken an analysis of the implications of adopting the new taxonomic reference for passerine birds listed on the CMS Appendices, with the implications of adopting this reference for Appendix I passerines and Appendix II passerines presented in Annexes 1 and 2 respectively of UNEP/CMS/COP12/Doc.25.3. 4. CMS Appendix II lists migratory species which have an unfavourable conservation status and which require international agreements for their conservation and management, as well as those which have a conservation status which would significantly benefit from the international cooperation that could be achieved by an international agreement. At present, Appendix II includes a number of avian taxa (9 families and 2 genera) above the level of species, whereby it is understood that all the migratory species within that taxon could significantly benefit from the conclusion of agreements; 5. Parties that are Range States of migratory species listed in Appendix II are expected to endeavour to conclude agreements that benefit these species and should give priority to those species with an unfavourable conservation status. For Range States to conclude such agreements, they need clarity regarding the species listed on Appendix II; 6. Subsequent to the higher-level taxa being listed on Appendix II, there have been significant changes in taxonomy and nomenclature at the levels of orders, families, genera and species compared to the standard reference sources used at the time1; 7. Furthermore, the Guidelines for Assessment of Appendix I and II Listing Proposals (Annex to Resolution 11.33) consider that proposals for the inclusion of taxa above the species level should not normally be accepted unless all of the species within that taxon meet the requirements of the Convention. Additionally, the guidelines call for all the individual species within the higher taxon to be listed in the Appendices of the Convention rather than the higher taxon. 8. The first meeting of the Sessional Committee of the CMS Scientific Council identified the adoption of a new standard reference for avian taxonomy as an opportunity to disaggregate the higher-level taxa listed on Appendix II and to identify those that are considered to be migratory species and that have an unfavourable conservation status. 9. The current paper presents an initial analysis of the higher-level disaggregation using the Handbook of the Birds of the World/BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds 1 For taxonomy and nomenclature at the level of orders and families: Morony, J.J., Bock, W.J. and Farrand, J. (1975). Reference List of the Birds of the World. Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, New York. For taxonomy and nomenclature at the level of genera and species: Sibley, C.G. and Monroe, B.L. (1990). Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven. Sibley, C.G. and Monroe, B.L. (1993). A supplement to distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven. 2 UNEP/CMS/ScC-Sc2/Inf.3 of the World Volumes 1 and 2 taxonomy, and identifies the challenges in completing the analysis to identify all of the migratory species and the corresponding Range States. 10. Migratory species status was provisionally assigned to each species following the BirdLife International/IUCN Species Information Service listings2. However, this listing follows a strictly biological definition of migration, irrespective of whether a species crosses national jurisdictional boundaries. Furthermore, the listing does not distinguish between full migrants and partial migrants (those species for which only a geographically separate part of the overall population is migratory; or a significant proportion but not the whole population is migratory). 11. The preliminary results are presented in Table 1 and can be summarized as follows: The eight families of Non-Passerines listed on Appendix II are now recognized in 11 families, while the species in the 1 family of Passerines (Muscicapidae) on Appendix II are now recognized in 50 families. Of the 11 families of Non-Passerines, there are 71 migratory species of conservation concern (in 8 families). Of the 50 families of Passerines, there are 37 migratory species of conservation concern (in 10 families). 12. Two genera of Gruidae (Antigone and Grus) are listed on Appendix II, and while the 4 species of Antigone remain the same (3 of which are migratory), 4 species formerly recognized in Grus are now recognized in different genera (2 of which are migratory) while 5 remain as Grus (all 5 of which are migratory). 13. A full listing of the migratory species per family is provided in Annex I. 14. Significant additional work remains to: i. Differentiate between full and partial migrant species (and the geographic range of partial migrant populations). ii. Identify those species / populations that fulfill the CMS definition of migration (“the entire population or any geographically separate part of the population of any species or lower taxon of wild animals, a significant proportion of whose members cyclically and predictably cross one or more national jurisdictional boundaries”). iii. To harmonise the definitions with biogeographic populations for waterbird species as adopted by the Ramsar Convention based on Waterbird Population Estimates (Wetlands International 20123) and being used for identification of 1% thresholds of populations for designation of sites of international importance under the CMS West/Central Asian Flyway Site Network, the East Asian – Australasian Flyway Site Network, the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network and the Ramsar Convention. 2 The BirdLife/IUCN SIS definition of migrants is as follows: Nomadic -- The species moves in response to resources that are sporadic and unpredictable in distribution and timing. Nomadic species may congregate, but not predictably in terms of location and timing. This excludes “environmental response migrants” i.e. species that are largely resident but move opportunistically in response to irregular environmental conditions such as rainfall, fire, locust eruptions, etc. Migratory -- A substantial proportion of the global or regional population makes regular or seasonal cyclical movements beyond the breeding range, with predictable timing and destinations. This includes species that may be migratory only in part of their range or part of their population, short-distance migrants and migrants that occasionally may respond to unusual conditions in a semi-nomadic way. Seabirds which disperse widely as immatures and non-breeders are not classified as migratory unless adults of the species make regular cyclical movements. Excluded are “rains migrants/arid migrants” i.e. species which move with unpredictable timing and destination in response to irregular rainfall patterns, “nutrition migrants/post-roost dispersers” i.e. species that disperse daily from roosts to forage, “post-breeding dispersers” which may not make cyclical movements i.e. dispersers that may not return to the same breeding area, and “environmental response migrants” i.e. species that move opportunistically in response to irregular environmental conditions such as rainfall, fire, locust eruptions, etc. Altitudinal migrant -- Regularly/seasonally makes cyclical movements to higher/ lower elevations with predictable timing and destinations. 3 Wetlands International 2012. Waterbird Population Estimates. Fifth Edition. www.wpe.wetlands.org 3 UNEP/CMS/ScC-Sc2/Inf.3 Once this has been completed, the Scientific Council will be able to provide a complete listing
Recommended publications
  • Spectacled Thrush Or Big-Eye Grieve)
    UWI The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago Behaviour Turdus nudigenis (Spectacled Thrush or Big-eye Grieve) Family: Turdidae (Thrushes) Order: Passeriformes (Perching Birds) Class: Aves (Birds) Fig. 1. Spectacled thrush, Turdus nudigenis. [http://www.hbw.com/species, downloaded 5 September 2016] TRAITS. This bird is known as big-eye grieve in Trinidad. It was also known as the bare-eyed thrush, however there is another African thrush species with the same common name, thus it is now known internationally as the spectacled thrush. Turdus nudigenis is about 23-24cm in length and weighs 60g. It is the only thrush in South America and the Lesser Antilles with a conspicuous bare yellow-orange eye ring (Hilty, 2003); the yellow part of the eye is skin that has no feathers. It also has a yellowish bill (Fig. 1). This thrush has a plain colour, it is greyish olive above, and the underparts are brownish grey with a throat that has dusky streaks (Bond, 1993). Males and females look alike, however the adult female has slightly paler underparts than the male (Clement and Hathway, 2000). Turdus nudigenis juveniles have flecks above and spots on their underparts (Hilty, 2003). They also have a thinner eye ring than their parents. UWI The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago Behaviour ECOLOGY. Turdus nudigenis can be found in the Lesser Antilles and South America mainly Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. They are also very common in Trinidad and Tobago (Kenefick et al., 2011). The spectacled thrush resides in open habitats such as orchards, gardens, savannas and urban areas that are bushy and have trees (Hilty, 2003).
    [Show full text]
  • Bird Diversity in Northern Myanmar and Conservation Implications
    ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH Bird diversity in northern Myanmar and conservation implications Ming-Xia Zhang1,2, Myint Kyaw3, Guo-Gang Li1,2, Jiang-Bo Zhao4, Xiang-Le Zeng5, Kyaw Swa3, Rui-Chang Quan1,2,* 1 Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yezin Nay Pyi Taw 05282, Myanmar 2 Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla Yunnan 666303, China 3 Hponkan Razi Wildlife Sanctuary Offices, Putao Kachin 01051, Myanmar 4 Science Communication and Training Department, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla Yunnan 666303, China 5 Yingjiang Bird Watching Society, Yingjiang Yunnan 679300, China ABSTRACT Since the 1990s, several bird surveys had been carried out in the Putao area (Rappole et al, 2011). Under the leadership of We conducted four bird biodiversity surveys in the the Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division (NWCD) of the Putao area of northern Myanmar from 2015 to 2017. Myanmar Forestry Ministry, two expeditions were launched in Combined with anecdotal information collected 1997–1998 (Aung & Oo, 1999) and 2001–2009 (Rappole et al., between 2012 and 2015, we recorded 319 bird 2011), providing the most detailed inventory of local avian species, including two species (Arborophila mandellii diversity thus far. 1 and Lanius sphenocercus) previously unrecorded in Between December 2015 and May 2017, the Southeast Asia Myanmar. Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae), babblers (Timaliidae), Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences pigeons and doves (Columbidae), and pheasants (CAS-SEABRI), Forest Research Institute (FRI) of Myanmar, and partridges (Phasianidae) were the most Hponkan Razi Wildlife Sanctuary (HPWS), and Hkakabo Razi abundant groups of birds recorded.
    [Show full text]
  • The Avifauna of Mt. Karimui, Chimbu Province, Papua New Guinea, Including Evidence for Long-Term Population Dynamics in Undisturbed Tropical Forest
    Ben Freeman & Alexandra M. Class Freeman 30 Bull. B.O.C. 2014 134(1) The avifauna of Mt. Karimui, Chimbu Province, Papua New Guinea, including evidence for long-term population dynamics in undisturbed tropical forest Ben Freeman & Alexandra M. Class Freeman Received 27 July 2013 Summary.—We conducted ornithological feld work on Mt. Karimui and in the surrounding lowlands in 2011–12, a site frst surveyed for birds by J. Diamond in 1965. We report range extensions, elevational records and notes on poorly known species observed during our work. We also present a list with elevational distributions for the 271 species recorded in the Karimui region. Finally, we detail possible changes in species abundance and distribution that have occurred between Diamond’s feld work and our own. Most prominently, we suggest that Bicolored Mouse-warbler Crateroscelis nigrorufa might recently have colonised Mt. Karimui’s north-western ridge, a rare example of distributional change in an avian population inhabiting intact tropical forests. The island of New Guinea harbours a diverse, largely endemic avifauna (Beehler et al. 1986). However, ornithological studies are hampered by difculties of access, safety and cost. Consequently, many of its endemic birds remain poorly known, and feld workers continue to describe new taxa (Prat 2000, Beehler et al. 2007), report large range extensions (Freeman et al. 2013) and elucidate natural history (Dumbacher et al. 1992). Of necessity, avifaunal studies are usually based on short-term feld work. As a result, population dynamics are poorly known and limited to comparisons of diferent surveys or diferences noticeable over short timescales (Diamond 1971, Mack & Wright 1996).
    [Show full text]
  • Papua New Guinea Huon Peninsula Extension I 25Th to 30Th June 2019 (6 Days) Trip Report
    Papua New Guinea Huon Peninsula Extension I 25th to 30th June 2019 (6 days) Trip Report Huon Astrapia by Holger Teichmann Trip report compiled by Tour Leader: Adam Walleyn Rockjumper Birding Tours www.rockjumperbirding.com Trip Report – RBL Papua New Guinea Huon Extension I 2019 2 Tour in Detail Our group met up in Port Moresby for the late morning flight to Lae’s Nadzab airport. Upon arrival, we transferred to our comfortable hotel on the outskirts of Lae city. A walk around the expansive grounds turned up some 23 species to get our lists well underway, including Orange-bellied and Pink-spotted Fruit Dove (the latter of the distinct and range-restricted plumbeicollis race), Torresian Imperial Pigeon, Eclectus Parrot, and Yellow-faced Myna, not to mention perhaps 1,000 Spectacled Flying Foxes creating quite the sight and sound! Early the next morning we were back at Nadzab airport, where a quick scan of the airfield produced some Horsfield’s Bush Larks and also excellent looks at a male Papuan Harrier that did a close flyby being bombarded by numerous Masked Lapwings! We were soon boarding our charter flight Pink-spotted Fruit Doves by Holger Teichmann over the rugged Huon mountains, although we quickly entered dense clouds and could see nothing of these impressive mountains. After some half an hour of flying through thick cloud on the plane’s GPS track, we suddenly descended and made an uphill landing at Kabwum airstrip! Our land cruiser was there, waiting for us, and after loading bags and ourselves onboard we made the bumpy drive up many switchbacks to reach the high ridge above Kabwum.
    [Show full text]
  • Mission to Democratic Republic of Congo, September 29 – October 21, 2006
    Mission to Democratic Republic of Congo, September 29 – October 21, 2006 Trip Report for International Programs, USDA Forest Service, Washington, D.C. Version: 21 May 2007 Bruce G. Marcot, USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, 620 S.W. Main St., Suite 400, Portland, Oregon 97205, 503-808-2010, [email protected] John G. Sidle, USDA Forest Service 125 N. Main St., Chadron, Nebraska 69337, 308-432-0300, [email protected] CONTENTS 1 Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………… 3 2 Introduction and Setting ………………………………………………………….…………… 3 3 Terms of Reference ……………………….…………………...……………………………… 4 4 Team Members and Contacts ………………………………………………….……………… 4 5 Team Schedule and Itinerary …………………………………………..….………...………… 4 6 Main Findings ................................…………………………………………….……....……… 5 7 Discussion and Recommendations ........………………………...…….......................….……... 10 8 Acknowledgments...…………………………………………………………………..….……. 15 Appendices 1. Terms of reference ..…………………………...…………………...………...………. 16 2. Team members and contacts made ..…………………………………...…......……… 19 3. Observations on biodiversity at Salonga National Park and environs ........................... 22 4. Forest Service presentation on planning at Kinshasa workshop ................................... 27 5. Suggested glossary terms for Salonga National Park Management Plan ...................... 31 6. Interviews with various personnel and local officials ................................................... 32 Disclaimer of brand names and Web links The use of trade, firm,
    [Show full text]
  • New Birds in Africa New Birds in Africa
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 NEWNEW BIRDSBIRDS ININ AFRICAAFRICA 8 9 10 11 The last 50 years 12 13 Text by Phil Hockey 14 15 Illustrations by Martin Woodcock from Birds of Africa, vols 3 and 4, 16 reproduced with kind permission of Academic Press, and 17 David Quinn (Algerian Nuthatch) reproduced from Tits, Nuthatches & 18 Treecreepers, with kind permission of Russel Friedman Books. 19 20 New birds are still being discovered in Africa and 21 elsewhere, proof that one of the secret dreams of most birders 22 23 can still be realized. This article deals specifically with African discoveries 24 and excludes nearby Madagascar. African discoveries have ranged from the cedar forests of 25 northern Algeria, site of the discovery of the Algerian Nuthatch 26 27 (above), all the way south to the east coast of South Africa. 28 29 ome of the recent bird discoveries in Africa have come case, of their discoverer. In 1972, the late Dr Alexandre 30 Sfrom explorations of poorly-known areas, such as the Prigogine described a new species of greenbul from 31 remote highland forests of eastern Zaïre. Other new spe- Nyamupe in eastern Zaïre, which he named Andropadus 32 cies have been described by applying modern molecular hallae. The bird has never been seen or collected since and 33 techniques capable of detecting major genetic differences Prigogine himself subse- quently decided that 34 between birds that were previously thought to be races of the specimen was of a melanis- 35 the same species. The recent ‘splitting’ of the Northern tic Little Greenbul Andropadus 36 and Southern black korhaans Eupodotis afraoides/afra of virens, a species with a 37 southern Africa is one example.
    [Show full text]
  • Thailand Highlights 14Th to 26Th November 2019 (13 Days)
    Thailand Highlights 14th to 26th November 2019 (13 days) Trip Report Siamese Fireback by Forrest Rowland Trip report compiled by Tour Leader: Forrest Rowland Trip Report – RBL Thailand - Highlights 2019 2 Tour Summary Thailand has been known as a top tourist destination for quite some time. Foreigners and Ex-pats flock there for the beautiful scenery, great infrastructure, and delicious cuisine among other cultural aspects. For birders, it has recently caught up to big names like Borneo and Malaysia, in terms of respect for the avian delights it holds for visitors. Our twelve-day Highlights Tour to Thailand set out to sample a bit of the best of every major habitat type in the country, with a slight focus on the lush montane forests that hold most of the country’s specialty bird species. The tour began in Bangkok, a bustling metropolis of winding narrow roads, flyovers, towering apartment buildings, and seemingly endless people. Despite the density and throng of humanity, many of the participants on the tour were able to enjoy a Crested Goshawk flight by Forrest Rowland lovely day’s visit to the Grand Palace and historic center of Bangkok, including a fun boat ride passing by several temples. A few early arrivals also had time to bird some of the urban park settings, even picking up a species or two we did not see on the Main Tour. For most, the tour began in earnest on November 15th, with our day tour of the salt pans, mudflats, wetlands, and mangroves of the famed Pak Thale Shore bird Project, and Laem Phak Bia mangroves.
    [Show full text]
  • AMAMI OSHIMA, JAPAN, in AUGUST 2013 Petri Hottola (University of Oulu, Finland & Finnish University Network for Tourism Studies)
    BIRD TOURISM REPORTS 9/2013 AMAMI OSHIMA, JAPAN, IN AUGUST 2013 Petri Hottola (University of Oulu, Finland & Finnish University Network for Tourism Studies) Fig. 1. An amamii Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker at Amami Natural Forest. In 2013, August 8th to 10th, I had a chance to visit one of the northern islands in the Ryukyu chain, Amami Oshima, for two days. Among birdwatchers, the island is primarily known for three endemic or near-endemic species: Amami Woodcock, Amami Thrush and Lidth’s Jay. On my way to Kyoto, I had noticed that the exorbitant regular rate of €1000 return from Osaka’s Itami airport had been reduced by 40% to fill up the next week's flights. I grasped the moment, knowing that I had a vacant weekend, even though the €600 certainly was not cheap for such a short return journey. Japan Airlines (JAL) has a monopoly on the route and it shows in price structure. After an Itami airport departure, the JAL flight arrived almost on time at Amami Airport at 16.50, the five minute delay being extensively apologized. I was soon collected by a First Rent-A-Car (formerly, Mazda Rent-A-Car) representative and we went to their office two minutes away. As almost always in Japan, I was a much appreciated customer. My car was upgraded to a sporty Mazda Axela GT, I got a coat hanger for jacket and they carried my suitcases all the way. Everything went smoothly, despite the fact that there was hardly any common language. The difficult parts of documentation were clarified by an English-speaking colleague on phone.
    [Show full text]
  • Thick-Billed Warbler (Iduna Aedon) at Gambell, Alaska: First Record for North America Gary H
    NOTES THICK-BILLED WARBLER (IDUNA AEDON) AT GAMBELL, ALASKA: FIRST RECORD FOR NORTH AMERICA GARY H. ROSENBERG, 8101 North Wheatfield Dr., Tucson, Arizona 85741; [email protected] PAUL E. LEHMAN, 11192 Portobelo Dr., San Diego, California 92124; [email protected] AARON J. LANG, 40208 Alpenglow Circle, Homer, Alaska 99603; [email protected] VICTOR AND RUBEN STOLL, 899 Miller Rd., Centerville, Tennessee 37033; [email protected] In the evening on 8 September 2017, in the “far boneyard” at Gambell, St. Law- rence Island, Alaska (63.78° N, 171.74° W), Victor and Ruben Stoll flushed a pas- serine they could not immediately identify. The “boneyards” are large pits excavated by the resident Yupik Natives seeking buried ivory and artifacts, a result of several thousand years of sea-mammal hunting from this island’s Northwest Cape. Working these pits turns the soil, which has resulted in the growth of relatively lush vegetation consisting of two species of Artemisia, known locally as “wormwood.” The combina- tion of lush vegetation (reaching 0.5–1 m in height) and deep depressions that offer protection from the wind is attractive to migrant and vagrant landbirds in the otherwise flat, gravelly landscape. Soon thereafter, we, along with Greg Scyphers, Monte Taylor, and other birders then at Gambell, converged at the far boneyard in search of the bird. It was soon relocated and seen on the ground briefly by Lang, who suggested it was a Thick-billed Warbler (Iduna aedon), a bird he was familiar with from southeastern Asia and a species not previously recorded in Alaska or North America.
    [Show full text]
  • Molecular Phylogeny and Phylogeography of Reed Warblers and Allies (Aves: Acrocephalidae)
    Dissertation submitted to the Combined Faculties for the Natural Sciences and for Mathematics of the Ruperto-Carola University of Heidelberg, Germany for the degree of Doctor of Natural Sciences presented by Tayebeh Arbabi Born in Mashhad, Iran Oral examination: 26 June 2014 Molecular Phylogeny and Phylogeography of Reed Warblers and Allies (Aves: Acrocephalidae) Referees: Prof. Dr. Michael Wink Prof. Dr. Marcus Koch i Table of contents Zusammenfassung..................................................................................................................... v Summary .................................................................................................................................. vi Abbreviations ......................................................................................................................... vii Publications ........................................................................................................................... viii 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 General introduction ......................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Avian taxonomy ......................................................................................................... 1 1.1.2 Phylogeny and phylogeography ................................................................................. 2 1.1.3 Molecular markers ....................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Discovery of a Relict Lineage and Monotypic Family of Passerine Birds
    Discovery of a relict lineage and monotypic family of passerine birds Based on a comprehensive molecular dataset of passerines birds we identified a branch with a single species, the Spotted Wren-babbler Spelaeornis formosus. We suggest that this represents a relict lineage, which we propose should be placed in its own family, Elachuridae. The scientific name Elachura formosa should be used. We analysed of one of the most comprehensive datasets to date of the largest passerine bird clade, Passerida, which comprises c. 36% of the World’s c. 10,500 bird species. We identified 10 primary branches in the tree. One of these primary branches was made up of a single species, the Spotted Wren-Babbler Spelaeornis formosus, which is a small Wren-like bird that occurs in mountains from the eastern Himalayas to southeast China. This species apparently represents an old branch in the large passerine tree, without any close living relatives. There have surely been other relatives on this branch, which have gone extinct. The fact that it resembles wren-babblers and wrens in appearance is either due to pure chance or to convergent evolution, which may result in similar appearances in unrelated species that live in similar environments. We proposed the new family name Elachuridae for this single species. We also suggested that the scientific name Elachura formosa should be used, and the English name be changed to Elachura, to highlight its distinctness. Timaliidae (56) Pellorneidae (69) Leiothrichidae (133) Zosteropidae (128) Sylviidae (70) Pnoepygidae
    [Show full text]
  • Recent Ringing Totals Compiledby Robin M
    I II Friedman,H. 1938. Furtherrecords from St. LawrenceIsland, Alaska. (Gambell)as a non-breedingbird (Gabrielson et Condor 40: 88. a/.1959), one male was recordedby Murie (1936) on 7 Gabrielson,I.N. & Lincoln,F.C. 1959. Thebirds of Alaska.Stackpole May 1933, and five birdswere reportedon 17 June Co. and Wildl.Mgmt. Inst., Washington. 1961 (Sealy et a1.1971). We saw one female on 1 June Hanson,H.C. 1953. Vegetationtypes in northwesternAlaska and near a pool west of Troutman Lake. comparisonswith communities on otherarctic regions. Ecology 34: 111-140. AC KNOWLE DG E M E NTS Hayman, P., Marchant,J. & Prater, T. 1986. Shorebirds:an identificationguide to the wadersof the world.Croom Helm, London. I would liketo thank MajorJohn Kellyfrom the U.S.A. Airforcefor his help in collectingimportant literature and Hesse,R.W.,Allee, W.C. & Schmidt,K.P. 1951. Ecologicalanimal geography.2nd edition. Wiley, New York. providingassistance in the field. Kessel, B. & Gibson, D.D. 1978. Status and distributionof Alaska REFERENCES Birds.Studies in AvianBiology No. 1. CooperOrnithological Society. Murie, O.J. 1936. The birdsof St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. In O.W. Anon 1953. Localclimatological data with comparativedata, Gambell, Geistand F.G. Rainey(eds.), Archeologicalexcavations at Kukulik. Alaska. U.S. Weather Bur. Univ.Alaska Misc. Publ. 2: 359-376. GovernmentPrinting Office, Washington. Armstrong,R.H. 1986. A new, expandedguide to the Birds of Alaska. AlaskaNorthwest Publishing Company, Anchorage. Nelson,E.W. 1883.Birdsof the BeringSea and the ArcticOcean. Govt. Print.Off., Washington. Badey,A.M. 1925.A reporton the birdsof northwesternAlaska and regionsadjacent to BeringStrait. Condor 27: 20-238.
    [Show full text]