DOCSLIB.ORG

Review— Raving About Ravens by Mary Ellen Talmage, Victorian Ornithological Research Group, Melbourne, 2011

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Review— Raving About Ravens by Mary Ellen Talmage, Victorian Ornithological Research Group, Melbourne, 2011 55 AUSTRALIAN FIELD ORNITHOLOGY 2012, 29, 55–56 Review— Raving about Ravens by Mary Ellen Talmage, Victorian Ornithological Research Group, Melbourne, 2011. Softcover, 15.5 × 23.5 cm, 168 pp., colour photographs, graphs, tables, diagrams. RRP $29 including postage & packaging from VORG. This book is the result of a commendable effort, by an amateur ornithologist using mainly binoculars, telescope and notebook, to conduct a 20-year study of Little Ravens in Melbourne and a 5-year study of Forest Ravens in Victoria and on Bass Strait islands. Mainly anecdotal and descriptive rather than quantitative, and in places rather speculative and anthropomorphic, the book nevertheless presents a detailed account of the lives and behaviour of the two raven species. Most (Part I, 100 pp.) is about the Little Raven, with the balance (Part II, 40 pp.) a less complete study of the Forest Raven. Both parts follow the same format and sequence of topics: Are ravens intelligent?; Pair formation; Territorialism; Breeding behaviour (from nests and building behaviour to parental care and play); Feeding behaviour (including hunting and caching); Body care; and Vocalisations. The book has three appendices: breeding chronology of the Forest Raven; scientific names of species mentioned in the text; and food lists for both species (author’s records only). There is a reference list (of mainly overseas, general works on corvids and bird or animal behaviour), and an index of subjects and terms. Figures include graphs (all on Little Raven) of the seasonal frequency of pair-bonding behaviour, food-caching and territorial calls, and the frequency distribution of nest-heights; and sonagrams of the calls of both species. Tables include (for Little Raven) outcomes of new and reused nests, and of renesting attempts; nestling feeding rates; post-fledging milestones; moult duration; and (for Forest Raven) moult duration. Photographs include study sites, the ravens, their nests, cache-sites, foods, food-handling sites, and pellets. The back cover notes that the author established a special relationship with ravens (by hand-feeding them, as she admits), added a ‘dash’ of science, and that the title says it all. I agree, the science is minimal, and the book is a chatty, subjective rave rather than a concise scientific account. Some aspects were measured or quantified (e.g. heights of nests above the ground, parental time-budgets, breeding and moult chronology), but in the graphs of seasonal frequency of behaviours one has to assume that observation effort was constant or almost so throughout the year i.e., the observational regime was not explained. The sections on intelligence and grieving lean heavily on the avian ‘pop psychology’ literature that has been criticised elsewhere as anthropomorphic. Such sections, and some others (e.g. on play), are inconclusive and therefore unsatisfying. A major shortcoming in the science is the failure to discuss the recent literature, since the late Ian Rowley’s seminal works on Australian corvids; i.e., there is much post-Rowley work, particularly on Talmage’s species, that would have given her work, and book, some context and additional substance or support, had she discussed those references. For example, on Little Raven behaviour: Swinburne & Jessop (2005, Australian Field Ornithology 22, 137–145); on Forest Raven: foraging (Fitzsimons 2003, AFO 20, 24–28) and breeding biology (Secomb 2005, AFO 22, 126–136; Debus & Rose 2006, AFO 23, 96–101); on vocalisations: Jurisevic (1999, Emu 99, 1–8), Lawrence (2005, AFO 22, 72–82). It also should not have been difficult to consult Clare Lawrence’s MSc thesis on the Forest Raven (2008, University of Tasmania, Hobart). Secomb’s work on caching by the Forest Raven (2005, AFO 22, 67–71) deserved more than just ‘… described arboreal AUSTRALIAN 56 Review: Raving about Ravens FIELD ORNITHOLOGY food-caching by [this species]’; he reviewed caching by all five Australian species, retrieval of cached food by three, and described tree-caches. Most surprising is the lack of reference to the Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds! These lapses can be attributed to one of the VORG reviewers, who has a scientific and bibliographic background. On the other hand, the author cites her six items (anecdotal, subjective) in VORG Notes as an authority on some aspect. The author also acknowledges a team of VORG reviewers who helped with editing, exhorted her to use a spellchecker, etc. Nevertheless, there are still lapses in spelling, grammar, punctuation etc., among the most recurrent and irritating being the misuse of ‘whereby’ for ‘although’. Italicisation of scientific names (Appendix 2), and underlining (not italics) for book and journal titles (or publishers!) in the References, are erratic (which looks amateurish). One notes statements like Little Ravens in Melbourne have ‘no competition for nests’, but they ‘especially mob Little Falcons’ (correct English name now Australian Hobby); Hobbies of course use and even usurp raven nests (but are not, as implied elsewhere in the text, a predatory danger to ravens). Talmage also confuses the long-established terminology by: (a) naming the Little Raven’s stationary wing-flip display, with calling (after Rowley), the ‘wing-flap call’ (misleading, as it doesn’t flap the open wings as so implied); and then (b) introducing a new (unnecessary) and misleading term ‘tail flip’ for the previously described tail-depression that sometimes accompanies the slower call-notes of Australian corvids. Except for the Forest Raven (which does depress the tail strongly when calling territorially), this action may be an illusion; in those species that I have watched closely, the head, back and tail stay on the same plane but the closed wings are ‘hitched’ with each note. Talmage also ascribes ‘wing-flap’ calls to the Forest Raven (for which a stationary wing-flip display has not been described); it is not clear whether this is a label for the call type (rather than the action), or whether there might have been some unrecognised Little Ravens mixed in with the relevant Forest Raven foraging flocks (which does happen). All the above flaws are a symptom of parochial groups like VORG operating in a vacuum. We see it also in some other regional groups, producing obscure online- only journals (e.g. Amytornis, Western Australia Birds Australia; The Whistler, Hunter Bird Observers Club) that sometimes contain material that should be in a national journal. One could ask why VORG is separate from Birds Australia VicGroup or, is not simply the Victorian chapter of the Australian Bird Study Association (given VORG’s interest in banding). The latter umbrella could provide mentoring, science and editorial rigour to lift VORG’s game, and a quality journal that could put VORG’s research findings in the national or international arena. The above notwithstanding, corvid enthusiasts and students of bird behaviour would find this book an informative and enjoyable read. It adds much to knowledge of the two subject species, and provides some valuable insights into, and perspective on, the behavioural topics covered. Reading it would give the general birder a much greater appreciation of ravens and their remarkable capacities, and reveal that amateurs can contribute substantially by sustained observation, careful note- taking, quantitative analysis, and pursuit of publication. Stephen Debus University of New England.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Bird Species List for Mount Majura
    Bird Species List for Mount Majura This list of bird species is based on entries in the database of the Canberra Ornithologists Group (COG). The common English names are drawn from: Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. (1994) The Taxonomy and Species of Birds of Australia and its Territories. Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union Monograph 2, RAOU, Melbourne. (1) List in taxonomic order Stubble Quail Southern Boobook Australian Wood Duck Tawny Frogmouth Pacific Black Duck White-throated Needletail Little Black Cormorant Laughing Kookaburra White-faced Heron Sacred Kingfisher Nankeen Night Heron Dollarbird Brown Goshawk White-throated Treecreeper Collared Sparrowhawk Superb Fairy-wren Wedge-tailed Eagle Spotted Pardalote Little Eagle Striated Pardalote Australian Hobby White-browed Scrubwren Peregrine Falcon Chestnut-rumped Heathwren Brown Falcon Speckled Warbler Nankeen Kestrel Weebill Painted Button-quail Western Gerygone Masked Lapwing White-throated Gerygone Rock Dove Brown Thornbill Common Bronzewing Buff-rumped Thornbill Crested Pigeon Yellow-rumped Thornbill Glossy Black-Cockatoo Yellow Thornbill Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo Striated Thornbill Gang-gang Cockatoo Southern Whiteface Galah Red Wattlebird Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Noisy Friarbird Little Lorikeet Regent Honeyeater Australian King-Parrot Noisy Miner Crimson Rosella Yellow-faced Honeyeater Eastern Rosella White-eared Honeyeater Red-rumped Parrot Fuscous Honeyeater Swift Parrot White-plumed Honeyeater Pallid Cuckoo Brown-headed Honeyeater Brush Cuckoo White-naped Honeyeater Fan-tailed
    [Show full text]
  • Behaviour of the Little Raven Corvus Mellori on Phillip Island, Victoria
    137 AUSTRALIAN FIELD ORNITHOLOGY 2005, 22, 137-145 Behaviour of the Little Raven Corvus mellori on Phillip Island, Victoria NORA SWINBURNE1 and ROSALIND JESSOP2 1Wesleyan University, Wesleyan Station, Middletown, Connecticut 06459, USA 2Phillip Island Nature Park, P.O. Box 97, Cowes, Victoria 3922 Summary Time-budgets of Little Ravens Corvus mellori were studied on Phillip Island, Victoria, in mid autumn (April) 2002, by scoring behaviour during observations on focal individuals (n = 199), instantaneous scans of Raven groups (n = 189), and average counts of birds at each of three sites. Ravens occurred mostly in groups; peak numbers occurred in the early mornings and evenings, with midday lows. Communal roosting occurred in early morning, midday and evening, and foraging in mid morning and mid afternoon. Much of their time was spent roosting. Focal birds also spent much time foraging, whereas birds in groups divided most of their remaining time between foraging and flying. Ravens spent most of their foraging time feeding on insects (72% ), followed by berries (17% ), seabird carrion (16%) and human food scraps (bread, 3% ). Some intra- and interspecific aggressive interactions are described. Introduction The Little Raven Corvus mellori (Corvidae) is classified as a common resident on Phillip Island (Wheeler 1981 ). In south-eastern Australia there are three species of raven: the Australian Raven C. coronoides, Forest Raven C. tasmanicus and Little Raven (Rowley 1970). The Little Raven ranges from the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales to the western coast of South Australia, and inhabits a variety of areas from alpine woodlands to coastlines and cities. The Little Raven was first described in 1967 (Rowley 1967) and only one major study has been conducted on this species, on sheep properties in inland New South Wales.
    [Show full text]
  • The Relationships of the Starlings (Sturnidae: Sturnini) and the Mockingbirds (Sturnidae: Mimini)
    THE RELATIONSHIPS OF THE STARLINGS (STURNIDAE: STURNINI) AND THE MOCKINGBIRDS (STURNIDAE: MIMINI) CHARLESG. SIBLEYAND JON E. AHLQUIST Departmentof Biologyand PeabodyMuseum of Natural History,Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511 USA ABSTRACT.--OldWorld starlingshave been thought to be related to crowsand their allies, to weaverbirds, or to New World troupials. New World mockingbirdsand thrashershave usually been placed near the thrushesand/or wrens. DNA-DNA hybridization data indi- cated that starlingsand mockingbirdsare more closelyrelated to each other than either is to any other living taxon. Some avian systematistsdoubted this conclusion.Therefore, a more extensiveDNA hybridizationstudy was conducted,and a successfulsearch was made for other evidence of the relationshipbetween starlingsand mockingbirds.The resultssup- port our original conclusionthat the two groupsdiverged from a commonancestor in the late Oligoceneor early Miocene, about 23-28 million yearsago, and that their relationship may be expressedin our passerineclassification, based on DNA comparisons,by placing them as sistertribes in the Family Sturnidae,Superfamily Turdoidea, Parvorder Muscicapae, Suborder Passeres.Their next nearest relatives are the members of the Turdidae, including the typical thrushes,erithacine chats,and muscicapineflycatchers. Received 15 March 1983, acceptedI November1983. STARLINGS are confined to the Old World, dine thrushesinclude Turdus,Catharus, Hylocich- mockingbirdsand thrashersto the New World. la, Zootheraand Myadestes.d) Cinclusis
    [Show full text]
  • The Australian Raven (Corvus Coronoides) in Metropolitan Perth
    Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses : Honours Theses 1997 Some aspects of the ecology of an urban Corvid : The Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides) in metropolitan Perth P. J. Stewart Edith Cowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons Part of the Ornithology Commons Recommended Citation Stewart, P. J. (1997). Some aspects of the ecology of an urban Corvid : The Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides) in metropolitan Perth. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/295 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/295 Edith Cowan University Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. Where the reproduction of such material is done without attribution of authorship, with false attribution of authorship or the authorship is treated in a derogatory manner, this may be a breach of the author’s moral rights contained in Part IX of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Courts have the power to impose a wide range of civil and criminal sanctions for infringement of copyright, infringement of moral rights and other offences under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form.
    [Show full text]
  • Some Vocal Characteristics and Call Variation in the Australian Corvids
    72 AUSTRALIAN FIELD ORNITHOLOGY 2005, 22, 72-82 Some Vocal Characteristics and Call Variation in the Australian Corvids CLARE LAWRENCE School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 5, Hobart, Tasmania 7001 (Email: [email protected]) Summary Some vocal characteristics and call variation in the Australian crows and ravens were studied by sonagraphic analysis of tape-recorded calls. The species grouped according to mean maximum emphasised frequency (Australian Raven Corvus coronoides, Forest Raven C. tasmanicus and Torresian Crow C. orru with lower-freq_uency calls, versus Little Raven C. mellori and Little Crow C. bennetti with higher-frequency calls). The Australian Raven had significantly longer syllables than the other species, but there were no significant interspecific differences in intersyllable length. Calls of Southern C.t. tasmanicus and Northern Forest Ravens C.t. boreus did not differ significantly in any measured character, except for normalised syllable length (phrases with the long terminal note excluded). Northern Forest Ravens had longer normalised syllables than Tasmanian birds; Victorian birds were intermediate. No evidence was found for dialects or regional variation within Tasmania, and calls from the mainland clustered with those from Tasmania. Introduction Owing largely to the definitive work of Rowley (1967, 1970, 1973a, 1974), the diagnostic calls of the Australian crows and ravens Corvus spp. are well known in descriptive terms. The most detailed studies, with sonagraphic analyses, have been on the Australian Raven C. coronoides and Little Raven C. mellori (Rowley 1967; Fletcher 1988; Jurisevic 1999). The calls of the Torresian Crow C. orru and Little Crow C. bennetti have been described (Curry 1978; Debus 1980a, 1982), though without sonagraphic analyses.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Field Characters of Little and Torresian Crows in Central Western Australia. by PETER J
    December ] CURRY: Field Characters of Crows 265 1978 (Wheelwright, H. W.) An Old Bushman 1861. Bush Wanderings of a Naturalist. London. Routledge, Warne and Routledge. Whittell, H . M., 1954. The Literature of Australian Birds. Perth. Paterson Brokensha. Wilson, Edward, 1858. On the Introduction of the British Song Bird. Transactions of the Philosophical Institute of Victoria 2, 77-88. Wilson, Edward, 1860. Letter to the Times, 22 September, 1860. (ZOOLOGICAL AND) ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY OF VICTORIA 1861-1951 Papers (mostly minutes and reports) Vols. 1-13 (Xerox copies in library of Monash University, Clayton, Victoria). 1861-7. Annual reports, Answers to enquiries, report of dinner, rules and objects, etc. (Bound in Victorian pamphlets, nos. 32, 36, 49, 60 and 129 in LaTrobe Library, State Library of Victoria. 1872-8. Proceedings and reports of Annual Meetings, Vols. 1-5. On the Field Characters of Little and Torresian Crows in Central Western Australia. By PETER J. CURRY, 29 Canning Mills Road Kelmscott, W.A., 6111. The Little Crow Corvus bennetti and the Torresian Crow C. orru are evidently sympatric over a large part of northern and cen­ tral Australia and are notoriously difficult to separate in the field. Over their respective ranges, morphological similarities and indivi­ dual variation in size are such that some individuals are extremely difficult to identify even in the hand (Rowley, 1970). Despite various recent references which draw attention to the importance of call-notes and habits in field identification (Rowley, 1973; Readers' Digest, 1976), published information on the subject has generally been very brief. The notes which follow r~sult from field observations made in the Wiluna region of central Western Australia, during eighteen months of almost daily contact with both species.
    [Show full text]
  • WORLD LIST Updated 28 June 2019 Bird-Window Collision Species
    1305 species WORLD LIST Updated 28 June 2019 Bird-window Collision Species Family scientific name Common name Genus Species 1 Tinamidae Brown Tinamou Crypturellus obsoletus 2 Cracidae Black Guan Chamaepetes unicolor 3 Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula 4 Grey-headed Chachalaca Ortalis cinereiceps 5 Speckled Chachalaca Ortalis guttata 6 Odontophoridae Mountain Quail Oreortyx pictus 7 Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus 8 Crested Bobwhite Colinus cristatus 9 Elegant Quail Callipepla douglasii 10 Gambel's Quail Callipepla gambelii 11 California Quail Callipepla californica 12 Spotted Wood-quail Odontophorus guttatus 13 Phasianidae Common Quail Coturnix coturnix 14 Japanese Quail Coturnix japonica 15 Harlequin Quail Coturnix delegorguei 16 Stubble Quail Coturnix pectoralis 17 Brown Quail Synoicus ypsilophorus 18 Rock Partridge Alectoris graeca 19 Barbary Partridge Alectoris barbara 20 Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa 21 Chinese Bamboo-partridge Bambusicola thoracicus 22 Copper Pheasant Syrmaticus soemmerringii 23 Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus 24 Grey Partridge Perdix perdix 25 Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo 26 Ruffed Grouse Bonasa umbellus 27 Hazel Grouse Bonasa bonasia 28 Willow Grouse Lagopus lagopus 29 Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus muta 30 Spruce Grouse Falcipennis canadensis 31 Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus 32 Black Grouse Lyrurus tetrix 33 Anatidae Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis 34 Pink-eared Duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus 35 Black Swan Cygnus atratus 36 Mute Swan Cygnus olor 37 Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons 38
    [Show full text]
  • BIRDS of YARRAN DHERAN NATURE RESERVE a Guide For
    corridor for birds and other wildlife to the Yarra BIRDS OF YARRAN River at Templestowe. The creek provides a reliable Bird walks are held on a monthly basis in DHERAN NATURE source of water and food sources to birds Yarran Dheran. Come and join us! throughout the whole year and supports our RESERVE permanent residents as well as local nomads, Some successful birdwatching tips seasonal visitors and migratory birds who are -if you have binoculars, learn to focus quickly on a A Guide for birdwatchers passing through. distant object Some birds, like Australian Magpie, Grey Fantail, -to help you in bird identification, visit Rainbow Lorikeet, Tawny Frogmouth and Noisy http://ebird.org/australia or http://birdlife.org.au/ Miners are permanent residents. The ponds provide protected areas for nesting and raising chicks for or use a field guide such as Dusky Moorhens and Pacific Black Ducks. Chestnut -Morcombe, Michael, Field Guide to Australian Teal and Wood Ducks are often seen in the creek. Birds, or Regular visitors over spring and summer include the -Graham Pizzey and Frank Knight, Field Guide to the Olive-backed Oriole and Fan-tailed Cuckoo. Birds of Australia The number of species of birds seen in the Reserve A family of four Tawny Frogmouths Both of these publications are also available as has declined over years, due to loss of habitat and phone apps –invaluable for identifying a bird on the Use this guide as a record of the birds you see at climate factors. spot as they include bird calls as well as showing Yarran Dheran.
    [Show full text]
  • Breeding Biology and Behaviour of the Forest Raven Corvus Tasmanicus in Southern Tasmania
    Breeding Biology and Behaviour of the Forest Raven Corvus tasmanicus in southern Tasmania Clare Lawrence BSc (Hons) Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Zoology, University of Tasmania May 2009 This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for a degree of diploma by the University or any other institution. To the best of my knowledge and belief, this thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due acknowledgement is made in the text. Clare Lawrence Of. o6 Date Statement of Authority of Access This thesis may be available for loan and limited copying in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968 Clare Lawrence 0/. Date TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 ABSTRACT 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 5 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 6 1.1 The breeding biology of birds 6 1.2 The Corvids 11 1.3 The Australian Corvids 11 1.4 Corvus tasmanicus 13 1.4.1 Identification 13 1.4.2 Distribution 13 1.4.3 Life history 15 1.4.4 Interspecific comparisons 16 1.4.5 Previous studies 17 1.5 The Forest Raven in Tasmania 18 1.6 Aims 19 2. BREEDING BIOLOGY OF THE FOREST RAVEN IN SOUTHERN TASMANIA 21 2.1 Introduction 21 2.2 Methods 23 2.2.1 Study sites 23 2.2.2 Nest characteristics 28 2.2.3 Field observations 31 2.2.4 Parental care 33 2.3 Results 37 2.3.1 Nests 37 2.3.2 Nest success and productivity 42 2.3.3 Breeding season • 46 2.3.4 Parental care 52 2.4 Discussion 66 2.4.1 The nest 68 1 2.4.2 Nest success and productivity 78 2.4.3 Breeding season 82 2.4.4 Parental care 88 2.4.5 Limitations of this study 96 2.5 Conclusion 98 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Assessing the Sustainability of Native Fauna in NSW State of the Catchments 2010
    State of the catchments 2010 Native fauna Technical report series Monitoring, evaluation and reporting program Assessing the sustainability of native fauna in NSW State of the catchments 2010 Paul Mahon Scott King Clare O’Brien Candida Barclay Philip Gleeson Allen McIlwee Sandra Penman Martin Schulz Office of Environment and Heritage Monitoring, evaluation and reporting program Technical report series Native vegetation Native fauna Threatened species Invasive species Riverine ecosystems Groundwater Marine waters Wetlands Estuaries and coastal lakes Soil condition Land management within capability Economic sustainability and social well-being Capacity to manage natural resources © 2011 State of NSW and Office of Environment and Heritage The State of NSW and Office of Environment and Heritage are pleased to allow this material to be reproduced in whole or in part for educational and non-commercial use, provided the meaning is unchanged and its source, publisher and authorship are acknowledged. Specific permission is required for the reproduction of photographs. The Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) has compiled this technical report in good faith, exercising all due care and attention. No representation is made about the accuracy, completeness or suitability of the information in this publication for any particular purpose. OEH shall not be liable for any damage which may occur to any person or organisation taking action or not on the basis of this publication. Readers should seek appropriate advice when applying the information to
    [Show full text]
  • The Genera and Species of the Brueelia-Complex (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) Described by Mey (2017)
    Zootaxa 4615 (2): 252–284 ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) https://www.mapress.com/j/zt/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2019 Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4615.2.2 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F719B20F-82F0-45FE-976D-9EE55DA05329 The genera and species of the Brueelia-complex (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) described by Mey (2017) DANIEL R. GUSTAFSSON1,4, SARAH E. BUSH2 & RICARDO L. PALMA3 1Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Con- servation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, 105 Xingang West Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, 510260, China 2School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 S. 1400 E., Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA 3Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, P.O. Box 467, Wellington, New Zealand 4Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Two large taxonomic revisions of chewing lice belonging to the Brueelia-complex were published independently in 2017: Gustafsson & Bush (August 2017) and Mey (September 2017). However, Mey (2017) was incorrectly dated “Dezember 2016” on the title page. These two publications described many of the same taxonomic units under different names and therefore, the names in Gustafsson and Bush (2017) have priority over the synonyms in Mey (2017). Here we clarify some of the resulting taxonomic confusion. Firstly, we confirm the availability of the genera Guimaraesiella Eichler, 1949 and Acronirmus Eichler, 1953, as well as the status of Nitzschinirmus Mey & Barker, 2014 as a junior synonym of Guimaraesiella. Nine genera were described and simultaneously placed as juniors synonyms by Mey (2017: 182).
    [Show full text]
  • Lipson Island Baseline Flora and Fauna Report and Assessment of Risk
    Donato Environmental Services ABN: 68083 254 015 Mobile: 0417 819 196 Int’l mobile: +61 417 819 196 Email: [email protected] Lipson Island baseline flora and fauna report and assessment of risk Final report to: Golder Associates November 2011 FINAL REPORT Lipson Island baseline flora and fauna report and assessment of risk Disclaimer This report has been prepared and produced by Donato Environmental Services (ABN 68083 254 015) in good faith and in line with the Terms of Engagement between Golder Associates Pty Ltd and Donato Environmental Services. Citation Madden-Hallett, D. M., Hammer, M., Gursansky, W. and Donato, D. B., 2011. Lipson Island baseline flora and fauna report and assessment of risk. For Golder Associates, Donato Environmental Services, Darwin. Table 1. Distribution Receivers Copies Date Issued Contact name Golder Associates Draft report (electronic) 11 July 2011 Rebecca Powlett DES Draft report (electronic) 31 August 2011 Danielle Madden- Hallett Golder Associates Final report (electronic) 16 September 2011Rebecca Powlett DES Electronic comment 26 October 2011 David Donato Golder Associates Final report (electronic) 30 October 2011 Jennifer Boniface DES Electronic comment 1 November 2011 David Donato Golder Associates Final report (electronic) 7 November 2011 Jennifer Boniface ii Lipson Island baseline flora and fauna report and assessment of risk Executive Golder Associates Pty Ltd approached Donato Environmental Services (DES) for a qualitative and quantitative assessment of flora and fauna within the Lipson summary Island Conservation Park, including the intertidal environments. Centrex Metals Ltd (Centrex) has extensive tenement holdings over iron ore resources and exploration targets on Eyre Peninsula in the southern Gawler Craton.
    [Show full text]