PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE FROM ROOM 50 3 J Bird Dept MUS. COMP. zoou ' M' i^« CHECK-LIST OF BIRDS OF THE WORLD VOLUME VI MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY HARVARD UNIVERSITY CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02138 CHECK-LIST OF BIRDS OF THE WORLD VOLUME VI BY JAMES LEE PETERS CURATOR OF BIRDS, MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY AT HARVARD COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1948 Reprinted by y Museum of Comparative Zoology 1964 COPYRIGHT, 1948 BY THE PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE y Reprinted 1964 INTRODUCTION As STATED in the introduction to Volume V, no major changes have been adopted in the general scope of this series. In July 1944, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature republished Opinion 1 with editorial notes by Francis Hemming, Secretary to the Commission. This Opinion originally defined the word "indication" in Article 25. In his editorial notes Mr. Hemming pointed out that in cases where a generic name is proposed without diagnosis or designation of type, it is valid only if (a) it contains but a single species, in which case that species is the type by mono- typy, or (b) if among its contained species is one so named that the principles of tautonymy may be invoked to deter- mine the type. If, however, the new genus contains two or more species without diagnosis or designated type, and its type cannot be determined by tautonymy, then such a name is to be regarded as a nomen nudum and any subsequent author would be free to republish the name in question. If this undoubtedly correct interpretation is accepted it will be necessary to change hundreds of generic names in all branches of zoology. For reasons stated beyond, it has not been adopted in this volume. It directly affects certain names in the following manner : in the present volume are a number of generic names commonly credited to Bonaparte, most of which were published in 1854 in the Ateneo ItaliamOf a rare publication which apparently is lacking in American libra- ries. Bonaparte's paper, however, is better known from a separately paged reprint entitled "Conspectus Volucrum Zygodactylorum." A glance at the "Conspectus" shows that many of the generic names there proposed by Bonaparte will not meet the requirements of Article 25, as defined in Opin- ion 1, although this fact was entirely overlooked until Mr. Hemming's notes appeared. Many of these names have been in continuous use for over ninety years and had been listed as valid in all standard "nomenclators." ; VI INTRODUCTION After much deliberation, and on the advice of Mr. Hem- ming, it has seemed the wisest course not to change over in the middle of a series from the former (incorrect) interpreta- tion of Article 25, to the present (correct) interpretation, especially so since a strongly backed petition has been sub- mitted to the Commission praying that the International Zoological Congress be invited to amend Article 25 to restore officially the meaning commonly attributed to it. The ques- tion is at the moment sub judice. Should the International Zoological Congress ultimately decide to uphold the present interpretation, subsequent volumes of this Check-List will conform to the established usage, and I shall endeavor to pubhsh elsewhere the changes in generic names which would then be necessary. The woodpeckers have not been monographed since Har- gitt did so for the eighteenth volume of the Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum, which was published in 1890; his arrangement was that followed by Sharpe in Volume II of his "Hand-Ust," appearing in 1900. Hargitt's classifica- tion is not in accord with modern concepts of the relation- ships within the Picidae, consequently a more up-to-date se- quence of subfamilies and genera has been attempted here. The true woodpeckers (subfamily Picinae) may be divided into two major groups on the basis of external foot structure in one group the outer hind toe is not longer than the outer front toe, as opposed to another group in which the outer hind toe is definitely longer than the outer front toe. The latter condition is correlated with a bill having a wide "nasal shelf," and nostril situated at least midway between the cul- men and the edge of the upper mandible, often nearer the edge of the mandible. The group in which the outer hind toe is not longer than the outer front toe has a narrower nasal shelf and the nostril is situated nearer the culmen. Dr. Burt has shown that as far as North American genera are con- cerned, these same external characters are correlated with certain anatomical features and should the same prove to be true of the remaining genera of woodpeckers, the Picinae could well be divided into two subfamilies. In this volume the group with the shorter hind toe and bill with narrow nasal shelf consists of the genera Geocolaptes to Leuconerpes inclu- INTRODUCTION VU sive and the group with the longer hind toe and wider nasal shelf commences with Sphyrapicus and includes the balance of the genera. The manuscript was completed and submitted for publi- cation about the first of October 1947 and was revised to in- clude new forms described up to 31 December 1946 ; a few forms appearing after 1 January 1947 were also included, but no real effort was made to search the Hterature appearing after the latter date. For assistance in insuring the pubhcation of this volume it is a pleasure to acknowledge needed aid from Mr. Board- man Conover, Mr. Jean Delacour, Mr. Rodolphe M. de Schauensee, Mr. James C. Greenway, Jr., Mr. Robert T. Moore, Mrs. Walter W. Naumburg, Dr. Max M. Peet, Mr. William H. Phelps, Dr. S. Dillon Ripley II, and Mrs. Carll Tucker. For reading the typescript, either in whole or in part and for making valuable suggestions and corrections and for veri- fying references I again have to thank Dr. James P. Chapin, Mr. Herbert G. Deignan, Dr. Herbert Friedmann, Mr. Rodolphe M. deSchauensee, Dr. Ernst Mayr, Dr. Alexander Wetmore, and Dr. John T. Zimmer; my colleague, Mr. James C. Greenway, Jr., was always ready to discuss difficult cases as they arose. Necessary comparative material has been loaned by the American Museum of Natural History, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Carnegie Museum, Chicago Natu- ral History Museum, and the United States National Mu- seum; my thanks are extended to the authorities of these institutions. Mrs. R. Earl Bowen of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, who has figured prominently in typing the copy for all the preced- ing volumes, typed the greater part of the manuscript for this one, the balance being done by Miss Ruth Inman, secre- tary to the Bird Department of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. As usual, Mrs. Peters was of invaluable assistance in reading the proof. The index was prepared by Mrs. R. E. Bowen. J. L. P. 7 June 1948 CONTENTS Order Piciformes 3 Suborder Galbulae 3 Superfamily Galbuloidea 3 Family Galbulidae, Jacamars 3 Genus Galbalcyrhynchus Des Murs 3 Brachygalba Bonaparte 3 Jacamaralcyon Lesson 5 Galbula Brisson 5 Jacamerops Lesson 9 Family Bucconidae, Puff-birds 10 Genus Notharchus Cahanis and Heine 10 Bucco Brisson 11 Nystalus Cabanis and Heine 13 Hypnelus Cahanis and Heine 15 Malacoptila G. R. Gray 16 Micromonacha Sclater 18 Nonnula Sclater 19 Hapaloptila Sclater 21 Monasa Vieillot 21 Chelidoptera Gould 23 Superfamily Capitonoidea 24 Family Capitonidae, Barbets 24 Genus Capito Vieillot 24 Eubucco Bonaparte 27 Semnornis Richmond 30 Psilopogon S. MUller 30 Megalaima G. R. Gray 31 Calorhamphus Lesson 40 Gymnobucco Bonaparte 41 Smilorhis Sundevall 42 Stactolaema Marshall and Marshall .... 43 Pogoniulus Lafresnaye 44 Tricholaema Verreaux and Verreaux .... 51 Lybius Hermann . , . , 55 Trachyphonus Ransani 60 CONTENTS Family Indicatoridae, Honey-guides 63 Genus Prodotiscus Sundevall 63 Melignomon Reichenow 64 Indicator Stephens 65 Melichneutes Reichenow 69 Superfamily Ramphastoidea 70 Family Ramphastidae, Toucans 70 Genus Aulacorhynchus Gould 70 Pteroglossus Illiger 74 Subgenus Pteroglossus Illiger 74 Beauharnasius Bonaparte 78 Genus Selenidera Gould 79 Andigena Gould 80 Subgenus Baillonius Cassin 80 Andigena Gould 81 Genus Ramphastos Linne 82 Suborder Pici 86 Family Picidae 86 Subfamily Jynginae, Wrynecks 86 Genus Jynx Linne 86 Subfamily Picumninae, Piculets 88 Genus Picumnus Temminck 88 Nesoctites Hargitt 97 Verreauxia Hartlauh 98 Sasia Hodgson 98 Subfamily Picinae, Woodpeckers 99 Genus Geocolaptes Swainson 99 Colaptes Vigors 100 Nesoceleus Sclater and Salvin 105 Chrysoptilus Swainson 105 Piculus Spix 109 Campethera G. R. Gray 116 Celeus Boie 122 Micropternus Blyth 128 Picus Linne 130 Dinopium Rafinesque 143 Gecinulus Blyth 146 Meiglyptes Swainson 147 Mulleripicus Bonaparte 149 CONTENTS XI Dryocopus Boie 150 Asyndesmus Coues 157 Melanerpes Swainson 157 Leuconerpes Swainson 167 Sphyrapicus Baird 167 Trichopicus Bonaparte 169 Veniliornis Bonaparte 169 Dendropicos Malherbe 176 Dendrocopos Koch 180 Picoides Lacepede 215 Sapheopipo Hargitt 218 Xiphidiopicus Bonaparte 218 Polipicus Cassin 219 Mesopicos Malherbe 219 Thripias Cahanis and Heine . 222 Hemicirus Swainson 223 Blythipicus Bonaparte 224 Chrysocolaptes Blyth 225 Phloeoceastes Cahanis 228 Campephilus G. R. Gray 231 Index 233 NEW NAMES PROPOSED IN VOLUME VI Picus canus sobrinus nom. nov 136 Melanerpes rubricapillus rubricomus nom. nov. 164 CHECK-LIST OF BIRDS OF THE WORLD Order PICIFORMES Suborder GALBULAE SuPERFAMiLY GALBULOIDEA Family GALBULIDAE Genus GALBALCYRHYNCHUS Des Murs Galbalcyrhynchus Des Murs, Rev. Zool., 1845, p. 207. Type, by monotypy, Galbalcyrhynchus leucotis Des Murs. cf. Goeldi, Bol. Mus. Goeldi, 5, 1908, p. 77-91. Sclater, Monogr. Jacamars and Puff-birds, 1882, p. xxiv; 53-55, pi. 17. Galbalcyrhynchus leucotis leucotis Des Murs Galbalcyrhynchus leucotis Des Murs, Rev. Zool., 1845, p. 207. (Bogota, Colombia.) Amazonian Colombia, Ecuador and extreme northeastern Peru, from Bogota to the south bank of the Amazon, extending up the Ucayali to Sarayacu. Galbalcyrhynchus leucotis purusianus Goeldi Galbalcyrhynchus purusianus Goeldi, Verz. Neuen Thiere und Pflantzenformen etc., Suppl.