DURBAN MUSEUM NOVJTATES

Issued, by the D urban M useum , D urban, South A frica

Vol. V 15th A p r i l , 1 9 5 7 P a r t 1

MISCELLANEOUS TAXONOMIC NOTES ON AFRICAN VIII

b y

P. A. CLANCEY (Director, Durban Museum and Art Gallery)

THE SOUTH AFRICAN RACES OF THE

ASHY FLYCATCHER M U SCICAPA CIN E RE A ( C A S S I N )

The Ashy Flycatcher M uscicapa cinerea (Cassin) is a widely

distributed species of forest and wooded co untry, which

ranges from the U pper forests, the southern Sudan, ,

Kenya Colony and southern south in the west to

and northern South-W est Africa, and in the east to Natal and the

eastern Cape Province. Four races are currently rec ognised by

workers, two of which occur within South African su b-continental

lim its, these being M . c. cczrulescens (Hartlaub), 1865: Natal, and

M . c. cinereola Finsch and H artlaub, 1870: Usaram o, Dar-es-Salaam

district, eastern Tanganyika Territory, of which M . c. kukuyuensis

(van Someren), 1921: Kyam bu, Colony, is now g e n e r a l l y

conceded to be a synonym . Roberts, B irds of South A frica, 1 9 4 0 ,

p. 278, proposed the recognition of three races fro m within our lim its

as follow s: M . c. pondoensis (Gunning and Roberts), 1911: Port St.

Johns, Pondoland, restricted to Pondoland; M . c. cm rulescens o f

N atal to the eastern Transvaal, and M . c. kikuyuensis of Ngam iland,

Southern Rhodesia and southern Portuguese East Afri c a . T h i s

arrangement is not adopted by Vincent, who, in his r e c e n t C h e c k

L ist o f the B irds o f South A frica , 1952, p. 66, follow s Sclater, S y s t e m a

Avium M thiopicarum , part ii, 1930, p. 401, in synonym izing M . c .

p o n d o e n s i s w i t h M . c. cm rulescens. In two recent communications

(Annals of the N atal M useum ,, vol. xii, 2, 1952, pp. 256-257, and

Durban M useum N ovitates, vol. iv, 13, 1955, pp. 206-207) I- have

indicated that the South African populations are in fact divisible

[P rice 2/6/- nett] 1 Reproduced by Sabinet Gateway under licence granted by the Publisher (dated .) Sabinet Gateway under licence granted by the Publisher (dated Reproduced by 2 M iscellaneous T axonom ic N otes on A frican B irds

into three races as suggested by Roberts, l o c . c i t . , but that the

nom enclature used for these by that w orker is in ne ed of adjustm ent.

Through the kindness of the Directors of the East L o n d o n

Museum, the Natal Museum, Pietermaritzburg, the Tra n s v a a l

Museum, Pretoria, the National Museum of Southern R h o d e s i a ,

Bulawayo, and the Museu Dr. Alvaro de Castro, Loure ngo M arques,

I have been able tQ study a com prehensive m aterial of the South

African sub-continental populations of this flycatc her. For the loan

and gift of m aterial of the East African races, M . c. cinereola a n d

M . c. kihuyuensis, I am grateful to m y colleague, Mr. John G.

W illiam s, Ornithologist of the Coryndon Museum, Nai robi, and I

am equally indebted to Dr. A. L. Rand of the Chicag o N a t u r a l

H istory M useum, U .S.A., who has graciously placed m aterial from

the van Someren collection now housed in that insti tution at m y

disposal for study. Both Mr. R. H. N. Smithers, Dir ector of the

National Museums of Southern Rhodesia, and Mr. M. P . S t u a r t

Irwin, of Bulawayo, have studied part of m y assembl ed m aterial

and have offered useful suggestions.

At the southern extrem ity of its range, in the east e r n C a p e

Province, Pondoland, Natal and Zululand, the Ashy F lycatcher is

generally to be found in m oist forest and riparian cover. It is par­

ticularly fond of small w ooded valley bottom s, com p lete with dark

shade-trees and sequestered glades. The am ple m ater ial now avail­

able from the entire area shows that Pondoland s are not darker

grey than those of Natal, as claimed by Gunning and R o b e r t s ,

Annals of the Transvaal M useum , vol. iii, 2, 1911, p. 114, when

they described the Pondo population as A lseonax ccerulescens pondo-

e n s i s , t h e T y p e being a specim en collected by Swinny at Port St.

Johns on the 21st July, 1909 (T.M. No. 7288). Forty specim ens

from the area extending from the valley of the Grea t Fish River

in the eastern Cape Province through coastal Pondol and, Natal and

Zululand, as far as Ingw avum a in the southern Lebom bo M ountains,

all clearly belong to one well-marked race, the ear liest nam e for

w h i c h i s M uscicapa ccerulescens (Hartlaub), 1865: Natal. M . c .

ccerulescens is very constant throughout m ost of its range, as g i v e n

above, but in north-eastern Zululand the influence of the next race

to be considered (M . c. vulturna) is observable in a m arked incidence

of rather lighter-coloured birds ( v i d e C l a n c e y , l o c . c i t . , 1 9 5 2 ) . M . c .

cczrulescens is also sm aller than the races occurring to the no r t h w a r d ,

the wings of 12 g g measuring 71.5-79 m m ., 8 $$ 70-74.5 mm.

N o r t h o f M . c. ccerulescens occur populations which have received

very indecisive and indifferent treatm ent at the ha nds of various Reproduced by Sabinet Gateway under licence granted by the Publisher (dated .) Sabinet Gateway under licence granted by the Publisher (dated Reproduced by by P . A . Clancey 3

system atic workers. The birds of the populations re sident in north­

ern Swaziland, eastern and northern Transvaal and m ost of southern

Portuguese East Africa favour a rather drier biotop e to the austral

race just dealt with, occurring m ainly in light rip arian cover in

comparatively dry wooded . W hen compared ca r e f u l l y

with topotypical M . c. ccerulescens they are found to differ sub-

specifically on account of the m uch less dark grey upper-parts, and

ventrally they are altogether whiter, with less dar k olivaceous grey

clouding on the breast, sides of the body arid flan ks. In size they

range rather larger than m ost M . c. ccerulescens, the wings of 16

cJcJ measuring 73.5-82 mm., 9 $$ 71-78.5 mm. W hen c o m p a r e d

with a good East African series of M . c. cinereola they are found to

be slightly paler and less bluish on the upper-part s, though the

difference in m any instances is slight. On the vent ral surfaces, how ­

ever, they reveal their discreteness, being m uch wh iter and less

heavily washed w ith grey on the breast, sides of th e body and flanks,

but there is absolutely no difference whatever in s ize, the wings of

11 East African of M . c. cinereola measuring 73.5-82 m m ., 10

$$ 70.5-78 mm. The bill is appreciably finer, and l ess coarse and

broad basally. M ost workers have considered these p opulations to

be either sim ilar to topotypical M . c. ccerulescens or else interm ediate

between that race and M . c. cinereola. I believe them to be distinct

enough to bear a subspecific name of their own, and for the new

race the nam e M . c. vulturna m ihi is introduced below.

North and north-west of the range of M . c. vulturna occur birds

which are lighter and less bluish grey on the upper -parts, and m ore

uniform ly whitish below, the breast, sides of body and flanks ex­

hibiting less clear grey. The wings of such birds a re also less blackish,

and they range larger in size, v i z . 1 8 $ $ have wings 79-86 mm.,

14 $$ 75-82 mm. Populations of birds exhibiting suc h characters

range throughout northern South-W est Africa (includ ing the Caprivi

Strip), northern Bechuanaland, southern Rhodesia an d som e north­

ern districts of southern Portuguese East Africa. E xtralim itally,

also in southern Angola, Northern Rhodesia, the sou thern Belgian

Congo, Nyasaland and northern Portuguese East Afric a . T h e s e

birds have been consistently identified by workers with those of

equatorial East Africa. Com parison between a series of 48 specim ens

from the regions just listed and one of 21.specim en s of the true

M . c. cinereola ( = M . c. kikuyuensis ) from Jubaland (southern

Som alia), K enya.Colony and the north-eastern distri cts of Tangan­

yika Territory, shows that the currently held opini on that all are

M . c. cinereola is incorrect. M . c. cinereola, sens, strict., i s d a r k e r Reproduced by Sabinet Gateway under licence granted by the Publisher (dated .) Sabinet Gateway under licence granted by the Publisher (dated Reproduced by 4 M iscellaneous Taxonom ic Notes on African Birds

M USCICAPA CINEREA ( C A S S I N )

Sketch-map showing the approximate ranges of the southern African races of the Ashy Flycatcher:

1. M . c. ccsrulescens (Hartlaub)

2 . M . c. vulhtrna C l a n c e y

3 . M . c. im pavida C l a n c e y

and bluer above, blacker on the wings and more heav ily clouded

w ith grey on the under-parts. In w ing-length it is also rather sm aller

(see above), and the bill is usually rather broader and coarser. The

evidence gathered as a result of this study suggest s t h a t M . c .

c i n e r e o l a is a race confined to eastern equatorial Africa in s o u t h e r n

Som alia, Kenya Colony and m ost of Tanganyika Territ ory, and that

the pallid populations of the Ashy Flycatcher occur ring in south-

central Africa belong to a further undescribed race . This I form ally

describe below as M . c. im pavida mihi, the T y p e being from near

the Victoria Falls in western Southern Rhodesia.

Through the kindness of Dr. Rand, some of the parat y p i c a l

m aterial of M . c. kikuyuensis has been available for study. Speci­

mens from Kiam bu (Kyam bu) Forest, near Nairobi, Ken ya Colony,

the type-locality of M . c. kikuyuensis, scarcely differ at all from

those from coastal Kenya Colony and north-eastern T a n g a n y i k a Reproduced by Sabinet Gateway under licence granted by the Publisher (dated .) Sabinet Gateway under licence granted by the Publisher (dated Reproduced by by P . A . Clancey 5

T e r r i t o r y (M . c. cinereola). In series they are perhaps a trifle paler

and less bluish dorsally and in som e instances less greyish below,

but the distinctions, if they be such, are extrem el y labile, and I

incline to the view that only one race can be recog nised from East

Africa, the earliest name for which is M . c. cinereola, of which I

b e l i e v e M . c. kikuyuensis to be correctly placed as a synonym .

T o return to the South African populations and thei r classification.

Study of adequate material now shows that both size and colour

character clines occur w ithin our lim its, running m ore or less parallel

in a north-south direction, the smallest and darkes t birds residing

in the extrem e south of the species’ range in assoc iation with high

rainfall and considerable hum idity ( M . c. ccerulescens in the eastern

Cape Province, Pondoland, Natal and Zululand). The m uch larger

and paler birds found in the considerably drier and less humid

interior regions of south-central Africa represent the northern cul­

m ination of the clines, which can be conveniently b roken down into

a group of three races, consisting of tw o w ell-m ark ed term inal form s

and a nom enclaturally recognisable interm ediate. Th e three north­

ern subspecies ( M . c. cinereola, M . c. cinerea a n d M . c. nigroruvi )

are not segments of a cline or clines as are the so uthern races,

though a cline of increasing saturation and a paral lel one of size

diminution m ay ultimately be demonstrated to run in a n o r t h ­

easterly direction from the very pallid M . c. im pavida through the

l a b i l e M . c. kikuyuensis to the dark-coloured coastal populations

o f M. c. cinereola. M. c. cinereola is apparently similar to M. c .

ccerulescens in its preference for open forest and riparian ‘‘j u n g l e , ”

while both M . c . c i n e r e a a n d M . c. nigrorum are entirely forest-

dwelling form s.

The nom enclature, characters and ranges of the thre e races of

M uscicapa cinerea which I propose to recognise from within South

A frican lim its are as follow s:

1. M uscicapa cinerea CEerulescens ( H a r t l a u b )

B utalis ccerulescens Hartlaub, I b i s , 1865, p. 268: Natal. Type-

locality restricted to Durban, Natal, v i d e C l a n c e y , D u r b a n

M useum N ovitates, vol. iv, 13, 1955, p. 206. Synonym : A l s e o n a x

ccerulescens pondoensis Gunning and Roberts, Annals of the

Transvaal M useum , vol. iii, 2, 1911, p. 114: Port St. Johns,

P o n d o l a n d .

Upper-parts dark bluish slate (about O O S-4-l°). Und e r - p a r t s

dull whitish, the breast, sides of the body and fla nks clouded with

olivaceous grey. Size smallest. Reproduced by Sabinet Gateway under licence granted by the Publisher (dated .) Sabinet Gateway under licence granted by the Publisher (dated Reproduced by 6 M iscellaneous Taxonom ic N otes on A frican B irds

Wings 71.5-79 (76.4) mm., $$ 70-74.5 (72.2) mm. 20 s p e c i ­

mens measured.

T y p e : N ot traced (? Destroyed during the 1939-1945 war).

M a t e r i a l : 40: Eastern Cape Province, 2; coastal Pondoland, 8 ;

Natal, 17; Zululand (m ainly north-eastern districts ) , 1 3 .

R a n g e : Eastern Cape Province from the valley of the Great F i s h

River through Pondoland, East Griqualand and Natal to Zululand,

where, in the north-eastern districts, and in south ern Swaziland it

iptergrades with the next race.

2. cinerea vulturna, subsp. nov.

Paler, less deep bluish slate, on the upper-parts t h a n M . c .

ccem lescens (about S SO -6-l°). On the ventral surfaces, the thr o a t

and abdom en purer white, and the breast, sides of t he body and

flanks clearer grey, the olivaceous tinge lacking. Averaging larger

in size. Compared with M . c. cinereola the upper-parts are seen to

be slightly less bluish grey. Ventrally whiter, m uc h less heavily

washed with grey on the breast, sides of the body a nd flanks. Bill

rather finer, less coarse and broad basally.

Wings 73.5-82 (78.1) mm., $$ 71-78.5 (75.4 mm.) 25 s p e c i ­

m ens measured.

T y p e : adult. Farm Malamala, Newington district, eastern

Transvaal “low .” 900'a.s.1. 9th August, 1956. C ollected by P.

A. Clancey. In the collection of the Durban M useum. W ing 80 mm.

M a t e r i a l : 33: Northern Swaziland, 1; eastern Transvaal, 18;

northern Transvaal, 3; south-eastern Southern Rhode s i a , ( M t .

Selinda district), 3; Sul do Save, southern Portugu ese East A frica, 8.

R a n g e : Northern Swaziland, northern and eastern Transvaal ,

extrem e south-eastern Southern Rhodesia and Sul do Save, southern

Portuguese East Africa.

3. Muscicapa cinerea impavida, subsp. nov.

Still paler dorsally than M . c. vulturna, m ore ashen, less bluish

(about S 0-7-10). Ear-coverts rather paler. Ventrall y more uni­

form ly whitish, the breast, sides of the body and f lanks, less suffused

with grey. The white of the throat and abdom en is d uller, and in

m any there is only a vestige of the grey breast-ban d present in both

M . c. ccsrulescens a n d M . c. vulturna. W ings paler. Much larger

t h a n M . c. ccerulescens and averaging larger than M . c. vulturna. Reproduced by Sabinet Gateway under licence granted by the Publisher (dated .) Sabinet Gateway under licence granted by the Publisher (dated Reproduced by by P t A . Clancey 7

-Com pared with M . c.. C inereola of equatorial East Africa lighter and

duller, less deep bluish grey, dorsally. E ar-covert s lighter, and black

loral spot usually smaller in size. On under-parts whiter with re­

duced grey clouding on the breast, sides of the bod y and flanks,

which is usually well developed in M . c. cinereola. W ings consider­

ably paler, less blackish. Averaging larger than M . t. cinereola, b u t

bill rather less coarse.

W ings cjcJ 79-86 (81.5) m m ., $$ 75-82 (78.1) mm . 32 specim ens

m e a s u r e d .

T y p e : $ , adult. Zambesi River, 14 miles west of the Victori a

Falls, western Southern Rhodesia. 18th August, 1956 . Collected by

M. P. Stuart Irwin. In the collection Of the Nation al Museum of

Southern Rhodesia, Bulawayo. Museum Register No. 26 9 2 0 . W i n g

8 5 . 0 m m .

M a t e r i a l : 48: Caprivi Strip, 2; northern Bechuanaland Protec ­

torate, 3; Southern Rhodesia, 25; districts of M ani ca and Sofala,

southern Portuguese East Africa, 10; Nyasaland, 5; Zarhbezia,

northern Portuguese East Africa, 3.

R a n g e : Northern South-W est Africa (including the Caprivi S t r i p ) ,

northern Bechuanaland Protectorate, Southern Rhodes ia and the

districts of M anica and Sofala, southern. Portugues e East Africa.

Extralifnitally to central and southern Angola, Nor thern Rhodesia,

southern Belgian Congo in the Katanga, Nyasaland ar id northern

Portuguese East Africa.

E xtralim ital R aces

For the sake of com pleteness, these are listed brie f l y b e l O w :

4. Muscicapa cinerea cinereola Finseh and Hartlaub

M uscicapa cinereola Finsch and H artlaub, D ie V ogel O st-A frikas,

vol. iv, 1870’, pi. 4, p. 302: Usaramo, Dar-es-Sala am district,

eastern Tanganyika Territory. Synonym : A lseonax ccerulescens

kikuyuensis van Someren, B ulletin of the B ritish O rnithologists’

C l u b , vol. xli, 1921, p. 102: Kyam bu, Kenya Colony.

Darker and m ore bluish grey on upper-parts than M . c. im pavida

(about S S 0-7-10). W ings blacker and under-parts m or e copiously

washed with grey. Averaging smaller in size, and wi th a slightly

broader and coarser bill.

W ings 73.5-82 (77.6) mm., $$ 70.5-78 (74.1) mm. Reproduced by Sabinet Gateway under licence granted by the Publisher (dated .) Sabinet Gateway under licence granted by the Publisher (dated Reproduced by 8 M iscellaneous T axonom ic N otes on A frican B irds

R a n g e : Eastern equatorial Africa from the valleys of the J u b a

and W ebi Shebeli Rivers, southern Som alia, and the central districts

of Kenya Colony south to Tanganyika Territory (main l y i n t h e

eastern districts). Southern lim its not ascertained .

5. Muscicapa cinerea cinerea ( C a s s i n )

E opsaltria cinerea C a s s i n , Proceedings of the A cadem y of N atural

Sciences of Philadelphia, 1857 (1856), p. 253: Moonda River,

Gaboon, French Equatorial Africa.

Darker blue-grey on upper-parts than M . c. cinereola, a n d m o r e

dusky below. Averaging smaller in size.

Wings 67-78 mm. (after Bannerman, Birds of W est and

E quatorial A frica, vol. ii, 1953, p.