Fiji island-thrush explained
Fiji island-thrush (Turdus ruficeps) is a species of passerine in the thrush family Turdidae that is endemic to Fiji. It was formerly considered a subspecies of island thrush, but in 2024 the island thrush was split into 17 separate species by the IOC and Clements Checklist based on morphological and phylogenetics differences.
Taxonomy
The Fiji island-thrush was formally described in 1875 by the Australian zoologist Edward Pierson Ramsay in The Sydney Morning Herald under the binomial name Merula ruficeps.[1] [2] The following year Ramsay republished his description in the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales.[3] The type locality is the Fijian island of Kadavu.[4] [5] The specific epithet combines the Latin rufus meaning "red" with -ceps meaning "headed".[6] The Fiji island-thrush with its subspecies were formerly considered to be part of the island thrush complex. Based on morphological differences and a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2023, the island thrush was split into 17 species.[7] [8] [9]
Five subspecies are recognised:[8]
Notes and References
- Ramsay . Edward Pierson . Edward Pierson Ramsay . 8 December 1875 . Characters of a new genus and species . The Sydney Morning Herald . 9 .
- McAllen . I.A.W. . 2006 . Fijian birds described in newspapers . Notornis . 53 . 2 . 254-257 .
- Ramsay . Edward Pierson . Edward Pierson Ramsay . 1877 . 1876 . Description of a new species of blackbird . Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales . 1 . 43 .
- Book: Mayr . Ernst . Ernst Mayr . Paynter . Raymond A. Jr . 1964 . Check-List of Birds of the World . 10 . Museum of Comparative Zoology . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 198 .
- Book: Seebohm, Henry . Henry Seebohm . 1881 . Catalogue of the Passeriformes or Perching Birds in the Collection of the British Museum. Cichlomorphae: Part II. Containing the family Turdidae (Warblers and Thrushes) . Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum . 5 . Trustees of the British Museum . London . 256-256 .
- Web site: Jobling . James A. . ruficeps . The Key to Scientific Names . Cornell Lab of Ornithology . 1 November 2024 .
- Reeve . A.H. . Gower . G. . Pujolar . J.M. . Smith . B.T. . Petersen . B. . Olsson . U. . Haryoko . T. . Koane . B. . Maiah . G. . Blom . M.P.K. . Ericson . P.G.P. . Irestedt . M. . Racimo . F. . Jønsson . K.A. . 2023 . Population genomics of the island thrush elucidates one of earth's great archipelagic radiations . Evolution Letters . 7 . 1 . 24-36 . 10.1093/evlett/qrac006 . free .
- Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela C. Rasmussen . August 2024 . Thrushes . IOC World Bird List Version 14.2 . International Ornithologists' Union . 1 November 2024 .
- Web site: Clements . J.F.. James Clements (ornithologist) . Rasmussen . P.C. . Pamela C. Rasmussen . Schulenberg . T.S. . Iliff . M.J. . Fredericks . T.A. . Gerbracht . J.A. . Lepage . D. . Spencer . A. . Billerman . S.M. . Sullivan . B.L. . Smith . M. . Wood . C.L. . 2024 . The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2024 . 1 November 2024 .