F.B.MAGPIE
HOME PAGE
BIRDING IN TAIWAN
Birds of Taiwan: Comments (Version 4)
Below are comments written by Desmond
Allen from his research about the taxonomy of birds of Taiwan.
I have written these comments to help anyone
has who the very useful 'Birds of Taiwan' and which is essential for every
bird-watcher who visits or lives in Taiwan. Please forgive any errors I
have made myself, and feel free to point them out to me. My first version
had lots of mistakes and I'm waiting for the stones to hit my glass house!
Nomenclature: the English names given are
not the currently most-used ones, and many Latin names differ
also. Changes in taxonomy occur regularly but I have compared
names with the most recent books on the subject. Many Western birdwatchers
use either Howard and Moore (1994) "A complete checklist of the birds of
the world" (Oxford), Sibley and Monroe (1990) "The distribution and taxonomy
of the birds of the world" (Yale) or Monroe and Sibley (1993) "A
world checklist of birds" (Yale); Mark Beaman's "Palaearctic Birds" (Harrier,
1994) is also very useful where appropriate. In addition to the difference
of names of species, there are also many differences from these texts
concerning the status of species and subspecies.
(I have just added comments re a list I believe
to have been a ABA checklist - hence ABA)
(i) Endemic subspecies
The following species are listed as having endemic subspecies in Taiwan
but such subspecies are not mentioned in Howard and Moore:
Accipiter gularis
Accipiter trivirgatus (actually Besra not Crested Gos)
Excalfactoria chinensis
Porzana fusca
Picus canus - P.c.tancolo is also listed for Hainan.
Lanius schach
Cinclidium leucurum
Cettia acanthizoides - C.a.robustipes is also listed
for S.China. (Nevertheless Monroe and Sibley list C.a.concolor as
a significantly different subspecies which might prove to be a valid species.)
Cettia fortipes
Cisticola exilis - C.e.volitans is also listed for S.W.China
Prinia polychroa
Ficedula hyperythra
Hypothymis azurea
The following are endemic subspecies according to Howard and Moore, but
this is not indicated in 'Birds of Taiwan':
Chalcophaps indica formosanus
Glaucidium brodiei pardalotum
Picoides canicapillus kaleensis
I have not had a chance to research the status of subspecies in this
region and I would welcome any information.
Zoothera (Turdus) dauma: Z.d.toratugumi would seem to be the
migratory winter visitor, and Z.d.hancii the resident endemic race.
Z.(d.) horsfieldi is endemic to Sumatra and Java and is unlikely
to occur as far east as Taiwan. Z.(d.)hancii may yet prove to be
another endemic species??? This species is tricky!
Hirundapus cochinchinensis formosanus (endemic ssp) is listed
by Chantler and Driessens but is not mentioned in 'Birds of Taiwan'
(ii) Endemic species
The following are considered to be full species by some authors but
not by either Howard and Moore or by Sibley and Monroe:
Turdus (poliocephalus) niveiceps or ABA
Brachypteryx (montana) goodfellowi or ABA
Both pairs of authors tentatively split Garrulax caerulatus
and G. (c.) poecilorhynchus (Grey-sided/Rusty/Rufous/Scaly-crowned
Laughing-thrush). ABA
Howard and Moore lump Garrulax affinis and G. morrisonianus
but Sibley and Monroe split them on the basis of a personal communication
from Ben King.(ABA)
(iii) Non-endemic species
Both pairs of authors split the following species, the latter being
the species expected in Taiwan:
Ciconia ciconia/C. boyciana ABA
Coturnix coturnix/ Coturnix japonica ABA
Pluvialis dominica/P. fulva ABA
Charadrius asiaticus/veredus ABA
Otus scops/O.sunia?? ABA
Pitta brachyura/P. nympha ABA
Delichon urbica/ D. dasypus - both could be expected in Taiwan.ABA
Hirundo daurica/ H. striolata - again both species can be expected
in Taiwan.ABA
Anthus spinoletta/A. rubescens ABA
Anthus novaeseelandiae/A. richardi/A.rufulus ABA
Locustella ochotensis/L. pleskei - both species could occur
in Taiwan.
Phylloscopus tenellipes/P. borealoides ABA
Corvus monedula/C. dauurica ABA
The following species pairs are lumped by Howard and Moore, but split,
often tentatively, by Sibley and Monroe (again the latter species would
be expected in Taiwan):
Macropygia phasianella/M. tenuirostris ABA
Motacilla alba/M. lugens (both could occur in Taiwan) ABA (may
be relumped)
Coracina novaehollandiae/C. macei ABA split
Hypsipetes madagascariensis/H. leucocephalus ABA split
Pomatorhinus erythrogenys/P. erythrocnemis (I assume) ABA
Paradoxornis nipalensis/P. verreauxi ABA
Remiz pendulinus/R. consobrinus ABA
Howard and Moore split Otus bakkamoena and O.lempiji which
Monroe and Sibley have lumped.ABA split Larus canus/L.kamtschatschensis
and L.argentatus/L.vegae/L.heuglini seem to be being lumped
again.(but see Kennerley, Hoogendoorn in HKBR) ABA not yet
Comments most welcome
Desmond Allen
1158 NoGaYaCho,
Machida Shi,
Tokyo 195
Tel/Fax: +81-427-354501
e-mail: dw6d-alln@asahi-net.or.jp
[ Trip
Reports | Photo Gallery | Art
Gallery | Bird Calls | Birds
of TAS | Links | Webrings
| Guestbook
| ICQ ]
