studiovogue wrote:
Here's an interesting question: Is the Black-shouldered Kite Elanus
axillaris, or as my "what bird is that?" suggests, Elanus notatus?
According to the (rapidly aging) "The Taxonomy and Species of Birds of
Australia and its Territories" Christidis & Boles (1994):
Elanus axillaris Latham, 1801 replaces E. notatus Gould, 1838
following Schodde & Mason (1980), who demonstrated that the former
name, which has priority, is applicable to the Black-shouldered Kite,
though this was erroneously not followed in Schodde & Tidemann (1986).
Some North American references (e.g. Palmer 1988) have considered
Elanus axillaris conspecific with New World E. leucurus. Clark & Banks
(1992), however, have demonstrated that these forms have sufficient
differences in plumage, size and proportions, and behaviour for each
to warrant species level recognition.
It would be interesting to know what more recent genetic studies (if any)
may have found on the subject.
--
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Paul Taylor Veni, vidi, tici -
I came, I saw, I ticked.
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