birding-aus
The report from Susan Myers that Macgregor's Bird of Paradise may be a
large aberrant honeyeater rather than a large aberrant BoP is
fascinating, and one that I had not heard about. Being monogamous should
be no bar to it being a BoP as the manucodes are the same, and probably
also the Paradise Crow. It would be an astonishing example of
convergence if correct and I'd very much like to know more- can anyone
help?
Ian Burrows and I are engaged upon putting together the Pica Press
volume of Birds of Paradise and Bowerbirds, so any unpublished or new
information about members of the group would be very welcome, and would
of course be fully acknowledged. The recent notes about the bowerbirds
bowers on birding aus were interesting, I wonder how you cite an e-mail
as a reference, in litt I suppose?
Digressing again, the melampittas were meant to be BoPs on some DNA
work, but nothing else supports this and the current feeling seems to be
that terrestrial pitohuis may be more the go, at least for the Greater (
Jack Dumbacher pers comm. He came and trapped some near Tabubil in
1997). I am amazed that the Lesser and the Greater are even in the same
genus , as they are just so unlike, about the only things in common
being colour and terrestrial habits. I can't think of two such
dissimilar birds being in the same genus in fact.
Anyway, more information about BoPs and bowerbirds would be much
appreciated, we would like to tap into as many sources as possible,
especially amongst field birders who have some valuable stuff tucked
away in trip reports and notebooks. My postal address is Cassowary House
PO Box 387, Kuranda 4872, Queensland if anyone wants to mail data.
Thanks.
Phil Gregory
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