I don't think this split has been mentioned on any of these lists yet. If
this email is redundant, my apologies.
While browsing through the excellent Threatened Birds of Asia (I am
entering all detailed distributional data since 1990 into my database), I
noticed that Slender-billed Vulture Gyps tenuirostris had been split from
Indian Vulture Gyps indicus. Tenuirostris was formerly treated as a
subspecies of indicus, formerly called "Long-billed Vulture". The
authority is cited as Rassmussen & Parry (in press) "The taxonomic status
of the "Long-billed" Vulture Gyps indicus" in Vulture News. The comment in
Remarks 1,p.619 is: "Recent study of skins and photographs has shown that
the two forms are 'extraordinarily distinct' and are not, in fact, even
each others' closest relatives." The new English names are proposed in
place of "Long-billed Vulture", which really only fits tenuirostris, would
generate confusion.
Also I received yesterday Birds of Western Africa by Borrow and Demy, hot
off the press. It looks very good indeed, and is a major advance in
resources for the area. On looking into the distribution of the very first
species, Ostrich Struthio camelus, I noted that Borrow and Demy treat is as
a rare vagrant in Senegal, whereas the Birds of Africa had suggested it was
reasonably common in northern Senegal.
I saw Gyps tenuirostris on the nest in Kaziranga last year. Now I have to
look for Gyps indicus!
Cheers,
John
John Penhallurick
Associate Professor John M. Penhallurick<>
Canberra, Australia
Phone BH( 61 2) 6201 2346 AH (61 2) 62585428
FAX (61 2) 6258 0426 Mobile 0408 585 428
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