Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2017-07-11
Page range: 192–200
Abstract views: 69
PDF downloaded: 1

Species limits in the genus Thamnistes (Aves: Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae): an evaluation based on vocalizations

Department of Vertebrate Zoology¾ Birds, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA.
Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science, 119 Foster Hall, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.
Aves speciation Neotropics Thamnistes systematics vocalizations Thamnophilidae

Abstract

The monotypic genus Thamnistes, consisting of the Russet Antshrike, T. anabatinus, is primarily a resident of foothills forests of the northern Andes and Middle America, extending to adjacent lowlands especially on the Pacific slope. Its vocalizations are somewhat poorly recorded as it is a participant in noisy mixed flocks of the lower canopy to the upper understory. In recent years, however, vocalizations of the Russet Antshrike have been recorded sufficiently to permit geographic analysis. Vocalizations supply valuable measures of species limits for antbirds because they are not learned. Our analysis revealed that the southernmost population was vocally distinct and is more appropriately considered a biological species: T. rufescens (Rufescent Antshrike). An additional population of the Russet Antshrike, T. a. aequatorialis, awaits further evaluation pending the acquisition of additional vocal recordings, morphological study, and genetic analysis.

 

References

  1. Baptista, L.F. & Kroodsma, D.E. (2001) Avian bioacoustics. In: del Hoyo, J., Elliot, A. & Sargatal, J. (Eds.), Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 6. Mousebirds to Hornbills. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, pp. 11–52.

    Bravo, G.A. (2012) Phenotypic and niche evolution in the antbirds (Aves, Thamnophilidae). Ph.D Dissertation, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, 169 pp.

    Cabanis, J. (1873) Neue peruanishe Vögel des Herrn C. Jelski. Journal für Ornithologie, 21, 64–69.

    Chapman, F.M. (1914) Diagnosis of apparently new Colombian birds, 3. Bulletin American Museum of Natural History, 33, 603–637.

    Cory, C.B. & Hellmayr, C.E. (1924) Catalogue of birds of the Americas and the adjacent islands. Pteroptochidae - Conopophagidae - Formicariidae. Field Museum of Natural History Zoological Series, No. 13 (Part 3), 1–369.
    http://dx.doi.org/10:2307/1363248.

    Helbig, A.J., Knox, A.G., Parkin, D.T., Sangster, G. & Collinson, M. (2002) Guidelines for assigning species rank. Ibis, 144, 518–525.
    https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1474-919X.2002.00091.x

    Irestedt, M., Fjeldså, J., Nylander, J.A.A. &. Ericson, P.G.P. (2004) Phylogenetic relationships of typical antbirds (Thamnophilidae) and test of incongruence based on Bayes factors. BMC Evolutionary, Biology, 4, 23.
    https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-4-23

    Isler, M.L. (1997) A sector-based ornithological geographic information system for the Neotropics. In: Remsen Jr., J.V. (Ed.), Studies in Neotropical Ornithology Honoring Ted Parker, Ornithological Monographs 48, pp. 345–354.
    https://doi.org/10.2307/40157542

    Isler, M.L., Isler, P.R. & Brumfield, R.T. (2005) Clinal variation in vocalizations of an antbird (Thamnophilidae) and implications for defining species limits. Auk, 122, 433–444.
    https://doi.org/10.1642/0004-8038(2005)122[0433:CVIVOA]2.0.CO;2

    Isler, M.L., Isler, P.R. & Whitney, B.M. (1998) Use of vocalizations to establish species limits in antbirds (Passeriformes; Thamnophilidae). Auk, 115, 577–590.
    https://doi.org/10.2307/4089407

    Isler, P.R. & Whitney, B.M. (2002) Songs of the Antbirds: Thamnophilidae, Formicariidae, and Conopophagidae. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca. [CD,

    Johnson, N.K., Remsen Jr., J.V. & Cicero, C. (1999) Resolution of the debate over species concepts in ornithology: a new comprehensive biological species concept. In: Adams, N.J. & Slotow, R.H. (Eds.), Proceedings 22nd International Ornithological Congress, Durban. BirdLife South Africa, Johannesburg, pp. 1470–1482.

    Mayr, E. & Ashlock, P.D. (1991) Principles of systematic zoology. McGraw-Hill, New York, 416 pp.

    Moyle, R.G., Chesser, R.T., Brumfield, R.T., Tello, J.G., Marchese, D.J. & Cracraft, J. (2009) Phylogeny and phylogenetic classification of the antbirds, ovenbirds, woodcreepers, and allies (Aves: Passeriformes; infraorder Furnariides). Cladistics, 25, 1–20.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-0031.2009.00259.x

    Nelson, E.W. (1912) Descriptions of new genera, species and subspecies of birds from Panama, Colombia and Ecuador. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 60, 1–25.

    Ohlson, J.I., Irestedt, M., Ericson, P.G.P. & Fjeldså, J. (2013) Phylogeny and classification of the New World suboscines (Aves, Passeriformes). Zootaxa, 3613 (1), 1–35.
    https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3613.1.1

    Phelps, W.H. & Phelps, W.H. Jr. (1956) Three new birds from Cerro el Teteo, Venezuela, and extensions of ranges to Venezuela and Colombia. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 69, 127–134.

    Remsen Jr., J.V. (2005) Pattern, process, and rigor meet classification. Auk, 122, 403–413.
    https://doi.org/10.1642/0004-8038(2005)122[0403:PPARMC]2.0.CO;2

    Ridgely, R.S. & Greenfield, P.J. (2001) The birds of Ecuador. Vol. 1. Status, distribution, and taxonomy. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 848 pp.

    Ridgway, R. (1908) Diagnosis of some new forms of Neotropical birds. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 21, 191–196.

    Sclater, P.L. (1861) Descriptions of twelve new species of American birds, of the families Dendrocolaptidae, Formicariidae, and Tyrannidae. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1861, 377–383.

    Sclater, P.L. & Salvin, O. (1860) Characters of eleven new species of birds discovered by Osbert Salvin in Guatemala. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, Part 28, 298–301.

    Touchton, J.M., Seddon, N. & Tobias, J.A. (2014) Captive rearing experiments confirm song development without learning in a Tracheophone suboscine bird. PLoS ONE, 9 (e95746), 1–9.
    https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0095746

    Wetmore, A. (1972) The birds of the Republic of Panamá. Part 3. Passeriformes: Dendrocolaptidae (Woodcreepers) to Oxyruncidae (Sharpbills). Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., 631 pp.

    Zimmer, K.J. & Isler, M.L. (2003) Family Thamnophilidae (typical antbirds). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliot, A. & Christie, D.A. (Eds.), Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 8: Broadbills to Tapaculos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, pp. 448–681.