Genome-wide SNPs confirm plumage polymorphism and hybridisation within a Cyornis flycatcher species complex

Morphology has been a leading taxonomic guiding light to systematists for the last couple of hundred years. However, the genetic and – more recently – genomic revolution have produced numerous demonstrations of erroneous classifications that were based on labile morphological traits. We used thousands of genome-wide markers to shed light on evolutionary dynamics in a confusing and taxonomically obscure group of Asian Cyornis flycatchers. Using genomic data, we corroborated recent findings based on three mitochrondrial and five nuclear genes that the two taxa hainanus and klossi which were previously treated as separate species (Cyornis hainanus and Cyornis rubeculoides klossi, respectively) are genomically homogeneous and form a single species, C. hainanus. We also uncovered a novel case of interbreeding between C. hainanus and a non-sister species, C. glaucicomans, illustrating these flycatchers' ability to hybridise in marginal situations even after substantial times of divergence. Our study illustrates how genome-wide loci can shed light on complicated taxonomic problems, resulting in a better integration of phenotypic and genotypic data.     

Discovery of the Large Blue Flycatcher Cyornis [banyumas] magnirostris breeding in northern Kachin State (Burma/Myanmar) and taxonomic implications for the Cyornis-group

The little-known taxon Cyornis [banyumas] magnirostris has long been treated as a race of the widespread Hill Blue Flycatcher C. banyumas, with which it was thought to be allopatric during the breeding season. On the basis of morphology, magnirostris has lately been considered a full species, endemic as a breeder to northeastern India. Our recent field work during migration and the breeding season (September 2005 and June–July 2006) has, however, resulted in the first records of magnirostris from northern Burma/Myanmar, establishing that its breeding range broadly overlaps the range of C. banyumas whitei. We demonstrate how historical factors, sources of error, including fraud, errors of omission and commission, and inferences based on lack of data have all negatively affected assessment of species limits and conservation status in this speciose group of flycatchers. We also provide evidence that the taxon C. [banyumas] lemprieri is highly distinct and should be treated as a full species.     

山西省鸟类分布新记录3种

2019年在山西省交城县庞泉沟镇发现北极鸥(Larushyperboreus)、垣曲县历山镇和沁水县中村镇发现噪鹃(Eudynamys scolopaceus)、垣曲县历山镇发现中华仙鹟(Cyornis glaucicomans),此3种均为山西省鸟类分布新记录种。     

棕腹杜鹃和乌鹃的宿主新记录

正棕腹杜鹃(Hierococcyx nisicolor)和乌鹃(Surniculus lugubris)是鹃形目(Cuculiformes)杜鹃科(Cuculidae)的寄生性繁殖鸟类(郑光美2011,Dickinson et al.2013)。目前棕腹杜鹃已记录的宿主主要为鹟科(Muscicapidae)鸟类,例如北灰鹟(Muscicapa dauurica)、白腹蓝姬鹟(Cyanoptila cyanomelana)等(Payne 2005,Erritz?e et al.2012)。     

湖南省雀形目鸟类新纪录4种

2011年5月～2012年6月,作者在湖南壶瓶山国家级自然保护区进行鸟类资源调查和种群监测的过程中,拍摄到4种雀形目鸟类,经分类鉴定为灰翅鸫(Turdus boulboul)、蓝喉仙鹟(Cyornis rubeculoides)、灰眉岩鹀(Emberiza godlewskii)和银脸长尾山雀(Aegithalos fuliginosus),均为湖南省鸟类新纪录。