Forest robin

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Forest robin
Forest robin (Stiphrornis erythrothorax) Ankasa.jpg
Ankasa Forest Reserve, Ghana
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Stiphrornis
Hartlaub, 1855
Species:
S. erythrothorax
Binomial name
Stiphrornis erythrothorax
Hartlaub, 1855

The forest robin or orange-breasted forest robin (Stiphrornis erythrothorax) is a species of bird from Central and West Africa. It is monotypic in the genus Stiphrornis. It has been placed in the family Turdidae, but is now generally placed in Muscicapidae in the group popularly known as chats. Most taxonomists consider it a single species, but some reviews have recommended recognizing 5 species. It has a total length of around 12 cm (4+34 in), has dark upperparts, and a throat and chest that, depending on the subspecies, is yellow-orange or deep orange. [2]

Contents

Description

It has a total length of around 12 cm (4+34 in), has dark upperparts, and a throat and chest that, depending on the exact subspecies, is yellow-orange or deep orange. [2]

Taxonomy

The initial split into multiple species within this genus is based on a review from 1999 where it, based on the phylogenetic species concept, was argued that all then recognized taxa should be considered monotypic species. [3] Of these, S. gabonensis and S. xanthogaster were formerly considered subspecies of S. erythrothorax, whereas S. sanghensis was described as an entirely new species. [3] The split was not followed in Handbook of the Birds of the World, where it was described as "perhaps premature". [2] Comparably, the BirdLife Taxonomic Working Group (and consequently IUCN) recommended not following the split, as differences in plumages are relatively small, genetic sampling considered incomplete, and evidence for intergradation or parapatry is lacking. [1] Another species from this complex, S. pyrrholaemus, was described as a new species in 2008. Based on mtDNA, it is placed within S. erythrothorax sensu lato , and consequently is only a species (rather than a subspecies of S. erythrothorax) if at least some of the taxonomy recommended in 1999 is followed. [4] The genetic divergence between S. pyrrholaemus and other members of the genus is comparable to that between some other closely related species. [4]

Three additional taxa in the forest robin complex were described (as species) in 2016: Stiphrornis (erythrothorax) dahomeyensis (Dahomey forest robin), S. (e.) inexpectatus (Ghana forest robin), and S. (e.) rudderi (Rudder's forest robin). These three taxa are nested within S. erythrothorax sensu lato; however, using the phylogenetic species concept, the study recommended the treatment of all eight forest robin taxa as distinct species. [5]

Clements recognizes three species. the olive-backed forest robin, Stiphrornis pyrrholaemus, the orange-breasted forest robin, Stiphrornis erythrothorax, and the yellow-breasted forest robin, Stiphrornis mabirae.

Subspecies

The currently-recognized taxa in the forest robin complex are: [6]

The relationships among the taxa are as follows: [5]

xanthogaster

rudderi

sanghensis

pyrrholaemus

erythrothorax

inexpectatus

dahomeyensis

gabonensis

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The olive-backed forest robin is a subspecies of the forest robin found in the Gamba Complex in southwest Gabon. It was described in 2008. The olive-backed forest robin can be separated from other subspecies of the forest robin by the combination of its olive upperparts, bright orange throat and chest, and cream-yellow belly. Its song is also distinct from other subspecies of the forest robin. Females are generally duller than males. It has not been evaluated by IUCN, but has been described as locally common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western forest robin</span> Subspecies of bird

The western forest robin is a subspecies of the forest robin found at low levels in West African forests from Sierra Leone to Nigeria. It has been placed in the family Turdidae, but is now generally placed in Muscicapidae. It commonly includes the other members in the genus Stiphrornis as subspecies, in which case the common name for the "combined species" simply is forest robin. The western forest robin can be separate from the other members of the genus by the combination of its deep orange throat and breast, white belly, and olive upperparts. It also appears to differ vocally from the other members in the genus, but a comprehensive study on this is lacking. When considered conspecific with the other members from its genus, S. erythrothorax is considered to be of least concern by IUCN. While not rated following the split into several species, it has been described as frequent to locally abundant, and is therefore unlikely to qualify for a threatened category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabon forest robin</span> Subspecies of bird

The Gabon forest robin is a subspecies of the forest robin found at low levels of forests in Cameroon, Gabon and Bioko. In 1999 it was recommended that it should be treated as a separate species instead of a subspecies. IUCN and some other authorities do not recognize the split, and consequently it has not been rated as species separate from the forest robin. However, it has been described as frequent to locally abundant, and is therefore unlikely to qualify for a threatened category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern forest robin</span> Subspecies of bird

The eastern forest robin is a subspecies of the forest robin found at low levels in forests from Cameroon and Gabon to DR Congo and Uganda. In 1999 it was recommended that it should be treated as a separate species instead of a subspecies. IUCN and some other authorities do not recognize the split, and consequently it has not been rated as species separate from S. erythrothorax. However, it has been described as frequent to locally abundant, and is therefore unlikely to qualify for a threatened category.

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International (2018). "Stiphrornis erythrothorax". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T103763077A132191967. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T103763077A132191967.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Collar, N. (2005). Forest Robin (Stiphrornis erythrothorax). Pp. 730-731 in: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., & Christie, D. eds. (2005). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 10. Cuckoo-shrikes to Thrushes. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN   84-87334-72-5
  3. 1 2 Beresford, P.; Cracraft, J. (1999). "Speciation in African forest robins (Stiphrornis): species limits, phylogenetic relationships, and molecular biogeography" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (3270): 1–22.
  4. 1 2 Schmidt, B.; Foster, J.; Angehr, G.; Durrant, K.; Fleischer, R. (2008). "A new species of African Forest Robin from Gabon (Passeriformes: Muscicapidae: Stiphrornis)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1850: 27–42. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.1850.1.2 .
  5. 1 2 Voelker, G.; Tobler, M.; Prestridge, H. L.; Duijm, E.; Groenenberg, D.; Hutchinson, M. R.; Martin, A. D.; Nieman, A.; Roselaar, C. S.; Huntley, J. W. (2016). "Three new species of Stiphrornis (Aves: Muscicapidae) from the Afro-tropics, with a molecular phylogenetic assessment of the genus". Systematics and Biodiversity. 15 (2): 87–104. doi:10.1080/14772000.2016.1226978. S2CID   89146340.
  6. Gill, F & D Donsker (Eds). 2017. IOC World Bird List (v 7.1). doi : 10.14344/IOC.ML.7.1.