Search

The nine currently recognized subspecies in the Brown Tinamou (Crypturellus obsoletus) complex are disjunctly widespread in South America, and at least three of them occur in Brazil. Morphological diagnosis of most of these taxa is imprecise, in contrast with consistent vocal differences described in the literature. We conducted a taxonomic review of two Amazonian taxa, C. o. griseiventris and C. o. hypochraceus, using morphological, morphometric, and vocal characters. Our results indicate that C. o. hypochraceus (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1938) is a junior synonym of C. o. griseiventris (Salvadori, 1895), and that Crypturellus griseiventris (Salvadori, 1895) must be treated as a full species, based on unique and fully diagnosable plumage and vocal patterns.

The Curl-crested Aracari Pteroglossus beauharnaesii Wagler, 1832 is one of the most remarkable species in the family Ramphastidae. Among other distinctive plumage traits, its modified curly, shiny black crown feathers are unique in the family and are modified to an extent not found in any other living bird species (Brush 1967; ShortHorne 2002). The crown feathers, along with the distinct white throat, were considered sufficient justification in the past to include the species in the monotypic genus Beauharnaisius Bonaparte; however, molecular studies have shown that it is embedded within the genus Pteroglossus Illiger, sister to P. bitorquatus (HackettLehn 1997; EberhardBermingham 2005; PereiraWajntal 2008). It is a southern Amazonian species, occurring in the lowlands of northern Peru, north and central Bolivia and western and central Amazonian Brazil, south of the Marañon-Solimões-Amazonas rivers (ShortHorne 2002).

Cyphorhinus arada, an Amazonian endemic, shows considerable geographic variation in plumage that has led to the recognition of eight subspecies. These include C. a. arada, C. a. salvini, C. a. modulator, C. a. transfluvialis, C. a. interpositus, C. a. griseolateralis, C. a. urbanoi and C. a. faroensis. However, a thorough taxonomic revision of the Cyphorhinus arada complex has never been undertaken, so we revise the taxonomy based on morphological and vocal characters. We analyzed a total of 515 museum specimens and 146 voice recordings representing and encompassing the distributions of all named taxa, including those currently considered not valid. Vocal analyses showed major variation within the complex, from which several trends could be identified between populations. We concluded that six species (C. arada, C. transfluvialis, C. modulator, C. salvini, C. interpositus and C. griseolateralis) should be recognized under the Phylogenetic Species Concept based on the diagnosis of stable plumage and vocal patterns of each.

The Rose-fronted Parakeet Pyrrhura roseifrons (Gray, 1859) is a poorly known species that occurs in lowland forest of western Amazonia, from eastern Peru to western Brazil and northern Bolivia (Collar 1997; Forshaw 2010). Like many Pyrrhura species, it is mostly green, and has a pale auricular patch, red tail and belly, but presents a bright red head, distinct from any other close relatives within the genus. It was long considered a subspecies of P. picta (Statius Miller, 1776) (Arndt 1983; Arndt 1996; Collar 1997; Juniper & Parr, 1998) and only recently has its specific rank been restored (Joseph 2000, 2002; Ribas et al . 2006) and accepted in the literature (Dickinson & Remsen 2013; del Hoyo & Collar 2014; Remsen et al . 2015).

Setopagis maculosa (Todd, 1920) (Aves: Caprimulgidae) was described based on a single male specimen collected by Samuel Milton Klages in French Guiana, northeastern South America. Since then, no new specimens have been collected nor have any reliable records been made, and the validity of the species has been questioned. A detailed analysis of the holotype reveals that it has unique and distinctive morphological traits that support the validity and taxonomic status of the species, which is provisionally placed in Setopagis. We present new information on the type locality at the time of its collection, which may shed some light on the habitat preferences of the species, and we provide details on its plumage that have been largely overlooked and that will be important for future field identification.

The habits and general behaviour of the chachalacas ( Ortalis spp.) in the Neotropics are well known. However, the validity and even the diagnoses of some taxa are poorly studied, and this may jeopardize the conservation of some populations. Within Ortalis guttata two subspecies are currently accepted, the nominate O . g . guttata (Spix) and O . g . subaffinis Todd. A third taxa, O . g . remota Pinto, 1960, was described based on a single specimen from SE Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil. Despite appreciable differences between O . g . remota and other members of Ortalis , this taxon was considered as a synonym of O . squamata , a species restricted to the lowlands of Atlantic Forest, east of Serra do Mar. Here we performed coloration and geographical distribution analysis of O . g . remota with additional examination of the holotype and a thorough comparison of skins and photos with other members of Ortalis ( O . squamata , O . araucuan , and O . guttata ) intending to disentangle the above taxonomic puzzle. Our results showed that a newly recognized population of O . g . remota differs consistently from all other Ortalis taxa currently treated as distinct species in plumage characters and geographic distribution. Therefore, we defend that it should be considered a valid species, Ortalis remota Pinto, 1960. Ortalis remota has a very restricted range on the upper Parana River and it is threatened by deforestation and construction of dams.

As a part of a taxonomic study of the Penelope superciliaris complex, we noticed that two names are available for the population which occurs on the left margin of the Tapajós River, in Amazonian Brazil, which, in life, possesses a bright-blue face. The type locality of Penelope superciliares [sic] cyanosparius Nardelli, 1993, described by Nardelli (1993) based on living specimens, is not far from the type locality of P. s. pseudonyma Neumann, 1933. We collected new specimens across this region and, after a reexamination of the material used by Neumann (1933) to describe P. s. pseudonyma, we conclude that Penelope superciliaris pseudonyma is the oldest available name for the blue-faced guans restricted to the Madeira-Tapajós interfluvium, and P. superciliares [sic] cyanosparius Nardelli, 1993 must be treated as a junior synonym.

Setopagis maculosa (Todd, 1920) (Aves: Caprimulgidae) was described based on a single male specimen collected by Samuel Milton Klages in French Guiana, northeastern South America. Since then, no new specimens have been collected nor have any reliable records been made, and the validity of the species has been questioned. A detailed analysis of the holotype reveals that it has unique and distinctive morphological traits that support the validity and taxonomic status of the species, which is provisionally placed in Setopagis. We present new information on the type locality at the time of its collection, which may shed some light on the habitat preferences of the species, and we provide details on its plumage that have been largely overlooked and that will be important for future field identification.

We report the first records of chewing lice from an isolated population of the solitary tinamou (formerly known as Tinamus solitarius pernambucensis Berla, 1946) in the Pernambuco Centre of Endemism (PCE), Brazil. All louse records previously published from the solitary tinamou came from the populations south of the Sao Francisco River, formerly known as Tinamus solitarius solitarius (Vieillot, 1819). Five known species of the family Heptapsogasteridae were identified from the northern population of this host: Heptarthrogaster grandis Carriker, 1936; Ornicholax alienus (Giebel, 1874); Pterocotes solitarius Guimaraes & Lane, 1937; Rhopaloceras oniscus (Nitzsch [in Giebel], 1866); and Strongylocotes wernecki Guimaraes & Lane, 1937. Also, the new species Heptagoniodes guimaraesi is described and illustrated from the northern population of this host, and a key for identification of all the species of Heptagoniodes Carriker, 1936 is included. The discovery of H. guimaraesi is the first Brazilian example of a bird ectoparasite represented by two different species of the same genus living on two distinct populations of the same host species. Records of eight louse species and 31 new localities from the southern population of the solitary tinamou in Brazil are given, and an updated list of all the chewing lice known from both host populations [subspecies] is included.

The genus Aratinga von Spix, 1824, as treated since Peters (1937), consists of 20 to 21 species (Kremer 1989, Collar 1997, Juniper & Parr 1998, Silveira et al. 2005, Dickinson 2003, Forshaw 2010) of medium-sized, pointed-tailed, mostly green parakeets that range throughout the Neotropical region. All species currently included in the genus Aratinga had already been recognized by Salvadori (1891) and placed in the genus Conurus . Ridgway (1916) placed the species in four genera: Aratinga , Eupsittula , Nandayus , and Thectocercus ; Ridgway provided a rationale for his treatment using morphological and plumage characters, and he included a dichotomous key. Cory (1918) followed Ridgway’s (1916) classification. Miranda-Ribeiro (1920) placed the species in four genera: Conurus , “ Nendayus” (= Nandayus ), Gymnopsittacus , and “ Eupsittacula” (= Eupsittula ). Peters (1937) placed all members of these genera but Nandayus nenday into a single genus, Aratinga (Table 1), but provided no rationale for his classification. Nonetheless, his treatment has been followed in all subsequent classifications, including Meyer de Schauensee (1970), Sibley & Ahlquist (1990), Collar (1997), Dickinson (2003), and Forshaw (2010), although Marien & Koopman (1955) suggested retention of three subgenera.

Cercomacra cinerascens Hellmayr 1905 is a medium-sized species of antbird distributed throughout the Amazon Basin in South America. It comprises a complex of four currently recognized taxa, C. c. cinerascens (Sclater 1857), C. c. immaculata Chubb 1918, C. c. sclateri Hellmayr 1905 and C. c. iterata Zimmer 1932, all characterized by the grey coloration of males and brownish olive coloration of females, long and graduated white-tipped tails, hidden white interscapular patch and distinct stiff rictal bristles. All subspecies primarily inhabit unflooded terra firme forests, the former two occurring north of the Rio Amazonas and the latter two in southern Amazonia (Fig. 1, Zimmer & Isler 2003).

The generic name Geranoaetus Kaup, 1844 (type species: Falco aguia Temminck = Spizaetus melanoleucus Vieillot) generally has been applied only to its type species, G. melanoleucus, although inclusion of fossil species in the genus has been suggested (Wetmore 1933; Amadon 1963). Although Geranoaetus is still recognized by some authors (e.g., Thiollay 1994; Remsen et al. 2010), others consider it a junior synonym of the genus Buteo Lacépedè, 1799, because of similarities to some species in that genus (e.g., Wetmore 1933; Hellmayr & Conover 1949; Clark 2006). Recent studies of the molecular phylogenetics of buteonine hawks (Riesing et al. 2003; Lerner et al. 2008; Amaral et al. 2006, 2009) unanimously agree on the lack of monophyly of three buteonine genera, namely Buteo, Leucopternis Kaup, 1847 and Buteogallus Lesson, 1830, as currently recognized (Remsen et al. 2010).