Fiji_whistler

Fiji whistler

Fiji whistler

Species of bird


The Fiji whistler (Pachycephala vitiensis) is a species of bird in the family Pachycephalidae, endemic to Fiji.

Quick Facts Conservation status, Scientific classification ...

Taxonomy and systematics

It was variably considered a subspecies of a widespread golden whistler (P. pectoralis).[2][3] Three of the subspecies (P. v. kandavensis, lauana, and vitiensis) of the former white-throated whistler (P. v. kandavensis, lauana, and vitiensis) were lumped with the Fiji whistler in 2014 by the IOC.[4] The Temotu whistler was formerly considered conspecific with the Fiji whistler.

Subspecies

Ten subspecies are recognized:[5]

  • P. v. kandavensis - Ramsay, 1876: Originally described as a separate species. Found on Kadavu
  • P. v. lauana - Mayr, 1932: Found in southern Lau Islands
  • P. v. vitiensis - Gray, G.R. 1860: Found on Gau Island
  • P. v. bella - Mayr, 1932: Found on Vatu Vara
  • P. v. koroana - Mayr, 1932: Found on Koro Island
  • Taveuni whistler (P. v. torquata), or Taveuni Island golden whistler - Layard, EL, 1875: Originally described as a separate species. Found on Taveuni Island
  • P. v. aurantiiventris - Seebohm, 1891: Originally described as a separate species. Found on Yanganga and Vanua Levu
  • P. v. ambigua - Mayr, 1932: Found on southeast Vanua Levu, Rabi, and Kioa
  • P. v. optata - Hartlaub, 1866: Originally described as a separate species. Found on south-eastern Viti Levu and Ovalau
  • P. v. graeffii - Hartlaub, 1866: Originally described as a separate species. Found on Waya and Viti Levu

Description

Some of the subspecies of the Fiji whistler are yellow-throated, while others are white-throated.[2] It has been speculated that these two groups are the result of separate waves of colonisations, with the yellow-throated being the result of an early colonisation, and the white-throated the result of a secondary colonisation.[2] The yellow-throated are found on most northern and central islands (Vanua Levu, Viti Levu, Taveuni, Ovalau, Kioa, Rabi, Koro and Vatu Vara), while the white-throated are found on some southern islands (Kadavu, Gau and southern Lau Islands.[2]

Vocalisations

Song Vidawa, Taveuni, Fiji Isles

References

  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Pachycephala vitiensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T103693448A104274221. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T103693448A104274221.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. Boles, W. E. (2007). Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis). pp. 421–423 in: del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Christie, D. eds (2007). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 978-84-96553-42-2
  3. "IOC World Bird List 4.4". IOC World Bird List Datasets. doi:10.14344/ioc.ml.4.4.
  4. "IOC World Bird List 6.3". IOC World Bird List Datasets. doi:10.14344/ioc.ml.6.3.



Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Fiji_whistler, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.