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Thrushes (Turdidae)

Bearded Scrub-robin (Erythropygia quadrivirgata) - HBW 10, p. 759

French: Agrobate à moustaches German: Streifenkopf-Heckensänger Spanish: Alzacola Bigotudo
Other common names: Eastern Bearded Scrub-robin; Zanzibar (Bearded) Scrub-robin (greenwayi)

Taxonomy: Thamnobia quadrivirgata Reichenow, 1879, Kipini, lower Tana River, Kenya.
Genus often merged into Cercotrichas. Has been thought to form a superspecies with E. leucosticta, E. barbata and E. signata, and these four recently separated by some authors in genus Tychaedon. Formerly treated as conspecific with E. barbata on basis of convergence of characters (apparently including vocal) in S Zambia and W Tanzania, and still not fully clear that separate species status is appropriate; reported overlap in these areas requires documentation, although no evidence of hybridization and the two have distinct habitat preferences. Record.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Thamnobia quadrivirgata Reichenow, 1879, Kipini, lower Tana River, Kenya.
Genus often merged into Cercotrichas. Has been thought to form a superspecies with E. leucosticta, E. barbata and E. signata, and these four recently separated by some authors in genus Tychaedon. Formerly treated as conspecific with E. barbata on basis of convergence of characters (apparently including vocal) in S Zambia and W Tanzania, and still not fully clear that separate species status is appropriate; reported overlap in these areas requires documentation, although no evidence of hybridization and the two have distinct habitat preferences. Record of apparent hybridization with E. signata in S of range. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • quadrivirgata ( Reichenow, 1879) - C & SE Kenya and S Somalia S to NE Namibia and E South Africa.
  • greenwayi Moreau, 1938 - Zanzibar and Mafia I, off E Tanzania.

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