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Buntings and New World Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Botteri's Sparrow (Peucaea botterii) - HBW 16, p. 569

French: Bruant de Botteri German: Botteriammer Spanish: Chingolo de Botteri
Other common names: Peten/Yellow-carpalled Sparrow (petenica/vantynei/spadiconigrescens/vulcanica)

Taxonomy: Zonotrichia botterii P. L. Sclater, 1858, vicinity of Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico.
Formerly placed in Aimophila, but molecular-genetic studies indicate that such treatment would make that genus polyphyletic. Closely related to P. cassinii and P. aestivalis, all having aerial song displays; molecular analyses suggest that this group is close to a clade consisting of P. ruficauda, P. humeralis, P. mystacalis, P. sumichrasti and P. carpalis. S races petenica, vantynei, spadiconigrescens and vulcanica have in the past been considered to represent a separate species. Race petenica intergrad.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Zonotrichia botterii P. L. Sclater, 1858, vicinity of Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico.
Formerly placed in Aimophila, but molecular-genetic studies indicate that such treatment would make that genus polyphyletic. Closely related to P. cassinii and P. aestivalis, all having aerial song displays; molecular analyses suggest that this group is close to a clade consisting of P. ruficauda, P. humeralis, P. mystacalis, P. sumichrasti and P. carpalis. S races petenica, vantynei, spadiconigrescens and vulcanica have in the past been considered to represent a separate species. Race petenica intergrades with nominate in E Mexico (Veracruz). Some races poorly differentiated, grading clinally into others; texana sometimes considered synonymous with arizonae; proposed race tabascensis (described from S Huimanguillo, in W Tabasco) included within petenica. Nine subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • arizonae Ridgway, 1873 - extreme S USA in SE Arizona (Cochise County) and SW New Mexico, possibly also W Texas, and N Mexico S to S Sonora and N Durango and discontinuously in N & S Coahuila; non-breeding also to SC Mexico (Morelos).
  • texana (A. R. Phillips, 1943) - S Texas and NE Mexico (E Tamaulipas).
  • goldmani (A. R. Phillips, 1943) - W coast of Mexico from S Sinaloa S to Nayarit.

     See all 9 subspecies
  • arizonae Ridgway, 1873 - extreme S USA in SE Arizona (Cochise County) and SW New Mexico, possibly also W Texas, and N Mexico S to S Sonora and N Durango and discontinuously in N & S Coahuila; non-breeding also to SC Mexico (Morelos).
  • texana (A. R. Phillips, 1943) - S Texas and NE Mexico (E Tamaulipas).
  • goldmani (A. R. Phillips, 1943) - W coast of Mexico from S Sinaloa S to Nayarit.
  • mexicana (Lawrence, 1867) - C highlands of Mexico from SE Durango, Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí S to Colima, C Michoacán and Distrito Federal.
  • botterii (P. L. Sclater, 1858) - SE & S highlands of Mexico from S San Luis Potosí S through Puebla and W Veracruz to C Guerrero, Oaxaca and W Chiapas.
  • petenica (Salvin, 1863) - lowlands of SE Mexico from EC Veracruz (near city of Veracruz), Tabasco and E Chiapas E to N Yucatán, N Guatemala (Petén) and Belize.
  • vantynei (Webster, 1959) - highlands of C Guatemala.
  • spadiconigrescens (T. R. Howell, 1965) - lowlands of N Honduras and NE Nicaragua.
  • vulcanica (W. deW. Miller & Griscom, 1925) - highlands of W Nicaragua and NW Costa Rica.
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