Pied Triller (Lalage nigra) - HBW 10, p. 99

Taxonomy: Turdus niger J. R. Forster, 1781, East Indies = Manila, Philippines.
May form a superspecies with L. leucopygialis, and the two are often considered conspecific; nevertheless, on basis of plumage characters, present species appears to be closer to L. sueurii than to L. leucopygialis. It has been suggested that present species may form a superspecies with L. sueurii, or that the two might even be conspecific; in such scenarios, merging of L. leucopygialis into present species would be inappropiate, due to resultant sympatry with L. sueurii in Sulawesi; indeed, present species and L. sueurii may be sympatric in C Java. In past, type specimen of present species was reckoned to have come from Singapore; under that arrangement, the populations of mainland SE Asia, Sumatra and Java now labelled as race striga constituted the nominate race, while the populations of Borneo and Philippines now considered to form the nominate were allotted race chilensis. Three subspecies currently recognized.