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Cuckoo-shrikes (Campephagidae)

South Melanesian Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina caledonica) - HBW 10, p. 71

French: Échenilleur calédonien German: Melanesienraupenfänger Spanish: Oruguero de Melanesia

Taxonomy: Corvus caledonicus J. F. Gmelin, 1788, New Caledonia.
Forms a superspecies with C. macei, C. javensis, C. schistacea, C. personata, C. atriceps, C. fortis, C. welchmani and C. novaehollandiae, possibly also including C. caerulogrisea; all were formerly treated as conspecific. In recent decades, present species has normally been treated as conspecific with C. welchmani, but the two show notable differences in plumage, sexual dichromatism, iris colour, voice, and habitat preferences; all these factors, combined with significant geographical gap of c. 1000 km of ocean between the.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Corvus caledonicus J. F. Gmelin, 1788, New Caledonia.
Forms a superspecies with C. macei, C. javensis, C. schistacea, C. personata, C. atriceps, C. fortis, C. welchmani and C. novaehollandiae, possibly also including C. caerulogrisea; all were formerly treated as conspecific. In recent decades, present species has normally been treated as conspecific with C. welchmani, but the two show notable differences in plumage, sexual dichromatism, iris colour, voice, and habitat preferences; all these factors, combined with significant geographical gap of c. 1000 km of ocean between the two groups, suggest it is more appropriate to revert to their earlier treatment as two separate species. Four subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • thilenii (Neumann, 1915) - Vanuatu (Espíritu Santo, Malo, Malakula).
  • seiuncta Mayr & Ripley, 1941 - Erromango, in S Vanuatu.
  • lifuensis (Tristram, 1879) - Loyalty Is (Lifou).
  • caledonica (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) - New Caledonia.

Photos

2 photos
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