Taxonomic Notes

Birdlife International IUCN Red List Catergory: CE = Critically Endangered. EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable. NT = Near Threatened. E = Colombian Endemic 

South American Checklist Committee (see:  www.museum.lsu.edu/~remsen/SACCBaseline.html )

1.      Andean Teal (Anas andium) has recently been split from Anas flavirostris "Speckled Teal" by the SACC.

2.      Andean Duck (Oxyura ferruginea) was previously treated as a distinct species but both the andina and ferruginea subspecies are now lumped with nominate Ruddy Duck (O. jamaicensis) by the SACC.

3.      Variable Hawk (Buteo polyosoma) is now generally includes Puna Hawk (Buteo polyosoma poecililochrous) although the taxonomy of these races is still the subject of ongoing debate.

4.      Crested Caracara has recently been split three ways with the birds we saw labeled as Northern Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway). Southern Caracara ranges from Southern Peru south, while Guadalupe Caracara is extinct.

5.      The New World forms of Moorhen have just been split from the Old World forms and this has been accepted by SACC.  They call the New World bird Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata).

6.      The New World forms of Sandwich Tern have just been split from the Old World forms.  The New World forms (which include Cayenne Tern) are now called Cabot’s Tern (Thalasseus acuflavidus).

7.      Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata). Those seen in Colombia relate to albilinea which is sometimes considered specifically distinct from fasciata and named White-naped Pigeon, although that name is already in use for an African species of Pigeon. This split is not recognized by the SACC.

8.      Amethyst-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus amethysticollis). The subspecies we saw clarisse is split by some authors as Longuemare's Sunangel on distributional grounds but this split is not accepted by the SACC.

9.      Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina). The birds seen at Santa Marta belong to the districta race having a violet-blue rather than bronzy tail and are sometimes proposed as a separate species Santa Marta Metaltail. Currently not separated by the SACC.

10.    Gartered Trogon (Trogon viridis) was previously known as Northern Violaceous Trogon. The SACC recently split viridis from Amazonian Violaceous Trogon (Trogon ramonianus). They also decided to revert to the shorter names, Gartered and Amazonian Trogons.

11.    Blue-crowned Motmot has just been split into five species, four of which occur in South America.  This has been accepted by SACC and is likely to be accepted for the world lists shortly.  The form that is found in lowland Colombia is now called Whooping Motmot (Momotus subrufescens).  One of the other forms is what we had been calling Highland Motmot (Motmotus aequatorialis), which is now being called Andean Motmot by SACC.

12.    Emerald Toucanet has been proposed to be split into 7 differen't species. The birds we saw in the Andes belong to albivitta or Andean Toucanet while those in the Santa Marta Mountains are lautus or Santa Marta Toucanet. The SACC currently lumps all subspecies under Emerald Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus prasinus).

13.    Groove-billed Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus sulcatus). A single bird of the Yellow-billed race calorhynchus was seen in the foothills at Santa Marta. This race is sometimes split as Yellow-billed Toucanet, for example in Restalls Birds of Northern South America, but this split is not yet accepted by the SACC.

14.    Buffy Tuftedcheek (Pseudocolaptes lawrencii). The birds we saw at Las Tangaras belong to P. johnsoni which is sometimes treated as a separate species.  Pacific Tuftedcheek (P .johnsoni) occurs in western Colombia and Ecuador whereas P lawrencii occurs in central America. This split is not recognized by the SACC.

15.    Northern White-fringed Antwren (Formicivora grisea). The northern populations are sometimes split as Northern White-fringed Antwren due to some vocal differences. The birds we saw in the Magdalena valley and in the Guajira would relate to northern forms. This split is not recognized by the SACC.

16.    The SACC recently split Magdalena Antbird (Myrmeciza palliate) from Dull-Mantled Antbird (M. laemosticta), mainly due to vocal differences. The birds we saw at La Victoria were Magdalena Antbirds.

17.    Rufous Antpitta (Grallaria rufula). The birds that occur at Chingaza are currently listed as rufula but their very distinct vocalizations strongly suggest that they belong to an undescribed subspecies. The birds we heard in the Santa Marta mountains refer to Spatior which is very vocally distinct. The SACC currently recognizes one species but this group could be split into a number of species in the future.

18.    Alto Pisonus Tapaculo (Scytalopus sp.) is a recently discovered species from the western cordillera of the Andes in Colombia. A formal description has yet to be published with the name currently used referring to the location of the type specimen. It has been found at a few sites in western Colombia where it occurs in wet, mossy cloud forest.

19.    Black-throated Tody-Tyrant (Hemitriccus granadensis). The single individual seen near El Dorado Lodge would be of the subspecies lehmanni. Seven subspecies are currently recognized. Vocal and plumage differences across its range suggest that more than one species may be involved.

20.    Cinnamon Flycatcher (Pyrrhomyias cinnamomeus). The distinctive form in the Santa Marta Mountains is assimilis and is morphologically very different from Andean populations, being much more Cinnamon. The duller subspecies in the Colombian Andes is pyrrhopterus. No split currently proposed but a very distinctive subspecies.

21.    House Wren (Troglodytes aedon). Birds seen belong to Troglodytes (aedon) musculus which is often regarded as a distinct species, Southern House Wren. This split is not adopted by the SACC.

22.    Yellow-Tufted Dacnis (Dacnis egregia) is currently lumped with Black-faced Dacnis (D. lineata) by the SACC. They note the morphological and distributional differences of the two races but await further studies before approving a split.

23.    Paramo Seedeater (Catamenia homochroa). The individual we saw was the race oreophila which is endemic to the Santa Marta mountains and sometime regarded as a separate species Santa Marta Paramo Seedeater. This treatment is not adopted by the SACC.

24.    Following an 8 way split Stripe-headed Brush-Finch no longer exists. Three species are relevant to this tour: Grey-browed Brush-Finch of the Colombian Andes, which we saw at the Antpitta feeders at Rio Blanco; Black-headed Brush-Finch which we saw along the road above Libano; and Sierra Nevada Brush-Finch, of Santa Marta, which we saw below the Lodge at El Dorado.