Various Gallus varius hybrids: variation in junglefowl hybrids and Darwin's interest in them

Hybrids between Green Junglefowl Gallus varius and domestic fowl G. gallus domesticus confused several 19th-century ornithologists. The plumage of these hybrids is so unlike the colours and patterns of either of the parent species that they were considered to be distinct species: G. aeneusTemminck, 1825; G. temminckiiGray, 1849; and G. violaceusKelsall, 1891. Darwin wanted to understand if G. aeneus and G. temminckii were hybrids or species, as part of his research on the origin of the domestic chicken. His view was that all domesticated fowl have a single wild ancestor, Red Junglefowl G. gallus (formerly G. bankiva). A hybrid specimen now present in the bird collection of the Natural History Museum at Tring played an important role in Darwin's reasoning and, although the conclusions he drew from this specimen were incorrect, his single-ancestor origin theory for domesticated fowl stands. ‘These hybrids were at one time thought to be specifically distinct, and were named G. aeneus. Mr. Blyth and others believe that the G. Temminckii is a similar hybrid' (Darwin 1868a: 234–235).© 2019 The Authors; This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The attached file is the published pdf

White feathers in black birds

The most common plumage abnormalities in birds involve some form of white feathering, ranging from birds with just a few white feathers to individuals that are completely white. The causes of aberrant white feathers are diverse and, in many cases, unknown. Some are heritable, based on simple, genetically determined changes in the pigmentation process. More commonly, the causes are less clear-cut and can include environmental conditions (particularly in relation to food availability), and the physical condition and/or age of the bird. In this paper, white feathering is explored in three common species: Carrion Crow Corvus corone, Hooded Crow C. cornix and Blackbird Turdus merula. Results from the BTO Abnormal Plumage Survey are summarised, and data from a museum-based study of Blackbirds with plumage abnormalities are reported. In all three species, partly white plumage is recorded regularly and is often referred to incorrectly as albinism or leucism.© British Birds. Articles from this journal can be made open access within institutional repositories two years following publication. The attached file is the published version of the article. If you wish to consult the rest of the issue visit the publisher's website

The Spotted green pigeon Caloenas maculata: as dead as a Dodo, but what else do we know about it?

Described in 1783 and since then re-examined by many notable ornithologists, the single specimen known as the ‘Spotted Green Pigeon’ Caloenas maculata in the collections of the World Museum, Liverpool, has always been a mystery. No-one has ever doubted that it is a pigeon, and many researchers were convinced it was a distinct species. Although its taxonomic status remained unclear, it was officially declared extinct by BirdLife International in early 2008. Recent DNA analysis has now revealed that Spotted Green Pigeon can indeed be considered a distinct species within the extended Dodo Raphus cucullatus clade of morphologically very diverse pigeon species. Most members of this clade exhibit terrestrial or semi-terrestrial habits. Further morphological research into this unique specimen, initiated by the World Museum, demonstrates that Spotted Green Pigeon, in contrast to its fellow clade members, may have possessed strongly arboreal habits.© British Ornithologists’ Club 2010 This is an open access article, available to all readers online. The attached file is the published version of the article

The colourful journey of the Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto

In the 18th and 19th centuries the Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto was widely considered to be the wild ancestor of the domesticated Barbary Dove (domestic S. risoria), and even following its recognition as a species its taxonomic status was a source of confusion. Since 1900, and the species’ massive geographic expansion (both naturally and by introduction) the two taxa have occasionally met. The resultant hybridisation is probably the cause of the large number of Eurasian Collared Doves with the aberrant pale colour of Barbary Doves in areas where hybridisation has occurred.Copyright:© 2022 The Authors; This is an open‐access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial Licence, which permits unrestricted use. The attached file is the published version of the article

Lappet-faced Vultures with white feathers

This is an open access article, available to all readers online. The attached file is the published version of the article

The history and morphology of Lord Howe Gallinule or Swamphen Porphyrio albus (Rallidae)

The extinct Lord Howe Gallinule or Swamphen Porphyrio albus (White, 1790) is known from a number of written accounts, from at least ten contemporary paintings and from two skins, but the provenance of the specimens is confused and the taxonomic literature riddled with error. We present a review of the evidence and its reliability, demonstrate that the two extant specimens were collected on Lord Howe Island, provide details about when they were taken and by whom, and how they subsequently arrived in England. We further present evidence to demonstrate that Lord Howe Gallinule possessed several unique morphological characters.Digitized on BHL by the Natural History Museum with the permission of the rights' holder under CC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Colour aberrations in extinct and endangered birds

Several groups of birds have suffered high extinction rates, especially rails, pigeons, parrots and passerines. Some island species that disappeared in the early 19th century, e.g. Lord Howe Gallinule Porphyrio albus, Rodrigues Parakeet Psittacula exsul and Mascarene Parrot Mascarinus mascarinus, are known from only a few skins and illustrations, whereas the Huia Heteralocha acutirostris of New Zealand is known from hundreds of specimens. Furthermore, two North American species—Passenger Pigeon Ectopistes migratorius and Carolina Parakeet Conuropsis carolinensis—which became extinct in the early 20th century, are also represented by hundreds of specimens. Other supposedly extinct bird species are enigmatic. Confusion exists concerning the unique specimens of Sharpe’s Rail Gallirallus sharpei and Townsend’s Bunting Spiza townsendi, paintings of a parrot from the West Indies and an aberrant white Huia, as well as aberrant specimens of the Critically Endangered Kakapo Strigops habroptilus. Much has been written concerning these birds and why they became extinct, or have become extremely rare, but few data are available concerning colour aberrations in certain specimens; the literature is also riddled with incorrect terminology. This paper addresses this shortfall and describes the various colour aberrations in these extinct and endangered birds and why they have occurred.© British Ornithologists’ Club 2010 This is an open access article, available to all readers online. The attached file is the published version of the article

The taxonomic history of Black-shouldered Peafowl; with Darwin's help downgraded from species to variation

In the 19th century the black-shouldered variety of Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus was erroneously viewed by many as a separate species, named P. nigripennis. Others had doubts about its taxonomic status, but Darwin presented firm evidence for it being a variety under domestication, which treatment is now well established and accepted. It being a colour variation rather than a wild species was important for Darwin to prove, as otherwise it could undermine his theory of slow modification by natural selection in the wild.Copyright: © 2023 The Authors; This is an open‐access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The attached file is the published version of the article

Clarifying collection details of specimens from Champion Bay, Western Australia, held in the Natural History Museum, Tring

Six bird specimens from Champion Bay (now Geraldton), Western Australia, were purchased by the British Museum from the dealer E. T. Higgins and registered in 1867. They included the first known specimen of Painted Finch Emblema pictum to have been collected after the holotype. All six specimens are of interest because their species are either rare or otherwise unknown in the Geraldton area. Widespread drought in the 1860s probably contributed to at least some of the unusual occurrences but cannot explain them all. Possible alternative locations for the specimens’ origins are investigated. Biographical details of the probable collectors of the specimens, A. H. du Boulay and F. H. du Boulay, are explored.© British Ornithologists’ Club 2016 This is an open access article, available to all readers online. The attached file is the published version of the article

Notes on a recently described subspecies, and the poorly known nominate subspecies of Rüppell's Parrot, Poicephalus rueppellii mariettae and P. r. rueppellii

Rüppell’s Parrot Poicephalus rueppellii was until recently considered to be a monotypic species. Birds from parts of north-western and west-central Angola, however, differ significantly in colour and size from the better-known populations across the rest of their range, which fact was overlooked until very recently. Because the name rueppellii was originally applied to the less-known Angolan population, it was the commoner southern population that lacked a taxonomic identity. The latter was described as Poicephalus rueppellii mariettae Hubers & Schnitker, 2022.Copyright: © 2023 The Authors; This is an open‐access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The attached file is the published version of the article