A New Species of Muscicapa Flycatcher from Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

The Indonesian island of Sulawesi, a globally important hotspot of avian endemism, has been relatively poorly studied ornithologically, to the extent that several new bird species from the region have been described to science only recently, and others have been observed and photographed, but never before collected or named to science. One of these is a new species of Muscicapa flycatcher that has been observed on several occasions since 1997. We collected two specimens in Central Sulawesi in 2012, and based on a combination of morphological, vocal and genetic characters, we describe the new species herein, more than 15 years after the first observations. The new species is superficially similar to the highly migratory, boreal-breeding Gray-streaked Flycatcher Muscicapa griseisticta, which winters in Sulawesi; however, the new species differs strongly from M. griseisticta in several morphological characters, song, and mtDNA. Based on mtDNA, the new species is only distantly related to M. griseisticta, instead being a member of the M. dauurica clade. The new species is evidently widely distributed in lowland and submontane forest throughout Sulawesi. This wide distribution coupled with the species' apparent tolerance of disturbed habitats suggests it is not currently threatened with extinction.

Using bioacoustic data to test species limits in an Indo-Pacific island radiation ofMacropygiacuckoo doves

“…A motif is defined here as one repeat of a call, and an element comprises an unbroken segment of a call motif (Fig. ), as similarly defined in previous bioacoustic studies (Nemeth & Brumm, ; Rheindt et al ., ; Nemeth et al ., ; Harris et al ., ). A total of 29 vocal parameters, where applicable, were measured: (1) number of elements per motif; (2–4) lowest frequency of elements 1–3; (5–7) highest frequency of elements 1–3; (8–10) peak frequency of elements 1–3; (11–13) bandwidth frequency of elements 1–3; (14) total lowest frequency; (15) total highest frequency; (16) total peak frequency; (17) total bandwidth frequency; (18) break length between elements 1 and 2; (19) break length between elements 2 and 3; (20) total intra‐motif break length; (21) break length between motifs; (22–24) duration of elements 1–3; (25) total motif length; (26) ratio between total break length and total motif length; and (27–29) differential frequency of elements 1–3.…”

A Colourful New Species of Myzomela Honeyeater From Rote Island in Eastern Indonesia

“…(Table Supplement 2). In our classification of call types, we interpreted an unbroken vocal segment as an "element", whereas a "motif" was taken to be a collection of one to multiple elements that are repeated in an almost identical fashion (Rheindt et al 2011, Harris et al 2014 Vocal parameters were also analysed using Isler et al's (1998) criterion for bioacoustic species delimitation (henceforth referred to as the Isler criterion). The Isler criterion has previously been applied successfully to distinguish among vocally divergent lineages of Asian and AustraloPacific doves, nightjars, bulbuls, owls, and babblers (Sangster & Rozendaal 2004, Rheindt et al 2011, Garg et al 2016, Gwee et al 2017, Cros & Rheindt 2017 (Fig.…”

“…2 a and b). In our classification of call types, we inter pr eted an unbr oken vocal segment as an "element", whereas a "motif" was taken to be a collection of one to multiple elements that are repeated in an almost identical fashion (Rheindt et al 2011, Harris et al 2014). …”

410. Notes on the vocalizations of Asian Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica)

“…Our main interest is to compare voice of recently described M. sodhii (Harris 2014) with other related taxa. Few recordings of song are available for many taxa in the genus Muscicapa (and about 50% of ML recordings for Muscicapa are restricted).…”

“…More detailed measurements are given in Table 8 by Harris et al (2014), leading to the conclusion that main vocal difference between soddhi and other Muscicapa taxa are maximum note frequency, minimum note frequency and frequency of maximum power. This being said, we have the following critical remarks about the vocal data by Harris et al: * vocal difference is based on a single individual of sodhii, and comparison with other taxa is also based on just 1-3 individuals/taxon.…”