Multiple species within the Striated PriniaPrinia crinigera–Brown PriniaP. polychroacomplex revealed through an integrative taxonomic approach

Abstract

We re‐evaluated the taxonomy of the Striated Prinia Prinia crinigera–Brown Prinia P. polychroa complex using molecular, morphological and vocal analyses. The extensive seasonal, sexual, age‐related, geographical and taxon‐specific variation in this complex has never before been adequately studied. As no previous genetic or vocal analyses have focused on this group, misinterpretation of taxonomic signals from limited conventional morphological study alone was likely. Using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, we found that P. crinigera sensu lato (s.l.) comprises two non‐sister groups of taxa (Himalayan crinigera and Chinese striata groups) that differ substantially morphologically and vocally and that are broadly sympatric in Yunnan Province, China. Prinia polychroa cooki (Myanmar) and P. p. rocki (southern Vietnam) are each morphologically, vocally and genetically distinct. Thai, Cambodian and Laotian populations formerly ascribed to P. p. cooki are morphologically and vocally most similar to and most closely related to Javan P. p. polychroa, and require a new name, proposed here. Prinia p. bangsi of Yunnan is part of the crinigera group rather than of P. polychroa, and hence there is no evidence for sympatry between P. polychroa s.l. and P. crinigera s.l., nor of the occurrence of P. polychroa in mainland China or Taiwan. We recommend the recognition of five species in the complex, with the following suggestions for new English names: Himalayan Prinia P. crinigera sensu stricto (s.s.; with subspecies striatula, crinigera, yunnanensis and bangsi); Chinese Prinia P. striata (subspecies catharia, parumstriata and striata); Burmese Prinia P. cooki (monotypic); Annam Prinia P. rocki (monotypic) and Deignan's Prinia P. polychroa s.s. (subspecies Javan polychroa and the new Southeast Asian taxon). This study underlines the importance of using multiple datasets for the elucidation of diversity of cryptic bird species and their evolutionary history and biogeography.

Molecular Species Delimitation of Larks (Aves: Alaudidae), and Integrative Taxonomy of the Genus Calandrella, with the Description of a Range-Restricted African Relic Taxon

“…However, we acknowledge that the Calandrella larks are poorly differentiated morphometrically (Figure 1), and we stress that other types of data, in combination with dense taxon sampling, are necessary for confident taxonomic revisions. Here, we lack substantive data from nuclear DNA markers, vocalizations, other behaviours, ecology etc., to take the fully integrative taxonomic approach [108][109][110] that is becoming more common, e.g., [111][112][113][114][115][116][117][118][119][120] and which we argue should be the gold standard. Yet, while we emphasize that taxonomic decisions should never rest on mitochondrial trees alone [101,106], we here make use of available morphometric data and evaluate a recent tool for single-locus molecular species delimitation [54], which has been used to propose avian taxonomic revisions based solely on mitochondrial data [121] or in combination with morphometry [65].…”

Effects of weather on breeding success of Ashy prinia (Prinia socialis) in Manigram of Tilottama Municipality, Nepal

“…Globally, 27 species of prinia have been recognized (Alström et al, 2020) among which nine species are recorded from Nepal (Grimmet et al, 1998). Ashy prinia is a small bodied sparrow size insectivorous bird, classified under the Passeriformes species of family Cisticolidae.…”