The ambiguous identity of Turdus mustelinus Wilson, and a neotype designation for the Veery Catharus fuscescens (Stephens)

Abstract

The long-recognised name of the Veery Catharus fuscescens (Stephens 1817) was intended to replace Tawny Thrush Turdus mustelinus Wilson, 1812, which was preoccupied by T. mustelinus J. F. Gmelin, 1789. Herein, I demonstrate that T. mustelinus Wilson is unidentifiable because it was based on attributes shared by more than one species, including some features that are a better match to other Catharus species than to Veery. None of the specimens mentioned in Wilson's description is extant. To maintain traditional nomenclature and to prevent destabilising confusion arising from alternative identifications, I designate a neotype for Turdus mustelinus Wilson and its replacement names, including T. fuscescens Stephens, fixing the name to the taxon to which it has been traditionally applied. The neotype is a colour-banded male that was tracked over two consecutive years with light-level geolocator and GPS tracking units. To my knowledge, it is the first bird specimen in any collection for which migratory data were collected with either device.The taxonomic history of the forest-dwelling thrushes of eastern North America (Catharus) ranks among the most obscure and confusing chapters of American ornithology. Repeatedly, multiple names were unknowingly applied to a single species, or conversely, attributes of multiple species were combined to form a composite species (Coues 1878). Today, in addition to Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina, which has sometimes been placed in Catharus, ornithologists recognise nine taxa of five species that breed in and / or migrate through the Mid-Atlantic region of eastern North America: C. guttatus faxoni (Bangs & T. E.

The misidentification of Turdus ustulatus Nuttall, and the names of the nightingale-thrushes (Turdidae: Catharus)

“…If anything, they cast more doubt on Nuttall's understanding of the species in question: 'At intervals, on the commencement of the breeding period, we heard their notes, bearing indeed, some resemblance to the quaint warble of the Veery or Wilson's Thrush [i.e. Wilson's composite T. mustelinus, see Halley 2018], though quite distinct, and easily recognizable from the notes of that Atlantic species. Its song was also more brief and interrupted, and the bird more shy and difficult of access.…”

“…The convoluted nomenclature of the nightingale-thrushes (Aves: Turdidae: Catharus) began with a taxonomically composite species (Turdus minor J. F. Gmelin, 1789) that was a source of widespread confusion until the mid-19th century. In a recent paper, I reviewed the early history of T. minor and demonstrated that Alexander Wilson (1766Wilson ( -1813, who split the composite T. minor into two species that were also composites (T. solitarius and T. mustelinus; Wilson, 1812), did not correctly distinguish any of the five species now recognised as breeders in eastern North America (Halley 2018). Those species are: Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus (Pallas, 1811), Veery C. fuscescens (Stephens, 1817; for neotypification see Halley 2018), Swainson's Thrush C. ustulatus (Nuttall, 1840), Greycheeked Thrush C. minimus (Lafresnaye, 1848) and Bicknell's Thrush C. bicknelli (Ridgway, 1882).…”

“…Those species are: Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus (Pallas, 1811), Veery C. fuscescens (Stephens, 1817; for neotypification see Halley 2018), Swainson's Thrush C. ustulatus (Nuttall, 1840), Greycheeked Thrush C. minimus (Lafresnaye, 1848) and Bicknell's Thrush C. bicknelli (Ridgway, 1882). The confusion of Wilson's composites had downstream effects on the understanding of Charles Lucien Bonaparte (1803-57) and John James Audubon (1785Audubon ( -1851, who likewise failed to distinguish the five eastern species (Halley 2018). 1 The number of species in eastern North America was gradually resolved by Giraud (1844), Brewer (1844), Baird et al (1858) and Ridgway (1882).…”

“…Another factor, overlooked byHalley (2018), which probably exacerbated the confusion of Wilson's composite thrushes is that Sir William Jardine (1800-74) inadvertently switched the plate numbers for 'Tawney Thrush' [sic] and 'Hermit Thrush' in his edition of Wilson's American ornithology(Wilson et al 1832). Audubon, who considered Jardine's work 'an enormous quantity of trash, all compilation'(Corning 1969, 2: 29), nevertheless consulted it.Downloaded From: https://bioone.org/journals/Bulletin-of-the-British-Ornithologists'-Club on 23 Sep 2020 Terms of Use: https://bioone.org/terms-of-use…”

“…of Biodiversity, Earth & Environmental Science, Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA, e-mail: matthewhalley@gmail.com Appendix Synonyms and taxonomic combinations of C. swainsoni (Cabanis in Tschudi), C. u. ustulatus (Nuttall), C. u. oedicus (Oberholser) and C. guttatus (Pallas), and their principal citations. For clarity, references to composite taxa published prior to 1840 are excluded, including T. minor J. F. Gmelin, 1789, andWilson's (1812) secondary composites (reviewed by Halley 2018). Accordingly, the following synonymy of C. swainsoni begins with Giraud (1844) and Brewer (1844).…”