3rd revised Checklist of the Birds of the Solomon Islands

[Michael Szabo]

Phil Gregory has today posted to Facebook the following about his third update:

I have just completed a third revision of my Checklist of the Birds of the Solomon Islands (including Bougainville) which was last done in 2023 and was again surprised at the number of changes. I collated the statistics for the endemic species, which comes out at 112 with IOC and 121 for BirdLife, making the Solomons one of the world’s richest Endemic Bird Areas.

BirdLife International recognize the following species which IOC (International Ornithological Community) does not yet:
Guadalcanal Rail
Isabel Rail
Bougainville Rail
Guadalcanal Moustached Kingfisher
Rennell Song Parrot
New Georgia Cicadabird
Ugi Monarch
Malaita Starling
Malaita Flowerpecker

IOC has Makira Leaf Warbler not split by BirdLife, and new IOC splits are Solomons Brush Cuckoo, Malaita and Vella Lavella Monarch, Bougainville and Guadalcanal Fantail, White-gorgeted Fantail, Solomons Rufous Fantail, Temotu Rufous Fantail, Utupua and Temotu Whistler, Bougainville Island Thrush, Solomon Island Thrush, Vanikoro Island Thrush, Malaita Cicadabird. The new Malaita Rail is presumably going to be an allospecies of Woodford’s Rail like the congeners. Bougainville Monarch is regrettably lumped by both IOC and BirdLife, against the run of monarch splits in the Solomons.

There are many more taxa which need further evaluation, Oriole Whistler clearly has several different species included with big differences in the morphology of both sexes and the vocalizations. Cardinal Myzomela is overdue and what was Collared Kingfisher has unfinished business besides Melanesian and Pacific Kingfisher.

Link to his post: https://www.facebook.com/phil.gregory.9 ... PKfv9REsEl