| Restall, R. 2002. Is the Ring-necked Seedeater (Sporophila insularis) from Trinidad extinct, or is it a cryptic species widespread in Venezuela? Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Occasional Paper 11:37-44. ABSTRACT.--Sporophila intermedia insularis was described as a subspecies of the Gray Seedeater in 1946 from a specimen collected in Trinidad, but was synonymized with S. i. intermedia in 1952. Based on a reanalysis of museum specimens and live birds captured recently in the field, I found that 37 adult male specimens of insularis differed consistently from S. i. intermedia by several plumage traits and bill colouration. Furthermore, bill size, tarsus length and body mass were significantly greater in insularis. Because the two taxa occur sympatrically in Trinidad (possibly extirpated) and throughout Venezuela north of the Orinoco River, I propose that S. insularis should be recognised as a distinct, cryptic species, given the English name of Ring-necked Seedeater and Spanish name Espiguero Collarblanco. RESUMEN.--En 1946, Sporophila intermedia insularis fue descrito como una subespecie del Espiguero Pico de Plata basado en un esp�cimen colectado en Trinidad, pero en 1952 fue sinonimizado con S. i. intermedia. Bas�ndome en un nuevo an�lisis de ejemplares de museo, y de ejemplares vivos capturados recientemente en el campo, he encontrado 37 machos adultos de insularis que se diferencian consistentemente de S. i. intermedia en varias caracter�sticas de plumaje y color del pico. M�s a�n, el tama�o del pico, la longitud del tarso, y la masa corporal son significativamente mayores en insularis. En vista de que las taxa ocurren simp�tricamente en Trinidad (donde posiblemente han sido erradicados) y por todo Venezuela al norte del Orinoco, propongo el reconocimiento de S. insularis como una especie distinta, cr�ptica, con el nombre en ingl�s de Ring-necked Seedeater y en espa�ol de Espiguero Collarblanco. KEY WORDS.--cryptic species, distribution, Gray Seedeater, morphology, plumage, Ring-necked Seedeater, Sporophila intermedia, Sporophila insularis, taxonomy, Trinidad, Venezuela |
| ABSTRACT |
| STUDIES IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO ORNITHOLOGY HONOURING RICHARD FFRENCH Edited by Floyd E. Hayes and Stanley A. Temple Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Occasional Paper 11, 2002 |