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1 November 2011 A Cryptic New Species of Thrush (Turdidae: Turdus) fromWestern Amazonía
John P. O'Neill, Daniel F. Lane, Luciano N. Naka
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Abstract

The taxonomy of Hauxwell's Thrush (Turdus hauxwelli) with respect to its relationship to the Cocoa Thrush (Turdus fumigatus) has been complicated. A confounding factor has been the morphological variation reported within T. hauxwelli and the apparent geographic overlap of the two taxa. Recent evidence shows that some of these factors may be explained by the existence of a cryptic, syntopic species, very similar in plumage to T. hauxwelli. The new species differs in minor plumage characters, in soft-part colors, and (especially) in voice. On the basis of vocal and molecular data, we propose that the new thrush is not particularly closely related to the T. fumigatus/hauxwelli complex but rather is the western Amazonian member of the Spectacled Thrush (T. nudigenis) complex. Our molecular phylogeny suggests that the new species is sister to the Unicolored Thrush (T. haplochrous) and also that the Ecuadorian Thrush (T. maculirostris) should be considered a species separate from the Spectacled Thrush. In the absence of modern, data-rich specimens, the new thrush might well have remained unknown. This hidden taxon provides yet another case that argues strongly for continuing the tradition of general specimen collection. Having removed the new species as a source of confusion, we suggest that a reevaluation of the species status of T. hauxwelli with respect to T. fumigatus is in order.

©2011 by The Cooper Ornithological Society. All rights reserved. Please direct all requests for permission to photocopy or reproduce article content through the University of California Press's Rights and Permissions website, http://www.ucpressjournals.com/reprintInfo.asp.
John P. O'Neill, Daniel F. Lane, and Luciano N. Naka "A Cryptic New Species of Thrush (Turdidae: Turdus) fromWestern Amazonía," The Condor 113(4), 869-880, (1 November 2011). https://doi.org/10.1525/cond.2011.100244
Received: 22 December 2010; Accepted: 18 May 2011; Published: 1 November 2011
KEYWORDS
Amazonian avifauna
cryptic species
modern specimen collection
Turdidae
Turdus fumigatus
Turdus hauxwelli
Turdus maculirostris
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