Three competing names were introduced by Linnaeus (1758) for Mallard, based on males (Anas boschas), females (A. platyrhynchos) and the hook-billed domestic breed (A. adunca). A. domestica (often attributed to J. F. Gmelin, 1789, but arguably better to Brünnich, 1764) was described later for domestic ducks. A. platyrhynchos was selected as having priority over its contemporaneous synonyms via First Reviser actions. Priority of widely used A. p. domestica remains threatened by the senior A. adunca and potentially by the mixed type series of A. boschas (comprising wild male Mallards and ducks of mixed or domestic origin). Lectotypes are designated here for A. boschas Linnaeus, 1758 (and its synonym A. boschas fera Brünnich, 1764, or Bechstein, 1792), using the same male Mallard specimen of wild phenotype illustrated by Albin (1734). This clarifies these names as objective synonyms of one another and as junior synonyms of A. platyrhynchos, as all three would then have a type series exclusively of wild Mallards from Western Europe. Garsault and Brünnich both named Anser domesticus in the same year, just three weeks apart—on 30 June 1764 and 23 July 1764, respectively. Garsault thus has priority. Consequently, Brünnich's Anas anser domesticus represents subsequent usage and his A. boschas domestica is not a homonym. Brünnich's A. anser ferus and A. boschas fera for wild geese and Mallards, respectively, if available, would be primary homonyms of one another. Acting as First Reviser, the latter name is here selected as having priority. Authorship of Anser ferus should be attributed to S. G. Gmelin (1770), whose locality of the Caspian Sea results in a potential threat to the priority heretofore afforded to A. anser rubrirostris Swinhoe, 1871, for the Eastern Greylag Goose. Brünnich's names Anser boschas domestica and Anas boschas fera were introduced as apparent trinominals; they were already in widespread use by 1764. In all likelihood Brünnich thought they had been described already, citing Linnaeus (1746, 1758) and Brisson (1760), but neither made these names available under the Code. Brünnich's names for domestics may not have been recognised because the same font was used in his work to denote distinct male and female plumages as for his domesticus/a and ferus/a, potentially denoting infrasubspecific variation. There is competing evidence as to whether or not he intended to name these units. Irrespective, under Art. 45.6.4 infrasubspecific names later adopted as valid are available. Regarding priority of A. adunca, I will separately be asking the Commission to endorse either Brünnich (1764) or J. F. Gmelin (1789) as author of Anas boschas domestica. Reversal of priority of A. adunca Linnaeus, 1758, vs. A. boschas domestica (Brünnich, 1764, or J. F. Gmelin, 1789), reversal of precedence of Anser ferus S. G. Gmelin, 1770, vs. A. anser rubrirostris Swinhoe, 1871, resolution of the type series for A. anser Linnaeus, 1758, and typification of the genus Anser Brisson, 1760, also all require ICZN attention.

We present the results of an eight-year avifaunal survey and review historical collections assembled by the Olalla family at San José de Sumaco, a humid-forested locality lying at c.950 m elevation in the east Andean foothills of Orellana province, Ecuador. Notably high species richness is reported from a restricted area of upland terra firme forest, and our appendix lists 477 species considered documented, with conservation status according to IUCN, evidence and relative abundance. An additional 49 species have been reported from the site, but without documentation. Noteworthy records of 43 species are detailed, including poorly known, range-restricted taxa and those of conservation concern. Twenty-two species are regarded as either Near Threatened or Vulnerable by IUCN. Lowland (Amazonian) species dominate the avifauna, but it also includes a set of range-restricted, Andean species of which several are considered Near Threatened or Vulnerable at national or global scales (e.g., Napo Sabrewing Campylopterus villaviscensio, Fiery-throated Fruiteater Pipreola chlorolepidota, Ecuadorian Tyrannulet Phylloscartes gualaquizae). We report the presence of three obligate bamboo specialist species. We clarify the geographic position of the Olalla collecting locality San José de Sumaco using archival material and by reconstructing the collectors' itinerary. We list noteworthy elevational records for 89 species of which 80 are upper-elevation records of lowland (Amazonian species). While mainly Amazonian, the avifauna is discussed in relation to its biogeography indicating historical connections to both Andean and Amazonian centres of diversification. We conclude that the lower slopes of Volcan Sumaco host a distinctive, species-rich avian assemblage that is threatened immediately by deforestation and potentially by climate change, and we stress its importance for conservation and continued study.

We recorded 17 bird taxa new for southern Tigray across a mosaic of habitats. Some of these records document substantial geographical extensions of previously known ranges. Many are Acacia woodland and bushland species but were documented in habitats subject to considerable human disturbance. New records for Tigray include White-breasted Cormorant Phalacrocorax lucidus, Pygmy Falcon Polihierax semitorquatus, Three-banded Courser Rhinoptilus cinctus mayaudi, Orange-breasted Bushshrike Chlorophoneus sulfureopectus, House Sparrow Passer domesticus indicus and White-headed Buffalo Weaver Dinemellia dinemelli. In addition, the endemic subspecies erlangeri of Blanford's Lark Calandrella blanfordi, previously known only from the central highlands of Ethiopia, was recorded for the first time in southern Tigray. Focusing on Hugumbirda and Gra-Kahsu State Forest and human-dominated landscapes in southern Tigray, we found key drivers of habitat modification in the area to be the expansion of settlements, farmland and bare land.

We report new ecological data for the poorly known migratory subspecies of Hellmayr's Pipit Anthus hellmayri dabbenei in Chile, describing four nests, eggs and some other aspects of the breeding biology. One nest was found in Bulnes, Ñuble region, in late October 2013, with three additional nests discovered between December 2019 and January 2020 on a grass-covered hill in Los Sauces, Araucanía region, in a previously harvested field. Eggs were oval, white to cream-white, with olive-brown speckling forming a ‘cap’. Adults fed the nestlings almost entirely on grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae), averaging 0.8 deliveries per minute (range 0–3 deliveries per minute). The max. gap between deliveries was 31 minutes.

This is the second in a series of articles about the breeding biology of Brazilian birds based on field work in various regions of the country since the 1980s. The data cover various aspects of breeding biology, such as seasonality, nest architecture, materials and measurements, clutch size, egg colour, size and shape, incubation and nestling periods, and parental care. Many data are presented scientifically for the first time. Overall, we present information concerning 316 nests of 15 species of Columbidae and five species of Cuculidae: Scaled Pigeon Patagioenas speciosa (two nests, with the first detailed measurements), Picazuro Pigeon P. picazuro (22 nests), Pale-vented Pigeon P. cayennensis (four nests), Plumbeous Pigeon P. plumbea (one nest), Ruddy Pigeon P. subvinacea (three nests, with the first nest and egg measurements for the species), Ruddy Quail-Dove Geotrygon montana (33 nests), White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi (40 nests), Grey-fronted Dove L. rufaxilla (two nests), Eared Dove Zenaida auriculata (18 nests), Long-tailed Ground Dove Uropelia campestris (three nests, providing the first breeding data for the species), Common Ground Dove Columbina passerina (two nests), Plain-breasted Ground Dove C. minuta (four nests), Ruddy Ground Dove C. talpacoti (43 nests), Scaled Dove C. squammata (16 nests), Picui Ground Dove C. picui (nine nests), Guira Cuckoo Guira guira (21 nests), Greater Ani Crotophaga major (four nests, with the first confirmed nest and egg measurements from Brazil), Smooth-billed Ani C. ani (76 nests), Striped Cuckoo Tapera naevia (12 events, including four new hosts), and Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana (one nest).

We provide field notes, photographic and audio documentation of an unidentified Riparia martin from high elevation on Mount Elgon, in western Kenya. We show that the birds differ in appearance and vocalisations from the otherwise similar, sympatric Plain Martin R. paludicola ducis, and that it appears to represent the same taxon as the unidentified martin recently documented in the highlands of Ethiopia.

In 1822, John Latham gave the name Rose-fronted Parrot to a single specimen owned by Edward Smith Stanley. This specimen, now at World Museum, Liverpool, has never been given a formal scientific name but had been thought to be an undescribed, possibly extinct species, or an unusual young individual of the genus Psittacula. Based on a short mitochondrial DNA sequence obtained from the specimen that has 100% similarity with sequences on NCBI GenBank, we conclude that the most plausible identity of the Rose-fronted Parrot is a juvenile Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala.

We report an unusual nesting aggregation of the poorly known Blue-fronted Lancebill Doryfera johannae, a trochilid that is thinly and disjunctly distributed in the Andes and Pantepui. The nests were clustered on wooden, man-made structures and were at different stages of the breeding cycle. Photos on publicly accessible databases provided evidence that the species' habit of nesting on buildings is geographically widespread. One nest of D. johannae described in the literature was sited at the base of deep shaft into an underground cave system; we report additional details associated with this nest. Nesting aggregations are apparently rare in the family Trochilidae and cave-nesting is evidently limited to a comparatively small number of species, despite essentially obligate colonial breeding in permanently dark sites, especially caves, by members of the closely related family Apodidae.

I report the first record of Arrowhead Piculet Picumnus minutissimus in French Guiana and the first to be documented away from Suriname of this species, which until now was considered endemic to the latter country. Although it seemed more likely the species would be found in degraded coastal habitats, similar to those in Suriname, the bird was in the interior forest block at a former gold mining site now characterised by shrubby vegetation corresponding to the species' ecological requirements. This is not only the easternmost record of the species but probably also the most southerly. I discuss the issue of the species' status in French Guiana: is it a rare breeder in under-surveyed western French Guiana, or is this piculet capable of dispersing across the forest block and the Maroni River?

The Karamoja Apalis Apalis karamojae, a threatened species (IUCN Vulnerable), consists of two subspecies, the nominate in Uganda and stronachi in Tanzania plus south-west Kenya, the latter distinguished by being slightly darker with more extensive grey on the underparts. Recent evidence, however, indicates that the two taxa are highly divergent in voice. Analysis of recordings of their duets confirms this: the nominate sings very rapid phrases of short simple notes whereas stronachi uses musical slurred whistles, very different in note length and strongly different in max. frequency; moreover, in two independent tests nominate birds failed to react to stronachi songs, indicating reproductive barriers between them. Re-examination of specimen material and a review of online photographs confirm the greater amount of grey on the underparts of stronachi. Taken together these differences indicate that stronachi merits species rank. The two taxa are specialists of mature whistling-thorn Vachellia drepanolobium, which is cut for fuelwood and to open up pasture, so that their long-term survival is likely to depend on the integrity of protected areas.