Tag Archives: Sumatra

A new species of oriole – Ventriloquial Oriole (Oriolus consobrinus Ramsay)

The Dark-throated Oriole (Oriolus xanthonotus Horsfield) was thought to include four subspecies inhabiting parts of Southeast Asia including some islands of Indonesia as well as the island of Palawan north of Borneo; however, according to a recent study, it is now known that some of the populations are not closely related to each other at all.

Birds from northern Borneo and Palawan are more closely related to the Philippine oriole species and therefore should be treated as a distinct taxon for which the name Ventriloquial Oriole (Oriolus consobrinus Ramsay) has been suggested.

The new species is superficially identical to the Dark-throated Oriole but is somewhat smaller and can be distinguished by its song. [1]

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Dark-throated Oriole, nominate form

Photo: bejamynweil
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/benjamynweil
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Ventriloquial Oriole (Oriolus consobrinus ssp. persuanus (Bangs)), subspecies endemic to Palawan

Photo: Forest Botial-Jarvis
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/tiluchi
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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References:

[1] Frank E. Rheindt; Meng Yue Wu; Nyanasengeran Movin; Knud A. Jønsson: Cryptic species-level diversity in Dark-throated Oriole Oriolus xanthonotus. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 142(2): 254-267. 2022

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edited:

20.07.2023

A new subspecies of the Ruby-throated Bulbul 

The Ruby-throated Bulbul (Rubigula dispar (Horsfield)) is known to inhabit the islands of Bali, Java and Sumatra in Indonesia and was until now considered monotypic, that means the populations were not seen as being distinct in any way.

According to a new study, however, it is now known that the birds from Sumatra differ from the others by their bright red instead of yellow eyes, and to some degree by subtle differences of the color of their plumage as well as by having a slightly longer beak. 

The Sumatran birds were accordingly classified as a new subspecies and named as Rubigula dispar ssp. matamerah Berryman & Collar.

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a bird from Bali

Photo: Bruno Durand
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/brunodurand
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
a bird from Sumatra

Photo: Mitch Rose
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/mroseup
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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References:

[1] Alex Berryman; Nigel J. Collar: Subspeciation in the Ruby-throated Bulbul Rubigula dispar. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 143(2): 237-243. 2023

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edited: 19.07.2023