The avifauna of Biak Island, Papua, Indonesia with comments on status, conservation, natural history and taxonomy
Author
Bishop, K. David
text
Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club
2023
2023-03-06
143
1
3
62
journal article
298463
10.25226/bboc.v143i1.2023.a2
6028cf6b-e944-40d1-b774-7caa1c970409
2513-9894
11642130
805136AB-F3FE-4C77-85AC-E37423156B6D
COMMON CICADABIRD
Edolisoma tenuirostre
#
Range
E. t. meyerii
Biak, Supiori;
E. t. numforanum
Numfor.
Taxonomy
Del
Hoyo & Collar (2016)
treated Biak and Numfor birds as two species. These authors provided an assessment of the expanded Common (aka Slender-billed) Cicadabird
E. tenuirostre
species complex but stated the ‘situation is one of riddling complexity which molecular research has only partially resolved (and partially added to). New arrangement outline here attempts a plausible and consistent use of available evidence, but perhaps no more satisfactory.’ Nevertheless, the evidence they assembled for treating
meyerii
as a full species is compelling, however, until the entire group is thoroughly examined, we follow Beehler & Pratt (2016) in retaining the Biak and Numfor taxa as subspecies of
E. tenuirostre
.
Status
Biak endemic subspecies. Obtained by five collectors but infrequently reported by visitors. Widespread but rather sparse in tall, well-developed secondary and primary forest.
Voice
The song is a distinctive series of up to 50 medium-pitched notes, invariably uttered on a near-even pitch. Towards its end the series descends slightly in pitch and decelerates markedly over the last few notes. The quality is slightly nasal, not clear, almost with a buzzy quality (J. Diamond
in litt
. 1990;
Woxvold & Bishop 2020
).