Corvus corax subsp. canariensis Hartert and Kleinschmidt
Authors/Creators
- 1. Department of Vertebrate Zoology (Ornithology) American Museum of Natural History
Description
Corvus corax canariensis Hartert and Kleinschmidt
Corvus corax canariensis Hartert and Kleinschmidt, 1901: 45 (Palma).
Now Corvus corax canariensis Hartert and Kleinschmidt, 1901. See Hartert, 1901a: 326; Hartert, 1919: 125–126; Vaurie, 1954b: 22–23; Cramp et al., 1994: 206–223; Dickinson, 2003: 514–515; Baker and Omland, 2006: 174–178; and dos Anjos, 2009: 638–639.
HOLOTYPE: AMNH 674976, adult male, collected on La Palma Island, 28.40N, 17.50W (Times Atlas), Canary Islands, undated, by Scott Wilson. From the Rothschild Collection.
COMMENTS: Hartert and Kleinschmidt made it clear in the original description that they had only the holotype and that Hartert had seen an additional four specimens in Liverpool. They did not mention that the holotype had been skinned from spirits, although this is written on the Rothschild label. Also, strangely, no mention is made in the description or by Hartert (1903d: 6, 1919: 125–126) of the bizarre appearance of this type (see fig. 1). Almost all the feather vanes have been eaten away—by insects or chemicals?—until hardly any part of the feather is left except the shaft. Wing and tail measurements given in the original description could not have included this specimen if it was already in this condition. There is also no remark in the AMNH catalog to indicate its condition, nor did Meinertzhagen (1926: 102) or Vaurie (1954b: 22–23, 1959: 176) mention any peculiarity. There is also no indication of insect infestation among corvid types or other corvid specimens in AMNH, except minor damage in a few specimens that had originally been part of the Brehm Collection. The condition of this specimen remains a mystery.
The four paratypes are in LIVCM, all from the H.B. Tristram Collection, collected between 1888 and 1890, one each from La Palma, Gomera, Hierro, and Tenerife, none of which have any obvious peculiarities (T. Parker, personal commun.).
Baker and Omland (2006) found that Canary Island ravens have mtDNA distinct from that of their ‘‘Holarctic clade.’’ They had no specimens from North Africa, but included Canary Island birds in the subspecies tingitanus, without mentioning the Canary Islands subspecies, canariensis, which is still recognized by many authorities (e.g., Dickinson, 2003: 515) and more recently dos Anjos (2009: 638–639).
Notes
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Linked records
Additional details
Identifiers
Biodiversity
- Collection code
- AMNH
- Material sample ID
- AMNH 674976
- Scientific name authorship
- Hartert and Kleinschmidt
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Corvidae
- Genus
- Corvus
- Species
- canariensis
- Taxon rank
- subSpecies
- Type status
- holotype
References
- Hartert, E., and O. Kleinschmidt. 1901. Verzeichniss der Brehm'schen Sammlung. I. Die Formen von Corvus corax L. Novitates Zoologicae 8: 40 - 48.
- Hartert, E. 1901 a. Aus den Wanderjahren eines Naturforschers. V. Kapital. Die Fauna der Canarischen Inseln. Novitates Zoologicae 8: 304 - 335.
- Hartert, E. 1919. Types of birds in the Tring Museum. B. Types in the general collection. Novitates Zoologicae 26: 123 - 178.
- Vaurie, C. 1954 b. Systematic notes on Palearctic birds. No. 5. Corvidae. American Museum Novitates 1668: 1 - 23.
- Cramp, S., et al. 1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Vol. 8, Crows to finches. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 899 pp, 61 pls., text figs.
- Dickinson, E. C. 2003. The Howard and Moore complete checklist of the birds of the world, 3 rd ed. London: Christopher Helm, 1039 pp.
- Baker, J. M., and K. E. Omland. 2006. Canary Island ravens Corvus corax tingitanus have distinct mtDNA. Ibis 48: 174 - 178.
- dos Anjos, L. 2009. Family Corvidae (crows). Species accounts. In J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott and D. A. Christie (editors). Handbook of the birds of the world. Vol. 14, Bush-shrikes to Old World sparrows: 566 - 640. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, 893 pp. 51 pls., photographs.
- Hartert, E. 1903 d. Die Vogel der Palaarktischen Fauna, vol 1, part 1: i-xii, 1 - 112. Berlin: R. Friedlander und Sohn.
- Meinertzhagen, R. 1926. Introduction to a review of the genus Corvus. Novitates Zoologicae 33: 57 - 121.
- Vaurie, C. 1959. The birds of the Palearctic fauna. Passeriformes. London: H. F. & G. Witherby Ltd., xii + 762 pp.