Talk:Ploceus vitellinus

Synonym?

Several sources list Ploceus vitellinus as a synonym of Textor vitellinus. Also, the references given at the time of this writing are rather compendious, at best. Does any one have some recent information regarding the currently correct taxon name? Thanks beforehand! –Tommy Kronkvist (talk), 13:15, 24 June 2017 (UTC).

Dear Tommy

As far as I can judge there are no problems. The taxon Textor for a whole genus of weaver birds became problematic according a study in 1917 (The Classification of the Weaver-Birds. By James P. Chapin. Bull. Amer. Mus.Nat. Hist., Vol. XXXVII, Art. IX, pp. 243-280. May 8, 1917) Abstract: BHL.

According to the International Ornithological Congress World Bird List[1]

• Ploceus vitellinus (Lichtenstein, MHK, 1823) is a valid name. IOC lists two subspecies:
  • P. v. vitellinus
  • P. v. uluensis (Neumann, 1900)

The original combination is:

• Fringilla vitellina M. H. C. Lichtenstein, 1823

According to the Handbook of the Birds of the World:

"In the past considered conspecific with P. velatus, P. katangae, P. ruweti and P. reichardi. E African populations sometimes separated as race uluensis (described from Ulu Mts, in Kenya), but considerable individual variation evident in characters proposed. Treated as monotypic."

--Hwdenie (talk) 09:52, 2 August 2017 (UTC)