Classification of birds of South America: Hypothetical List

A classification of the bird species of South America

South American Classification Committee
American Ornithologists' Union

HYPOTHETICAL LIST

(eventually to be split into at least two parts, one for well-documented published sight records, one for dubious/undocumented records).

This is a list of species reported from South America not supported by published or archived tangible evidence, or exotic species for which the evidence for being established is not conclusive.

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Anser albifrons Greater White-fronted Goose: Photograph from Aruba examined by Voous (1983), but the photograph was not published and evidently not archived.

Anser caerulescens Snow Goose: Sight records from Trinidad (ffrench 1991).

Anas platyrhynchos Mallard: Sight record from Bonaire (Voous 1985).

Aix sponsa Wood Duck: Dead individual recovered in Colombia (Salaman et al. (2007). Move to main list if record substantiated/details published.

Anas penelope Eurasian Wigeon: Sight record of a male from northern Venezuela on 4 March 2002 (Williams and Beadle 2003).

Numida meleagris Helmeted Guineafowl: Introduced on Trindade island, Brazil (REF); established?

Gallus gallus. [Domestic Chicken]. Gottdenker et al. (2005), as reported by Wiedenfeld (2006), indicated that there may be feral, breeding populations on the Galapagos Islands

Eudyptes pachyrhynchus Fiordland Penguin: Mazar Barnett & Pearman (2001) reported that three 19th Century specimens exist from the Falkland Islands, one in British Museum and two in Leiden Museum; however, dates and localities on these old specimens seem uncertain. Proposal needed?

Eudyptes schlegeli Royal Penguin: Sight record (and perhaps unpublished photograph; fide Mazar Barnett & Pearman 2001) from the Falklands (Gregory 1994).

Spheniscus demersus Jackass Penguin: An unpublished and unavailable photo from Argentina in Chubut (Rumboll 1990) was relegated to hypothetical status by Mazar Barnett & Pearman (2001). Called "African Penguin" in Walker (1995).

Phoebastria nigripes Black-footed Albatross: Dead bird examined in Ecuador, but no specimen or photo was saved (Harris 1968, Ridgely et al. 2001); undocumented sight record from Ecuador (Ridgely et al. 2001). Wiedenfeld (2006) listed three potential records for the Galapagos islands but none has been documented.

Pterodroma macroptera Great-winged Petrel: There are probably only sight records for this species in South America. The one published report from Chile does not give a description that allows for separation from other species. It has been reported many times from the Atlantic side, but because of lack of photograph or specimens, Mazar Barnett & Pearman (2001) relegated it to the hypothetical list in their checklist of Argentine birds. Gregory (1994) stated that a sight record for Falklands was third record there. Teixeira et al. (1985) showed that the two reported specimens from Brazil were actually Puffinus griseus, leaving only sight reports from Brazil. Formerly (e.g., Meyer de Schauensee 1970) known as "Gray-faced Petrel."

<?> Pterodroma alba Phoenix Petrel: <investigate listing for Juan Fernandez Iss. at Avibase web site>.

Pterodroma magentae Magenta Petrel: Two possible sightings: near Juan Fernandez Islands, 5 Aug 1995, and 150 km west of Chile at 28-29 degrees S. Lat., March 1992 (Howell et al 1996).

Pterodroma leucoptera Gould's Petrel: Specimen record from near Galapagos Islands may not be within the official boundaries of the area, and sight records from there are undocumented (Wiedenfeld 2006).

Pachyptila salvini Salvin's Prion: Evidently no specimen or photo exists for this species in SACC area, despite numerous sight records. <check Oyarzo & Cekalovic (1981).> Called "Medium-billed Prion" in Sibley & Monroe (1990) and elsewhere.

Puffinus tenuirostris Short-tailed Shearwater: <Meyer de Schauensee 1966 indicated that this species had been reported from South America and then cited Eisenmann & Serventy, Emu, 1962, with implication that these reports dismissed there -- check>.

Puffinus nativitatis Christmas Shearwater: Although occasionally listed as occurring in Chile [REF], all records are from Easter Island or Isla Sala Y Gomez, outside the area covered in this list; it breeds on Sala Y Gomez. Spear & Ainley (1999) reported this species from the "Panama Bight", which includes Colombia and Ecuador, but did not provide locality information that would allow whether any records were within South American waters.

<?> Nesofregetta fuliginosa Polynesian Storm-Petrel: <investigate listing for Galapagos at Avibase web site>. A breeding population occurs in Chilean territory on Isla Sala y Gomez (Harrison & Jehl 1988), but this is outside the limits of the area covered by this list.

Oceanodroma homochroa Ashy Storm-Petrel: Two undocumented sight records from Ecuador (Ridgely et al. 2001).

Pelecanus erythrorhynchos American White Pelican: Sight record from Trinidad (Audubon Magazine 1964, p. 289, as cited by Meyer de Schauensee 1966).

Phalacrocorax auritus Double-crested Cormorant: Unpublished photo from Bonaire (Voous 1983).

Buteo jamaicensis Red-tailed Hawk: At least five sight records from Colombia (Strewe 2001, Castaño & Colorado 2002) and one from Venezuela (Hilty 1999).

Charadrius hiaticula Common Ringed Plover: Sight record from Trinidad, where bird was examined in hand, banded, and released (ffrench 1973, Kenefick & Hayes 2006); the specimen from Tierra del Fuego (Humphrey et al. 1970) in fact pertains to C. semipalmatus (Katrina Cook, British Museum, pers. comm.).

Pluvialis fulva Pacific Golden-Plover: Sight record from Ecuador (26 Apr. 1991; Ridgely & Greenfield 2001). [Hayman et al. ("Shorebirds"; 1986) listed records, presumably sight records, from Chile and Galapagos Islands; original references needed; perhaps regular on Galapagos?.]

Tringa nebularia Common Greenshank: Sight record from Trinidad (ffrench 1991, Kenefick & Hayes 2006).

Tringa erythropus Spotted Redshank. Sight record for Tobago, 13 February 1983 (Fisher 1998, ffrench & Hayes 1998, Kenefick & Hayes 2006).

Limnodromus scolopaceus Long-billed Dowitcher: At least five unpublished photos from Netherlands Antilles (Voous 1983, 1985; photos examined by J. R. Jehl) and at least one from French Guiana (fide A. Renaudier). There also are specimens, collected in Colombia (Hellmayr and Conover 1948, Naranjo 1991) and in Peru (unpublished, but mentioned in Schulenberg et al. 2007), that have been identified as scolopaceus, as well as possible sight records from Ecuador [REF], Peru [REF], and Argentina (see compilation in Mazar Barnett & Pearman 2001, none regarded by those authors as referable with certainty to L. scolopaceus). Because the species of Limnodromus can be difficult to separate, even in the hand, we withhold acceptance pending re-evaluation of some or all of the specimens. A specimen reported from Argentina (Zotta 1942), responsible for the subsequent listing of that species for Argentina in many references, is a misidentified specimen of L. griseus hendersoni (Mazar Barnett & Pearman 2001). [move to main list if photo published/archived or specimen identifications confirmed]

Calidris ruficollis Red-necked Stint: Sight record from Mejia, depto. Arequipa, Peru (Hughes 1988).

Glareola pratincola Collared Pratincole: One photographed at Atol das Rocas, Brazil, 9 March 1990 (Antas 1990, as cited by Sick 1993); photograph now published (Soto & Filippini 2003), but photograph does not rule out G. maldivarum (Des Allen, Krys Kazmierczak, pers. comms.).

Chroicocephalus philadelphia Bonaparte's Gull: Sight record from Bonaire (Voous 1983).

Larus californicus California Gull: Sight record from Guayas, Ecuador, 8 Feb. 1980 (Ridgely 1980, Ridgely and Greenfield 2001).

Larus marinus Great Black-backed Gull: One unpublished photograph and one sight record from Aruba (Voous 1977, 1983) and one unpublished photo from French Guiana (fide A. Renaudier); sight record from northwestern Venezuela (Casler 1996); sight record from w. Colombia (Naranjo & Franke 1995). [move to main list if photo published/archived]

Streptopelia risoria Ringed Turtle-Dove: A population of S. risoria has been present for some time in the Norte de Santander region of Colombia; photograph available on the web at: Donegan TM, Huertas-H BC, Briceno-L ER, Arias-B JJ & González-O CE (2003) Search for the Magdalena Tinamou: Project Report. Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4. Fundación ProAves, Colombia, 2003, 49 pp. www.proaves.org at p. 28. [Follow links to "Proyectos -> EBA í Reportes e informes"]. Whether the population is established is unknown (Donegan & Huertas 2002). Additionally, whether this "species" is a valid taxon is currently under review (T. Donegan, pers. comm.); it is typically treated as a domesticated form of African Collared Dove, S. roseogrisea (Goodwin 1977, Baptista et al. 1997), and is also known as "Barbary Dove" and "Ringed Dove." Although S. risoria is senior, Banks et al. (2006) changed the name of this species to "African Collared Dove" (Streptopelia roseogrisea) on the basis that ICZN Opinion 2027 established a general principle that wild species names should take precedence over domestic species names, even if the domestic name post-dated the wild name. Donegan (2007) has published the rationale for and application for continued use of S. roseogrisea over S. risoria. Proposal needed.

Zenaida asiatica White-winged Dove: Sight records from Colombia (Hilty & Brown 1986).

Tachymarptis melba Alpine Swift: Published sight report from French Guiana (Ottema 2004).

Progne sinaloae Sinaloa Martin: Presumably winters somewhere in South America (AOU 1998), but no actual records.

Tachycineta thalassina Violet-green Swallow: Sight record from northern Colombia (Ridgely & Tudor 1989).

Tachycineta cyaneoviridis Bahama Swallow: Sight record from northern Colombia (Strewe 2006).

Stelgidopteryx serripennis Northern Rough-winged Swallow: Sight records from Bonaire (Voous 1983, 1985), Aruba and Curaçao (Hilty 2003), and Colombia (Downing 2005).

Cinclus mexicanus American Dipper: Sight record from Carabobo, Venezuela (Dungel & Sebela 1995).

Oenanthe oenanthe Northern Wheatear: One unpublished photograph from Bonaire and one sight record from Curaçao (Voous 1983); one unpublished photo from French Guiana (fide A. Renaudier).

Acridotheres cristatellus Crested Myna: Breeding reported in Buenos Aires area of Argentina (Di Giacomo et al. 1993, Mazar Barnett & Pearman 2001). [move to main list if firmly established as introduced species]

Motacilla alba White Wagtail: Unpublished photo from Trinidad (ffrench 1991, Kenefick & Hayes 2006).

Tangara fucosa Green-naped Tanager: Sight record from northwestern Colombia (Pearman 1993).

Zonotrichia albicollis White-throated Sparrow: Specimen from Aruba (Voous 1983, 1985); record needs to be reviewed (perhaps human-assisted).

Loxigilla noctis Lesser Antillean Bullfinch: Specimens collected in Guyana in 18<##> were later regarded as escaped cage-birds (Meyer de Schauensee 1966).

Arremon crassirostris Sooty-faced Finch: Sight reports from Colombian side of Cerro Tacarcuna (see Ridgely & Tudor 1989; no specimens collected, fide Daniel Cadena).

Dendroica pinus Pine Warbler: Sight record from the Santa Marta Mountains, northern Colombia (Strewe & Navarro 2004).

Limnothlypis swainsonii Swainson's Warbler: Sight record from coastal Venezuela in Zulia (Casler & Esté 1996).

Oporornis tolmiei MacGillivray's Warbler: Old records from northern Colombia (REF) are now considered doubtful (Meyer de Schauensee 1966).

Agelaius phoeniceus Red-winged Blackbird: Sight record from Trinidad (ffrench 1991).

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