Proposal
(13) to South American Classification
Committee
Continue
to recognize Strix chacoensis as distinct from S.
rufipes
Finally, I propose that we
follow Straneck & Vidoz (1995), Hardy et al. (1999), and König et al.
(1999) in treating Ciccaba chacoensis as a distinct species
from C. rufipes. Plumage and vocalizations strongly support the
split (see above refs; listen to Hardy et al.). Given that chacoensis may
be more closely allied with C. hylophila, chacoensis should
be placed between those two taxa in our linear arrangement.
Mark B.
Robbins, December 2001
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Comments from Jaramillo: "YES.
Having seen and heard chacoensis in Salta, Argentina as well
as rufipes in Chile I have no doubt that they are separate
species. There are similarities in plumage, in particular pale female rufipes may
look like chacoensis but that is about the entirety of the
similarity between these two taxa. Most male rufipes, and certainly
all southern rufipes are much darker and coarsely marked than
any chacoensis. The differences in voice are very striking, as are
the differences in habitat between the two species. The chaco thorn forests
where chacoensis is found are quite dissimilar from the
southern beech (Nothofagus) forests that one finds rufipes in.
In the northern part of the range rufipes is found in much
shorter, arid woodlands but in these cases it is found in the moistest,
tallest, protected valleys."