Proposal (934) to South American Classification Committee

Añadir Sipia laemosticta (Dull-mantled Antbird) a la lista principal

Efecto sobre la lista de Suramérica: transferir a la especie de la lista de hipotéticos a la lista principal.

Información: La distribución conocida de Sipia laemosticta está restringida al sur de Centro América, desde Costa Rica hasta Panamá (Fig. 1). Al sur de su distribución se encuentra presente en la Serranía del Darién (en la porción de Panamá), serranía compartida con Colombia y conectada con pequeñas serranías más al oeste como la de Tripogadí (Colombia). Su hábitat son los bosques húmedos de piedemonte, especialmente asociado con pequeñas quebradas. La especie, como todas las demás dentro del género, no presenta indicios de movimientos migratorios. Adicionalmente, se presume que su capacidad de dispersión es baja. Al sureste de la depresión del Río Atrato, aproximadamente a 80km, se distribuye S. palliata (especie hermana de S. laemosticta) (Fig. 2 y 3; Chaves et al. 2010).

Figura 1. Distribución de Sipia laemosticta.

Figura 2. Distribución de Sipia palliata.

Nuevos registros con evidencia: el 9 de octubre de 2012 fue capturado en redes de niebla y fotografiado un individuo (https://ebird.org/checklist/S31036230) en la Reserva Integral y Ecoaldea Sasardí, en la serranía de Tripogadí (Chocó, Colombia), por Edwin Munera; en la fotografía se observan las manchas negras que bajan de la garganta al vientre, lo cual es uno de los rasgos que la separan de Sipia palliata. Más recientemente, el 5 de marzo de 2019 fue grabada una llamada de la especie (https://ebird.org/checklist/S55970791) en la quebrada Sasardí, en la serranía de Tripogadí (Chocó, Colombia), por Danny Zapata.

Figura 3. Registros de eBird (eBird 2022) para Sipia laemosticta y S. palliata a ambos lados de la depresión del Río Atrato (Colombia). Marcador verde, registro de S. laemosticta; marcador rojo, registro de S. palliata; marcador azul, nuevo registro de S. laemosticta para Suramérica en la Serranía de Tripogadí (Chocó, Colombia). La línea amarilla corresponde al límite entre Panamá y Colombia.

Recomendación: Geográficamente el registro era de esperar que correspondiera a Sipia laemosticta, y la evidencia presentada corrobora la identidad. Por lo que recomiendo votar sí por esta propuesta para su inclusión a la lista principal como residente.

Literatura citada

Chaves, J. C., A. M. Cuervo, M. J. Miller, & C. D. Cadena. 2010. Revising species limits in a group of Myrmeciza antbirds reveals a cryptic species within M. laemosticta (Thamnophilidae). The Condor 112: 718-730.

eBird. 2022. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance. eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Available: http://www.ebird.org. (Accessed: February 1, 2022).

Jhonathan Miranda, February 2022

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Comments from Areta: “YES, plumage and vocalizations agree with S. laemosticta and not with S. palliata.”

Comments from Robbins: “YES. Photos on the eBird checklist leave no doubt.”

Comments from Lane: “YES. Based on locality and (it seems) plumage characters, I think these reports can be confidently identified as S. laemosticta. The presence of the species in Colombia isn't particularly surprising given how close to the border in Panama it is known.”

Comments from Steve Hilty (who has Remsen’s vote): “YES. Regarding Sipia laemosticta, the photos (of a male) confirm the irregularly spaced black blotching and/or spotting that spreads across chest and much of breast; also upperparts color, is strongly rufescent (cf. male of Sipia palliata, with more olive tone to duller rufescent), this latter assuming the digital photo colors are accurate. Distribution also is expected and consistent with Sipia laemosticta, where immediately eastward the swampy Río Atrato lowlands (now, sadly, heavily converted to oil palm plantations) represent a possible barrier separating this taxon from the more easterly distributed Sipia palliata.

“Voice is a bit equivocal as the recording by D. Zapata is of call notes and some agitated chattering, not song, but the note shape even of these call notes seems a bit more consistent with S. laemosticta than with S. palliata (not much material on call notes available for palliata). I am unsure if call notes of these two species can be reliably separated in the field (maybe with younger ears). Songs of the two also are fairly similar but, in general, reliably separated.

“I might also add that Edwin Munera, who originally reported this species (mist net capture) in Colombia in 2012, is experienced and reliable and I have confidence in his field records.”

I think Sipia laemosticta should be officially confirmed for both Colombia and also, of course, continental South America.”

Comments from Zimmer: “YES. The linked photos of a hand-held male would appear to confirm the identification of S. laemosticta as opposed to S. palliata by virtue of the more rufescent mantle, darker gray head and underparts, and by the more extensive and ‘messier’ lower boundary to the black throat patch, which ‘bleeds’ irregularly well onto the breast, in a blotchy fashion (black throat patch of palliata is less extensive and more sharply delineated on its lower border; mantle is more olivaceous-brown; head and underparts are typically somewhat paler gray). The linked audio recording of calls, sounds, to my ears, consistent with those of laemosticta, although I have no field experience with calls of palliata to compare these to. Songs of the two are pretty different, so it’s too bad that there are no songs on the recording, which would clinch the ID. All in all, however, I think the in-hand photographs, combined with the audio recordings of calls, are enough to document this record of laemosticta, which, as others have pointed out, is not a huge surprise, given the proximity to the known range in the Darién of Panama.”

Comments from Stiles: “YES to including S. palliata in the SA list as a resident species: the ID looks good, and this also makes sense ecologically and zoogeographically.”

Comments from Diego Calderón (who has Bonaccorso’s vote): “YES. This species undoubtedly occurs in Colombia as proven by photos and voice recordings on eBird checklists by various people. I have actually myself quickly seen a silent Sipia sp. at El Cielo area above Capurganá, Acandí, Chocó (around 8.620987, -77.381877 - quite near the eBird locations mentioned in the proposal) back in March 2014 . I vote YES to add Sipia laemosticta to the Colombia list based on the evidence and the biogeographically expectedness.”

Comments from Pacheco: “YES. I vote yes for the incorporation of this taxon in the list of birds of Colombia and, by extension, in the list of documented birds of South America.”

Comments from Claramunt: “NO for now. I agree that plumage and calls suggest S. laemosticta, and it makes sense biogeographically, but the two species involved are very similar and show some variation. I would like to see more concrete evidence or further discussion of the evidence.”

Comments from Jaramillo: “YES.”