Integrating voice and phenotype in a revision of the brush cuckoo Cacomantis variolosus (Aves: Cuculidae) complex

Brush cuckoos of the Cacomantis variolosus complex, which range from Southeast Asia to Australia and the Solomon Islands, have undergone much taxonomic upheaval. Here we examine 389 vocal recordings, 832 skins, and records of brood parasitism and habitat partitioning to shed light on their species and subspecies taxonomy. Bioacoustic analysis revealed seven distinct vocal groups. Among morphological markers, shape and proportions of the tail were found to be supporting indicators, in addition to plumage tone and pattern. Integration of the resulting data set distinguished six species-level taxa within the complex: sepulcralis in the Philippines and Sundaland east to central Nusa Tenggara, virescens in Sulawesi and the Sula Archipelago, aeruginosus in the Moluccas, variolosus in east Nusa Tenggara, the Moluccas, north and east Australia, New Guinea and Bismarck Archipelago, blandus in the Admiralty Islands, and addendus in the Solomon Islands. Our review of infra-specific differentiation among species leads us to distinguish 13 subspecies. All taxa identified are listed in a summary classification of the complex. Taxon diversity is greatest in the Moluccas, where two habitat-partitioned species and five allopatric subspecies occur, of which one species and three subspecies are endemic to this region.

Bioacoustic analysis of a compound sound with stridulation and forced air produced by the larva of Phileurus valgus (Olivier, 1789) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Phileurini)

It was observed that Phileurus valgus larvae are capable to emit stridulation and forced air sound when disturbed, being able to emit a “compound sound”. Duration, frequencies, oscillograms, spectrograms of the sounds obtained are presented. The results obtained are compared with previous studies and the possible communicative or warning functions they may have in their natural environment when interacting with other larvae (other species) or their congeners (same species). The audios obtained in the study are shared.

Species limits in the Elegant Pitta (Pitta elegans) complex from Wallacea based on bioacoustic and morphometric analysis

Background The Elegant Pitta (Pitta elegans) complex displays a remarkable diversity of morphological and bioacoustic traits across five taxa currently recognized as subspecies. They differ in plumage characteristics (such as red versus black belly patches; supercilium color and extent; and white versus black throats), in lifestyle (resident versus migratory) and in vocalizations. We investigated the morphological, bioacoustic and ecological differences across all taxa after recent studies demostrated the importance of these traits in recognizing biological species limits across pittas. Methods Morphometric analysis was carried out by measuring tarsus, wing, tail and bill lengths of 15 specimens at the Natural History Museum, UK, and plumages were inspected across 106 unique individuals from four different repositories. Bioacoustic analysis was based on 134 range-wide sound recordings. Two types of calls, territorial calls and alarm calls, were analyzed using different sets of parameters. Principal component analysis and the Isler Criterion were applied to the measurements. Playback trials were conducted to explore the levels of response of each taxon to the call types of the other taxa. Results The territorial call of concinna exhibits a distinct two-element motif, while elegans, maria and virginalis utter a three-element motif in which the first two elements are given in quick succession. On the other hand, vigorsii, produces both two-element and three-element motifs with longer breaks in between elements. As further corroborated by the playback trials, the three taxa elegans, virginalis and maria form a tight vocal cluster, whereas each concinna and vigorsii are distinct. The alarm call turned out to be less diagnostic even though most taxa did roughly separate into different vocal clusters. Morphometric analysis failed to produce strong differences, but plumage distinctions among multiple taxa are pronounced. Conclusions We suggest splitting the Elegant Pitta into three biological species based on bioacoustic and—less so—plumage evidence: (1) Temminck’s Elegant Pitta P. elegans (including subspecies elegans, virginalis and maria), (2) Wallace’s Elegant Pitta P. concinna (monotypic), and (3) Banda Elegant Pitta P. vigorsii (monotypic).

Description and comparison of Philippine hornbill (Bucerotidae) vocalizations

The role of vocalisation for the Philippine hornbills' ecology and speciation and their implication in understanding speciation is not well understood. We described and compared recorded calls of seven hornbill taxa in captivity namely Mindanao Wrinkled hornbill (Rhabdotorrhinus leucocephalus), Rufous-headed hornbill (Rhabdotorrhinus waldeni), Luzon Rufous hornbill (Buceros hydrocorax hydrocorax), Samar Rufous hornbill (Buceros hydrocorax semigaleatus), Mindanao Rufous hornbill (Buceros hydrocorax mindanensis), Mindanao Tarictic hornbill (Penelopides affinis), Samar Tarictic hornbill (Penelopides samarensis), Visayan Tarictic hornbill (Penelopides panini) and Luzon Tarictic hornbill (Penelopides manillae), as well as comparison with the non-native Papuan hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus). Vocalisation analysis included call duration, minimum frequency, maximum frequency, bandwidth and peak frequency. For each species in the sample, the mean and standard deviation were used to calculate the Cohen’s d statistic by using an effect size calculator. Results showed that the effect size for minimum frequency was small for P. panini vs. P. samarensis and B. hydrocorax vs. B. h. mindanensis. However, bandwidth, duration, minimum frequency, maximum frequency and peak frequency have large effect sizes for the rest of the allopatric species pairs. Hornbills' conspicuous resonating calls are sufficiently quantifiable for bioacoustic analysis and may provide new insights for their taxonomic review.

A COLOURFUL NEW SPECIES OF MYZOMELA HONEYEATER FROM ROTE ISLAND IN EASTERN INDONESIA

The avifauna of Rote Island in the Lesser Sundas is not well studied and generally considered to be similar to that of adjacent Timor Island. However, some cases of bird endemism have recently been documented on this island. A population of Myzomela honeyeater is one such example. First observed in October 1990, it has been subsumed with Myzomela dammermani from Sumba Island given its superficially similar appearance. Based on extensive morphological inspection and bioacoustic analysis, we here describe this population as a new taxon to science. Apart from previously overlooked plumage distinctions, the new taxon bioacoustically differs from M. dammermani in the presence or absence of several unique call types and considerable differences across two parameters in shared call types. Considering the importance of bioacoustics in avian species delimitation, we propose that the new Rote Myzomela be considered a distinct species. Given continued habitat conversion across its small range, we propose the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) threat status Vulnerable for the species.

Short Communication: Biodiversity of the Gaga chicken from Pinrang, South Sulawesi, Indonesia based on the bioacoustic analysis and morphometric study

Abinawanto, Effendi PS. 2017. Biodiversity of the Gaga chicken from Pinrang, South Sulawesi, Indonesia based on the bioacoustic analysis and morphometric study. Biodiversitas 18: 1618-1623. Gaga chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) is the local ornamental chicken originated from South Sulawesi, Indonesia, being kept for the crows. Gaga chicken which also called “ayam ketawa” (“laughing chicken”) has the unique crowing song, which sounds like human laughing. Gaga chicken which has long and fast crowing song is called ‘dangdut’ type, while the short and slow crowing song is named ‘slow’ type. The objective of present study is to investigate the biodiversity of Gaga chicken from Pinrang, South Sulawesi, Indonesia based on morphometric and bioacoustic characters. Twenty samples of Gaga chicken have been collected, consisted of eight ‘slow’ types and twelve ‘dangdut’ types, respectively. Data were analyzed by t-test using SPSS ver. 22. The result showed that ‘slow’ type was bigger than ‘dangdut’ type. Morphometric characters could be applied to determine the biodiversity of Gaga chicken.