Tag Archives: Campephagidae

Edolisoma coerulescens ssp. alterum Wardlaw-Ramsay

Cebu Blackish Cicadabird (Edolisoma coerulescens ssp. alterum)

The Blackish Cicadabird (Edolisoma coerulescens (Blyth)) is endemic to the Philippines, where three subspecies are recognized, of which two again are now considered extinct, leaving only the nominate race which inhabits the islands of Catanduanes and Luzon in the northern part of the Philippines.

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The Cebu Blackish Cicadabird, which was endemic to the island of Cebu, was described in 1881, originally as a distinct species.

The form was not recorded since 1906 and probably died out sometimes after that date due to the extreme deforestation of its habitat.

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syn. Coracina coerulescens ssp. altera (Wardlaw-Ramsay), Edolisoma alterum Wardlaw-Ramsay

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Blackish Cicadabird (Edolisoma coerulescens); nominate form

Photo: Forest Botial-Jarvis
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/tiluchi
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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edited: 06.02.2024

Lalage sp. ‘Tonga’

Tongan Triller (Lalage sp.)

The Tonga Triller is only known from subfossil bones that were recovered during excavations on the islands of ‘Eua and Tongatapu in the Kingdom of Tonga.

This species was distinct from the Polynesian Triller (Lalage maculosa ssp. tabuensis Mayr & Ripley) (see photo below) that still inhabits these islands today, however, I don’t have any further information about it so far.

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Polynesian Triller (Lalage maculosa ssp. tabuensis Mayr & Ripley)

Photo: Duncan Wright
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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References:

[1] David W. Steadman: Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds. University of Chicago Press 2006

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edited: 12.05.2022

Edolisoma coerulescens ssp. deschauenseei (duPont)

Marinduque Blackish Cicadabird (Edolisoma coerulescens ssp. deschauenseei)

The Marinduque Blackish Cicadabird is one of several enigmatic Philippine birds about which almost nothing is known.

The form was described in 1972 from specimens (how many?) that were collected one year earlier. It was never recorded since.

The bird reached a size of about 25,5 cm, it was entirely black with a purplish gloss

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The Marinduque Blackish Cicadabird fell victim to the extreme deforestation that took place (and still takes place today) on the Philippine Islands.

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syn. Coracina coerulescens ssp. deschauenseei duPont

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edited: 18.06.2019

Coracina striata ssp. cebuensis (Ogilvie-Grant)

Cebu Bar-bellied Cuckooshrike (Coracina striata ssp. cebuensis)

The Bar-bellied Cuckooshrike includes 14 subspecies which occur from the mainland of Southeast-Asia to the Philippines.

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The subspecies that once was restricted to the island of Cebu, Philippines, was described in 1896, originally as a distinct species. 

The bird reached a size of about 30 cm, it was more or less completely grey in color.

The Cebu Bar-bellied Cuckooshrike has last been recorded in 1906, it disappeared sometimes after that date due to the almost complete deforestation of the island’s forests.

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syn. Artamides cebuensis Ogilvie-Grant

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edited: 18.06.2019