Correction of three historical bird records from Libya

2010·0.41 MB·

by  Adriano De Faveri

Correction of three historical bird records from Libya
Adriano De Faveri" andNicola Baccetti“
Correction de trois mentions historiques d’oiseaux en Libye. 7 rois specimens collectes par Toschi en
Libye en 1939, s averent avoir ete mal identifies : deux Pouillots fitis Phylloscopus trochilus sont en fair des
Pouillots veloces P. collybitaet un traquet libelle comme Traquet motteux Oenantheoenantheest un Traquet
du desert O. deserti. Ces mentions constituaient les seuls donnees hivernales pour les especes en question, a
part quelques mentions plus anciennes du Pouillots fitis qui sont probablement egalement erronees. II y a
toutefois des observations hivernales recentes du Pouillot fitis et du 1 raquet motteux dans le pays.
T
hree major reviews ofLibyan birds have been (1969), but these are probably erroneous too
published: Zavattari (1934), Toschi (1969) (see, however, Brehme et al. 2002-06 for recent
and Bundy (1976). They contain most details of winter observations of both species). The correct
the original literature sources and historical skin species are considered to be regular winter visitors,
collections. Inevitably, they also contain a few and are common at this season. The identity of
errors and inaccuracies. We found evidenceofthree the remaining 151 preserved specimens (of the
such cases while cataloguing the bird collection original 154: Toschi 1947) appeared correct, at
at the Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la least at the species level.
Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA; formerly the Istituto
Nazionale Fauna Selvatica) in Ozzano Emilia, Acknowledgements
Italy. Here we came across Augusto Toschi's series Thanks are due to Ron Demey for improving an
of Libyan skins, originally published by Toschi earlier draft and to Stefan Brehme for his constructive
(1947). Three specimens proved to have been comments.
misidentified by the collector, namely:
References
• Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus no.
10150, shot February 1939 in the Fezzan. Brehme, S., Thiede, W. & Borges, E. 2002-06.
Common Beitrage zur Vogelwelt Libyens, II—VIII. Ornithol.
Correct species: Chiffchaff P.
Mitt. 54: 202-212, 391-399; 55: 54-66, 277-287;
collybita.
56: 207-219; 57: 337-345; 58: 194-211.
• Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus no. Bundy, G. 1976. The Birds of Libya: An Annotated
10151, shot 5 February 1939 at Brak, Fezzan. Check-list. BOU Check-list No. 1. London, UK:
Common
Correct species: Chiffchaff P. British Ornithologists’ Union.
collybita. Toschi, A. 1947. Risultati di una escursione zoologica
• Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe no. in Libia (dicembre 1938-febbraio 1939). Riv. Ital.
9996, shot 31 January 1939 at Mizdah, western Ornitol. 17: 1-24.
Libya. Correct species: Desert Wheatear 0. Toschi, A. 1969. Introduzione alia ornitologia della
deserti female. Libia. Suppl. Ric. Zool. appl. Caccia, Bologna 6:
, 1-381.
Only the latter two specimens were mentioned
Zavattari, E. 1934. Prodromo della fauna della Libia.
by Toschi (1969) and none were included in
Pavia: Tipografia gia Cooperativa.
Bundy (1976). According to these authorities,
there are no other winter records ofeither species “ISPRA, via Ca’Fornacetta 9, 40064 Ozzano Emilia
BO,
in Libya, apart from a few ofWillowWarbler from Italy.
December-January taken by previous collectors, Received 26 August 2009; revision accepted 1 October
and retained without examination by Toschi 2009.
&
Correction ofthree historicalbirdrecordsfrom Libya: De Faveri Baccetti BullABC Vol 17No 1 (2010) -85