Pale-tailed Barbthroat © pinterest.com

Species long known as Pale-tailed Barbthroat (Threnetes leucurus), but taxon niger, traditionally considered a separate species, represents a melanistic form of geographically limited distribution, based on apomorphic characters within the range of variation found in leucurus. Otherwise the two are apparently inseparable, so conspecific treatment seems appropriate, with older name niger claiming priority. Since there are several regions from which no or only a few specimens have been secured, exact limits of racial distributions not yet reliably determined. Subspecies loehkeni sometimes regarded as separate species and appears to be intermediate between leucurus and niger.

Proposed subspecies freirei from Amapa (northern Brazil) is inseparable from a dull male loehkeni and may confirm the intermediate position of latter. Both niger and loehkeni are very rare in scientific collections. In western Amazonia, two zones of character intergradation exist between subspecies cervinicauda and rufigastra on the one hand, and leucurus and rufigastra on the other, apparent in belly and tail coloration.

Proposed subspecies cristinae is synonym of loehkeni.

Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Sooty Barbthroat (Threnetes niger).

The following 6 subspecies are recognised:

• cervinicauda Gould, 1855   -  Eastern Colombia to northern Peru and adjacent western Amazonian Brazil. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Sooty Barbthroat (Threnetes niger).
• rufigastra Cory, 1915   -  Central Peru to northern Bolivia. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Sooty Barbthroat (Threnetes niger).
• leucurus (Linnaeus, 1766)   -  Southern Venezuela, Guyana and Surinam through Amazonian Brazil to northern Bolivia. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Sooty Barbthroat (Threnetes niger).
• niger (Linnaeus, 1758)   -  French Guiana and adjacent Brazil (northern Amapa). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Sooty Barbthroat (Threnetes niger).
• loehkeni Grantsau, 1969   -  North-eastern Brazil north of Amazon (Amapa). Also known as cristanae. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Bronze-tailed Barbthroat (Threnetes loehkeni).
• medianus Hellmayr, 1929   -  North-eastern Brazil south of Amazon (Pará). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Sooty Barbthroat (Threnetes niger).

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BirdLife International For more information about the Pale-tailed Barbthroat see... BirdLife International Species Factsheet. Articles about the Pale-tailed Barbthroat If you would like to read any articles about the Pale-tailed Barbthroat... Show Articles (0) No Pictures of Pale-tailed Barbthroat If Birdpedia has no pictures of Pale-tailed Barbthroat or you would like to see more, then try the following...       From BING (5) No Videos of Pale-tailed Barbthroat If Birdpedia has no videos of Pale-tailed Barbthroat or you would like to see more, then try the following..       From BING (0)