F\u00fclleborn's Boubou (Laniarius fuelleborni) [XC515087]
by Louis A. Hansen from Dibililo camp, Mafwemiro forest, Mpwapwa, Dodoma Region, Tanzania (call)
F\u00fclleborn's Boubou (Laniarius fuelleborni) [XC517299]
by Louis A. Hansen from Suni camp, Chita Forest, southern Udzungwa Scarp, Tanzania (call)
Subspecies
Fulleborn's Boubou (Laniarius fuelleborni) and Mountain Sooty Boubou (Laniarius poensis) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) are retained as separate species contra Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993) who include poensis as a subspecies of fuelleborni.
Has often been treated as conspecific with Mountain Sooty Boubou (Laniarius poensis), but the two differ in plumage (particularly of juvenile), in bill size and vocally. Recent genetic studies strongly suggest that the two, although more closely allied to each other than to the other black boubous (Lowland Sooty Boubou (Laniarius leucorhynchus) and Slate-coloured Boubou (Laniarius funebris)), are not conspecific and do not form a superspecies. Slightly smaller and slatier-coloured birds from Uluguru Mts described as subspecies ulugurensis, but seem barely distinguishable from usambaricus.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
usambaricus Rand, 1957 - Eastern Arc mountains (Usambaras, Ngurus, Ukagurus, Ulugurus), in Tanzania.
fuelleborni (Reichenow, 1900) - Tanzania south of Uluguru Mts, northern Malawi and extreme eastern Zambia (Nyika Plateau).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet