Southern Nightingale-Wren (Microcerculus marginatus) [XC816685]
by Francesco Barberini from Reserva Natural Cauquit\u00e1, Colombia (song)
Southern Nightingale-Wren (Microcerculus marginatus) [XC438400]
by Jerome Fischer from Reserva Natural Palmar\u00ed, Rio Javar\u00ed, AM, Brazil (call)
Subspecies
Sometimes treated as conspecific with Northern Nightingale-wren (Microcerculus philomela), but differs substantially in vocalizations. Subspecies luscinia regarded by some authorities as a full species. Alternatively, this and other more northerly subspecies (squamulatus, corrasus, occidentalis, taeniatus) together possibly form a separate species. In addition, recent DNA studies suggest that populations of nominate subspecies north of Amazon may represent a different species from those south of the river, despite absence of obvious morphological differences. Subspecies occidentalis sometimes merged with taeniatus.
The following 6 subspecies are recognised:
luscinia Salvin, 1866 - Central Costa Rica south to Panama (south to eastern Darién).
squamulatus Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1875 - Northern Colombia (except Santa Marta) and mountains of north-western and northern Venezuela (east in coastal range to Distrito Federal).
corrasus Bangs, 1902 - Santa Marta region of northern Colombia.
occidentalis Hellmayr, 1906 - Western Colombia and north-western Ecuador.
taeniatus Salvin, 1881 - Tropical zone of western Ecuador.
marginatus (Sclater, 1855) - Western Amazonia, from eastern Ecuador, eastern Colombia and southern Venezuela (south-western Amazonas) south to eastern Peru, western and central Brazil (eastern, south of Amazon, to Maranhío) and northern and north-eastern Bolivia.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet