A taxonomic revision of Chotoy spinetail Schoeniophylax phryganophilus

Abstract

AbstractChotoy spinetail Schoeniophylax phryganophilus is widely distributed in southern and eastern South America. What was believed to be a geographically disjunct population was described, as S. p. petersi, from eastern Brazil, in the valley of the Rio São Francisco, in northern Minas Gerais and western Bahia, based on comparatively minor plumage characters (chiefly colour and strength of the streaking). Its range was subsequently believed to extend to the northeast Brazilian state of Piauí. We analysed a total of 91 specimens of Schoeniophylax (74 S. p. phryganophilus, 17 S. p. petersi) for external morphology (plumage and biometrics), and 27 recordings of the species’ main song (22 S. p. phryganophilus and five S. p. petersi). We found no evidence to support intraspecific geographical variation, which is unsurprising in the light of vastly increased fieldwork that has removed any obvious disjunction in the distribution of Schoeniophylax, and we therefore recommend that the species be returned to monotypy.