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Common stonechat is the name used for the Saxicola species Saxicola torquatus when this is treated in its broad sense.
It is, however, now more widely considered to be a superspecies consisting of several related but distinct species,[1] which are outwardly fairly similar but genetically distinct and replacing each other geographically without significant hybridisation:[2][3][4]
- African stonechat Saxicola torquatus in the strict sense
- European stonechat Saxicola rubicola
- Siberian stonechat Saxicola maurus
- Amur stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri
- Madagascar stonechat Saxicola sibilla
Three other species, not previously included within the broad view of common stonechat, have also been shown to be members of the superspecies:[2][5]
- Fuerteventura chat Saxicola dacotiae
- Reunion stonechat Saxicola tectes
- White-tailed stonechat Saxicola leucurus
Species status possible,[2] but not yet verified:
- Ethiopian stonechat Saxicola (torquatus) albofasciatus
Not all of the above are currently recognised as full species by all of the relevant taxonomical authorities, for example the British Ornithologists' Union,[6] currently include stejnegeri as a subspecies of Saxicola maurus.[7]
- ^ IOC World Bird List Archived 2019-10-29 at the Wayback Machine and references cited therein
- ^ a b c Urquhart, E., & Bowley, A. (2002): Stonechats. A Guide to the Genus Saxicola. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0-7136-6024-4
- ^ Woog, F., Wink, M., Rastegar-Pouyani, E., Gonzalez, J., & Helm, B. (2008). Distinct taxonomic position of the Madagascar stonechat (Saxicola torquatus sibilla) revealed by nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial DNA. J. Ornithol. 149: 423–430. Full text
- ^ Zink, R.M.; Pavlova, A.; Drovetski, S.; Wink, M.; Rohwer, S. (2009). "Taxonomic status and evolutionary history of the Saxicola torquata complex". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 52 (3): 769–773. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.05.016. PMID 19464380. See also: Zink, R.M.; Pavlova, A.; Drovetski, S.; Wink, M.; Rohwer, S. (2010). "Corrigendum to "Taxonomic status and evolutionary history of the Saxicola torquata complex"". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 57 (1): 481–482. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.10.032.
- ^ Illera, J. C., Richardson, D. S., Helm, B., Atienza, J. C., & Emerson, B. C. (2008). Phylogenetic relationships, biogeography and speciation in the avian genus Saxicola. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 48: 1145-1154. Full text. Archived 2010-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The British List" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2010-10-22.
- ^ BOU Records Committee [1], September 2011.