Picumnus cf. pallidus
We photographed males of rufous-toned, spot-breasted
Picumnus on our first visit to mangrove forests at Salinópolis
in May 2011 (WA #400194) and initially assigned these
individuals to a previously undiscovered population of
Picumnus pygmaeus (Lichtenstein, 1823), a species that
we had recently recorded for the first time in Pará around
Paragominas (Lees et al., 2012). We also encountered
Picumnus with barred breasts occurring sympatrically
in mangroves at Salinópolis and initially considered that
these might pertain to P. cirratus macconnelli Sharpe,
1901 or to hybrids between P. pygmaeus and P. cirratus
or P. pygmaeus and Picumnus albosquamatus D’Orbigny,
1840. But later fieldwork both at Salinópolis and around
Bragança revealed that these birds did not conform to any
readily identifiable taxon and that both male and female
plumages were quite variable. Males were observed
with both scaled and spotted breasts (e.g. Figure 20)
and females typically showed barred (or in some cases
scaled) breasts and unbarred lower bellies (e.g. WA
#476407). Novaes (1981) listed three specimens (MPEG
#33386-33388) of P. cirratus macconnelli from Vista
Alegre that apparently represent the only documented
records of this taxon from the coast of Pará away from
the neighboring (but subtly biogeographically distinct)
Marajó Island. Silva et al. (1997) examined the Vista Alegre
specimens and observed that they did not resemble P.
c. macconnelli, but instead, that they might pertain to P.
c. confusus, which was described from Guyana (Kinnear,
1927), or alternatively that they pertain to an undescribed
taxon. A subsequent literature review revealed that the
population of Picumnus occurring in mangroves along the
Pará coast has a valid name. Snethlage (1924) collected a
series of four individuals from the Campos de Quatipuru
in 1916 that she named Picumnus pallidus. This treatment
was followed by Pinto (1938), but not by Griscom &
Greenway Jr. (1941), who ranked this taxon as Picumnus
guttifer pallidus; guttifer is now treated as a subspecies
of Picumnus albosquamatus. Pinto (1978) subsequently
treated this taxon as a subspecies of Picumnus minutissimus
Pallas, 1782 and the most up-to-date treatment (Winkler
& Christie, 2002) included pallidus as a subspecies of
Picumnus spilogaster Sundevall, 1866. ACL found the Vista
Alegre skins to appear to be a good phenotypic match for
pallidus. We were provided with digital photographs of
two of the original four type specimens whose phenotype
corresponds to that of individuals we have photographed
in the same region (ZMB #31.1524 and #31.1525).
That at one time or another the populations of Picumnus
occurring in coastal Pará have been assigned to any one of
five different currently-recognized species, or potentially
even a new species, highlights the taxonomic conundrum
that this population represents, and given the degree of
variation evident, we suppose that hybridization may be
a factor. Based on phenotypic characteristics we do not
consider ‘pallidus’ to be correctly placed as a subspecies
of Picumnus spilogaster, as it has in recent treatments.
Lees, A.C., Thompson, I. and Moura, N.G.D., 2014. Salgado Paraense: an inventory of a forgotten coastal Amazonian avifauna. Boletim do Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi. Ciências Naturais. 9: 135-168
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 12 February 2024. We will now analyse and interpret the information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 12 February 2024, when discussions will re-open.
Many thanks to A. Lees for his comment. This information will be incorporated into the assessment, notably modifying the range description and the range map to exclude the area in Brazil currently marked as possibly extant.
Based on available information, our preliminary proposal for the 2024 Red List would be to adopt the proposed classifications outlined in the initial forum discussion.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 18 February 2024, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2024 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in December 2024, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments. We will analyse and interpret the information, and we will post a final decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 26 February 2024.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
The final categorisation for this species has not changed. White-bellied Piculet is recommended to be listed as Least Concern.
Many thanks for everyone who contributed to the 2024.1 GTB Forum process. The final 2024 Red List categories will now be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in October 2024, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
The taxonomic status of the Brazilian birds ssp ‘pallidus’ is discussed here – text excised below https://repositorio.museu-goeldi.br/bitstream/mgoeldi/1385/1/Salgado%20paraense%20an%20inventory%20of%20a%20forgotten%20coastal%20amazonian%20avifauna%20-%20LEES%2C%20ALEXANDER%20CHARLES.pdf it is very unlikely that they pertain to spilogaster and likely represent a hybrid swarm of 2-3 other taxa. Preliminary genetic results don’t tell us much as there is so much geneflow. This population occurs in extensive mangrove at any rate and although there is loss of this habitat it does not approach a 30% threshold across multiple decades.
Picumnus cf. pallidus
We photographed males of rufous-toned, spot-breasted
Picumnus on our first visit to mangrove forests at Salinópolis
in May 2011 (WA #400194) and initially assigned these
individuals to a previously undiscovered population of
Picumnus pygmaeus (Lichtenstein, 1823), a species that
we had recently recorded for the first time in Pará around
Paragominas (Lees et al., 2012). We also encountered
Picumnus with barred breasts occurring sympatrically
in mangroves at Salinópolis and initially considered that
these might pertain to P. cirratus macconnelli Sharpe,
1901 or to hybrids between P. pygmaeus and P. cirratus
or P. pygmaeus and Picumnus albosquamatus D’Orbigny,
1840. But later fieldwork both at Salinópolis and around
Bragança revealed that these birds did not conform to any
readily identifiable taxon and that both male and female
plumages were quite variable. Males were observed
with both scaled and spotted breasts (e.g. Figure 20)
and females typically showed barred (or in some cases
scaled) breasts and unbarred lower bellies (e.g. WA
#476407). Novaes (1981) listed three specimens (MPEG
#33386-33388) of P. cirratus macconnelli from Vista
Alegre that apparently represent the only documented
records of this taxon from the coast of Pará away from
the neighboring (but subtly biogeographically distinct)
Marajó Island. Silva et al. (1997) examined the Vista Alegre
specimens and observed that they did not resemble P.
c. macconnelli, but instead, that they might pertain to P.
c. confusus, which was described from Guyana (Kinnear,
1927), or alternatively that they pertain to an undescribed
taxon. A subsequent literature review revealed that the
population of Picumnus occurring in mangroves along the
Pará coast has a valid name. Snethlage (1924) collected a
series of four individuals from the Campos de Quatipuru
in 1916 that she named Picumnus pallidus. This treatment
was followed by Pinto (1938), but not by Griscom &
Greenway Jr. (1941), who ranked this taxon as Picumnus
guttifer pallidus; guttifer is now treated as a subspecies
of Picumnus albosquamatus. Pinto (1978) subsequently
treated this taxon as a subspecies of Picumnus minutissimus
Pallas, 1782 and the most up-to-date treatment (Winkler
& Christie, 2002) included pallidus as a subspecies of
Picumnus spilogaster Sundevall, 1866. ACL found the Vista
Alegre skins to appear to be a good phenotypic match for
pallidus. We were provided with digital photographs of
two of the original four type specimens whose phenotype
corresponds to that of individuals we have photographed
in the same region (ZMB #31.1524 and #31.1525).
That at one time or another the populations of Picumnus
occurring in coastal Pará have been assigned to any one of
five different currently-recognized species, or potentially
even a new species, highlights the taxonomic conundrum
that this population represents, and given the degree of
variation evident, we suppose that hybridization may be
a factor. Based on phenotypic characteristics we do not
consider ‘pallidus’ to be correctly placed as a subspecies
of Picumnus spilogaster, as it has in recent treatments.
Lees, A.C., Thompson, I. and Moura, N.G.D., 2014. Salgado Paraense: an inventory of a forgotten coastal Amazonian avifauna. Boletim do Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi. Ciências Naturais. 9: 135-168
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 12 February 2024. We will now analyse and interpret the information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 12 February 2024, when discussions will re-open.
Preliminary proposal
Many thanks to A. Lees for his comment. This information will be incorporated into the assessment, notably modifying the range description and the range map to exclude the area in Brazil currently marked as possibly extant.
Based on available information, our preliminary proposal for the 2024 Red List would be to adopt the proposed classifications outlined in the initial forum discussion.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 18 February 2024, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2024 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in December 2024, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments. We will analyse and interpret the information, and we will post a final decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 26 February 2024.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
The final categorisation for this species has not changed. White-bellied Piculet is recommended to be listed as Least Concern.
Many thanks for everyone who contributed to the 2024.1 GTB Forum process. The final 2024 Red List categories will now be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in October 2024, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.