Notes on the taxonomy of Neositta (Results of the Harold Hall Australian Expedition, No.18)

Abstract

The relation between Neositta leucoptera and striata is discussed. A critical examination of the records of their occurrence in northern Queensland suggests that they are allopatric and do not interbreed. The barrier between them may lie between the Flinders and Leichhardt Rivers, and coincide with a barrier already noted between other bird species. It is proposed to call this the 'Carpentaria Barrier'. The validity of N. leucocephala is examined critically in the light of its contact with chrysoptera. It is concluded that a narrow zone of unnamed hybrids between the two occurs in north-eastern NSW and' south-eastern Queensland, that Gould's leucocephala is the correct name for white-headed birds with type locality Moreton Bay, and that lumholtzi is a synonym.