The Atherton Scrub-wren, Sericornis keri Mathews: A neglected Australian species (Results of the Harold Hall Australian Expedition No.16)

Abstract

Sericornis magnirostris keri was described by Mathews, from a single bird collected on Mount Bellenden Ker in 1889. Until now, no further specimens have been recognized, and no one but Mathews has accepted keri even as a valid race. However, study of three old and two recent specimens shows that, though superficially similar to the northern race of the Large-billed Scrub-Wren S. m. viridior, it is quite distinct. Since the two forms co-exist on the Atherton Tableland, S. keri must be regarded as a separate species, the Atherton Scrub-Wren. This will probably prove to be more different from the Large-billed Scrub-Wren in the field than it appears in the hand, and should be looked for on the rain forest floor of the Tableland.