A new subspecies of Colluricincla megarhyncha Quoy and Gaimard from the Northern Territory

Abstract

Colluricincla megarhyncha (brownish-grey-billed group) is recorded for the first time for the Northern Territory, from mangroves at the mouths of the McArthur and probably Roper Rivers. The local form is described as a new subspecies; C.m aelptes; characterized by a pallid undersurface, rather heavily streaked breast, pale-buff eye-brow and long bill. Aelptes is intermediate in morphology and geographical position between eastern Australian forms of megarhyncha and Colluricincla parvula from north-western Australia, implying that parvula and megarhyncha are conspecific.