Fiji whistler | |
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male | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Pachycephalidae |
Genus: | Pachycephala |
Species: | P. vitiensis
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Binomial name | |
Pachycephala vitiensis Gray, GR, 1860
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Subspecies | |
See text | |
Synonyms | |
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The Fiji whistler (Pachycephala vitiensis) is a species of bird in the family Pachycephalidae, endemic to Fiji.
It was variably considered a subspecies of a widespread golden whistler (P. pectoralis).[2][3] Three of the subspecies (P. v. kandavensis, lauana, and vitiensis) of the former white-throated whistler (P. v. kandavensis, lauana, and vitiensis) were lumped with the Fiji whistler in 2014 by the IOC.[4] The Temotu whistler was formerly considered conspecific with the Fiji whistler.
Ten subspecies are recognized:[5]
Some of the subspecies of the Fiji whistler are yellow-throated, while others are white-throated.[2] It has been speculated that these two groups are the result of separate waves of colonisations, with the yellow-throated being the result of an early colonisation, and the white-throated the result of a secondary colonisation.[2] The yellow-throated are found on most northern and central islands (Vanua Levu, Viti Levu, Taveuni, Ovalau, Kioa, Rabi, Koro and Vatu Vara), while the white-throated are found on some southern islands (Kadavu, Gau and southern Lau Islands.[2]