Type Specimens of Birds in the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren

About this book

The list of bird type specimens (excluding ‘topotypes’) preserved in the Royal Museum for Central Africa is given. A grand total of 987 type specimens pertaining to 226 nominal bird taxa is present. At least 125 of these are still in use as valid names of species or subspecies, the remainder are synonyms or require confirmation. Other RMCA specimens, erroneously considered as types, are listed separately. The RMCA collection originates exclusively from Africa (number of taxa concerned: Democratic Republic of Congo 110. Kenya 71, Uganda 30, Somalia 8, Rwanda 6, Zambia 3, Comoros 2, Ethiopia 2. Tanzania 2, Angola 1, Liberia 1, São Tomé & Principé 1, Zimbabwe 1). We also list the registration numbers and the data of the name-bearing specimens of all the taxa represented by type material in the RMCA. Obviously, the material from the former Belgian colonies is of great importance. but the collection includes also part of the numerous types – now mainly of historical value – from the V.G.L. van Someren collection (other parts of this collection are in the American Museum of Natural History, New York and in the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago) and some types from the H. Granvik collection. The RMCA has a previously undocumented paralectotype of Chaetura thomensis. The authors designate lectotypes in the following taxa, where type material is restricted to the RMCA: Francolinus squamatus confusa, Cossypha caffra kivuensis, Pseudoalcippe atriceps kivuensis, Cinnyris regius kivuensis and Poliospiza striolata kivuensis. We also designate lectotypes in the following taxa, for which the type material is shared with other museums: Vinago calva salvadorii (RBINS), Sylviella baraka (BMNH) and Dicrurus adsimilis jubaensis (FMNH). The examination of the holotype shows that Nectarinia preussi pauwelsi (Dubois, 1911) is the valid name for the taxon known up to now as Nectarinia preussi kikuyensis (Mearns, 1915). A short biography of the describers of bird taxa in the RMCA is provided.

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