A new subspecies of the great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos major iturupensis subsp.Nova

Earlier in the papers on the subspecies of Dendrocopos major of the complex “japonicus” (Red’kin 2015, 2016; Glushenko et al . 2016) we justified the validity of the allocation of D. m. tscherskii Buturlin, 1910, inhabiting the Amur region, Primorsky Krai, North-Eastern China, North Korea and Sakhalin. We also showed that D. m. japonicus (Siebold, 1883) breeds only on the Hokkaido, Kunashir and Shikotan Is.. In this paper we describe a new form from the Kuril Islands of Iturup and Urup. We examined skins kept in ornithological collections of Zoological Museum of Moscow State University (ZMMU), Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences (ZISP), Institute of Marine Geology and Geophysics of Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (IMGG), Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (ISEA) and Zoological Museum of National Museum of Natural History of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences (ZMUAS). In total, more than 230 Great Spotted Woodpecker skins were studied. We measured 8 characteristics of each skin: wing length (measured with a ruler at maximum straightening of the wing on the flat surface); tail length (measured with a ruler from the base of the central pair of tail feathers to their vertices). Other measurements were made using a calliper. Wing tip; tarsus length; bill length (measured from above to the base of rhamphotheca); bill length from nostril (measured from the forefront of nostrils); maximum bill height, bill width (measured from the base of rhamphotheca to the mouth corners). It should be emphasized that the data on the bill length in tables 1 and 2 are given without dividing the specimens by age and without taking into account the possible manifestation of seasonal variability. We also present the results of measurements of 4 measurements (wing span, maximum body length, head length, weight) obtained from birds before their preparation. For correct colouration comparison and proper designation of tinges we referred to Naturalist’s Color Guide (Smithe 1975). Numbers of tinges are cited in brackets after corresponding tinge names. Dendrocopos major iturupensis Redkin subsp. nova Holotype. Adult male, 30.06.2004, 15 km Southeast of the Kurilsk village, Iturup Is., the Kuril Islands, N 45°07’; E 147°58’. Coll. I.V. Ganitsky (skin with associated wing), ZMMU R-123497. Paratypes. 1) Adult male, 26.06.2004, 15 km Southeast of the Kurilsk village, Iturup Is., the Kuril Islands, N 45°07’; E 147°58’. Coll. A.V. Tsvetkov (skin with associated wing). ZMMU R-123498. 2) Adult male, 4.07.2004, near of the Kurilsk village, Iturup Is., the Kuril Islands, N 45°12’; E 147°53’. Coll. I.V. Ganitsky (skin with associated wing). ZMMU R-123499. Description. The new form is light in colour and small in size. The colour of the underside of the body of new form specimens in fresh plumage corresponds to Grayish Horn Color (C. 91). Their underparts are less bright than those of japonicus , which is characterized by a tint corresponding to Tawny Olive (C. 223D) (Fig. 1). The underside of iturupensis is whitish in its worn plumage, which sharply distinguishes them from japonicus from the neighbouring Islands of Kunashir and Shikotan, having a worn feather yellowish tint (Fig. 2). White spots on the flight feathers are slightly larger than those of the japonicus and tscherskii (Fig. 3), but smaller than kamtschaticus . Some juvenile samples have white spots on primaries, they merge with each other (Fig. 4). Dark stripes on the extreme tail feathers are smaller than in tscherskii , slightly smaller than japonicus , but on average larger than kamtschaticus . The length of the wing and tail are on average less than that of japonicus and tscherskii; however, significantly less than that of kamtschaticus (Tabl. 1, 2). The bill of adult birds averages longer than japonicus , which is clearly noticeable when comparing adult males (Fig. 5). The length of the bill above the edge of the ramphoteca in adult males ( n = 7) collected in the breeding period is 28.1-34.3 mm (on average 31.6 mm). Differential diagnosis. From the neighbouring form japonicus differs less bright underside of the body, large white spots on the wings, less development of black stripes on the extreme tail feathers, shorter length of the wing and tail, a longer bill of adult birds in breeding period. Range. Iturup and Urup islands. Etymology. The name of the new form is given in accordance with the Russian name Iturup Island. In the group of subspecies “japonicus” of the Great Spotted Woodpecker, the races D. m. tscherskii , D. m. iturupensis , D. m. japonicus , D. m. hondoensis and, most likely, D. m. kamtschaticus (Fig. 7) should, thus, be recognized. In addition, the populations of the Korean Peninsula that are currently included in the form of D. m. hondoensis also seem to deserve to be singled out as another race of D. m. seoulensis (N. Kuroda, 1921).