Subspecies of the collared sand martin Riparia riparia (Linnaeus, 1758) of fauna of Russia and adjacent territories

Longstanding consideration the forms of diluta group as a subspecies of Collared Sand Martin was strongly distorted the notion of distribution of R. riparia and the scale (scope) of geographic variation of this species. At present taxonomical boundaries of the Pale Sand Martin R. diluta as self-polytypic species were finally determined (Goroshko 1993; Dickinson et al. 2001; Loskot 2001). The purpose of our study was to trace the distribution details of R. riparia (in its present meaning) in breeding period and to carry out its own variability analysis of external morphological characters of the species in Russia and adjacent territories. The map of breeding range of R. riparia (see Fig. 4) is prepared on the basis of critical analysis of literature materials and mapping the points of finds of collection specimens related to the breeding period. In this paper we accept the independence of subspecies R. r. shelleyi, R. r. eilata and R. r. innominata (= R. r. dolgushini) but don't discuss it here, because we hadn't suitable specimens of adult breeding birds of these forms for comparison. It was possible to confirm the reality of geographical races R. r. kolymensis, R. r. taczanowskii, R. r. ijimae, R. r. maximiliani and to separate three new subspecies from Western and Central Siberia, North-Western Mongolia and adjacent areas of Tuva, eastern part of Mongolia and Transbaikalia. We examined skins kept in ornithological collections of Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences (ZISP), Zoological Museum of Moscow State University (ZMMU), Institute of Systematic and Ecology of Animals at the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ISEA), Zoological Museum of Siberian Federal University (ZMSFU), State Darwin Museum (SDM) and Institute of Marine Geology and Geophysics of Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (IMGG). In total 443 specimens from different parts of breeding range were processed, with all types of plumage included. Besides, type specimens of R. r. kolymensis Buturlin, 1917 (n = 2, ZMMU), R. r. taczanowskii Stegmann, 1925 (n = 5, ZISP) и R. r. stotzneriana Meise, 1934 (n = 2, ZISP, ZMMU) were examined. Whereas we hadn't sufficiently large series of juvenile birds from the most part of species' range we conducted the comparison of coloration and dimensions only for adult birds. For correct coloration 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. Given the fact that coloration of plumage is becoming browner with the time of storage, for current analysis we used only specimens of birds collected during the last 30 years. Old specimens noticeably changed the color of plumage remain quite defined but only by comparison with specimens of the same remoteness of storage. The comparison of dimensions of adult Sand Martins was carried out without the sex differentiation. The wing length was measured with ruler having wing straightened along the ruler as much as possible. Other measurements were taken with calipers. Tail length - from basis of central pair of rectrices to the rectrices tips. Tarsus was measured from intertarsal joint to the base of middle finger. Bill measurements included length from anterior edge of nostril to the tip of bill (bill length from nostril) and length of culmen from rear edge of rhamphotheca to the bill tip (bill length). The bill height was measured at the rear edge of nostril, bill width - at the base of rhamphotheca. The length of the top of the wing was estimated as the distance from the top of 11th (the first secondary) flight feather to the end of the second primaries, the depth of tail cut - as a distance between the tops of tail streamers of central and extreme pairs of feathers. Riparia riparia rip