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On the Systematic Position of the Boat-Billed Heron

1967; Oxford University Press; Volume: 84; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/4083333

1938-4254

Joël Cracraft,

Avian ecology and behavior

THE close relationship of the Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius) to ardeids has long been accepted, but the taxonomic rank to be assigned to Cochlearius has been the subject of much discussion.Thus, while all authorities recognize a monotypic genus for the Boat-bill, opinions vary on whether the genus should be placed in the tribe Nycticoracini or in a separate tribe, a separate subfamily, or a separate family.E. Mayr and D. Amadon (Amer.Mus.Novitates, no.1141, 1951; see p. 6) placed Cochlearius in t-he Ardeidae, but did not discuss in any detail its relationships within the family.In his generic review of the Ardeidae, W. J. Bock (Amer.Mus.Novitates, no.1779, 1956) concluded th'at the external features and behavioral characters of the Boat-bill warranted no more than separate generic ranking for the species, and he placed Cochlearius in the tribe Nycticoracini with the remark (p.32): "A further study of the anatomy and behavior of the herons may reveal that Cochlearius differs more from the night herons than the presently studied characters indicate.If so and if also the proposed use of tribes in the Ardeinae is accepted, it may be best to established a separate tribe, the Cochleariini, for the Boat-bill, but it is extremely doubtful that it is distinct enough to warrant its being given subfamily rank." A. Wetmore (Smiths.Misc.Colls., 139111]: 9-10) was of the opinion that the enlarged bill, four pairs of powder-down patches, and the peculiar features of the skull made the Boat-bill distinct enough to be recognized as a monotypic family.