Cyprus dipper
| Cyprus dipper | |
|---|---|
| Extinct (1950) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Cinclidae |
| Genus: | Cinclus |
| Species: | C. cinclus |
| Subspecies: | C. c. olympicus |
| Trinomial name | |
| Cinclus cinclus olympicus (Tschusi, 1904) | |
The Cyprus dipper (Cinclus cinclus olympicus) was a bird species endemic to Cyprus. It was a stream wader in the montane forests of the island. This insectivorous bird was last observed c. 1950 on Cyprus. It disappeared after deforestation.
However, this subspecies is not recognized as valid anymore. Its validity has long been questioned (Vaurie, 1955), and DNA sequence comparison of Aegean/eastern Mediterranean island populations of dippers shows that they are indistinguishable from adjacent mainland populations. Thus, it seems probable that the Cyprus population too had immigrated from Asia Minor rather recently and not evolved to the point where it could be considered a separate subspecies.
See also
References
- Vaurie, Charles (1955): Systematic notes on Palearctic birds. No. 16, Troglodytinae, Cinclidae, and Prunellidae. American Museum novitates 1751: 1-25. PDF fulltext
External links
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