Ontbirders,
There have been discussions in birding journals that Bicknell's Thrush
(split in 1995) should be lumped back with the Gray-cheeked Thrush. I was
just reading an abstract from the recent joint meeting of the American
Ornithologists' Union and Society of Canadian Ornithologists in Quebec City
from 16-21 August 2004. A study by Tara McEachen, Paul Wilson, Yves Aubrey
and Gilles Seutin evaluated the phylogenetic relationships within North
American Catharus thrushes using mitochondrial DNA. Bicknell's Thrush and
Gray-cheeked Thrush were confirmed as distinct species, and interestingly
they are not each others closest relatives.
Bicknell's Thrush is a very rare migrant in Eastern Ontario with several
specimen records from the Kingston area. It no doubt occurs elsewhere in
southern Ontario.
Ron Pittaway
Minden and Toronto, Ontario
Jean Iron
President, Ontario Field Ornithologists
9 Lichen place
Toronto ON M3A 1X3
416-445-9297
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
