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Guadalupe Wren
The Guadalupe wren (''Thryomanes bewickii brevicauda''), also known as the Guadalupe Island wren, was a subspecies of Bewick's wren native to the island of Guadalupe Island, Guadalupe, off the western coast of Baja California. It is extinct, and has not been seen since 1897. Taxonomy and description Ornithologist Robert Ridgway initially described the Guadalupe wren as a species in its own right, ''Thryomanes brevicauda''. Its closest relative may be the mainland Bewick's wren subspecies ''T. b. correctus,'' which the Guadalupe wren closely resembled. Indeed, ''brevicauda'' mainly differed from ''correctus'' in its narrower tail bars, smaller size, shorter tail, and longer bill. Biology The diet of the Guadalupe wren remains poorly known. One collected specimen had two insects in its stomach, and another contained an insect and some pine seeds. Guadalupe wrens likely foraged in the scrub habitat on the island. Their nest has never been found, nor have any eggs. The subspecies wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Ridgway
Robert Ridgway (July 2, 1850 – March 25, 1929) was an American ornithologist specializing in systematics. He was appointed in 1880 by Spencer Fullerton Baird, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, to be the first full-time curator of birds at the United States National Museum, a title he held until his death. In 1883, he helped found the American Ornithologists' Union, where he served as officer and journal editor. Ridgway was an outstanding descriptive taxonomist, capping his life work with ''The Birds of North and Middle America'' (eight volumes, 1901–1919). In his lifetime, he was unmatched in the number of North American bird species that he described for science. As technical illustrator, Ridgway used his own paintings and outline drawings to complement his writing. He also published two books that systematized color names for describing birds, ''A Nomenclature of Colors for Naturalists'' (1886) and ''Color Standards and Color Nomenclature'' (1912). Ornitholo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
