On the taxonomic status of Burmese Collared Dove Streptopelia (decaocto) xanthocycla

Abstract

Although described as a subspecies of Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto, the isolated Burmese population S. d. xanthocycla is considered to be a species by some authors, based on presumed morphological differences between the two taxa. To resolve the issue, a whole-genome resequencing-based study was conducted. The results show that Burmese xanthocycla can indeed be considered a separate species, and therefore that Eurasian Collared Dove is monotypic. As no type material exists for the Burmese Collared Dove, a neotype is designated for xanthocycla to clarify its taxonomy.