Western Canary Islands goldcrest

Western Canary Islands goldcrest
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Regulidae
Genus: Regulus
Species:
R. regulus
Subspecies:
R. r. ellenthalerae
Trinomial name
Regulus regulus ellenthalerae
Päckert et al., 2006

The Western Canary Islands goldcrest, Regulus regulus ellenthalerae, is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. It is restricted to the western Canary Islands of La Palma and El Hierro where it is a non-migratory resident.

Previously thought to be the same taxon as the Tenerife Goldcrest Regulus regulus teneriffae, it was separated as a distinct subspecies of the goldcrest which apparently evolved from an independent colonisation of the islands 1.3–1.8 million years ago.[1]

References

  1. ^ Päckert, Martin; Dietzen, Christian; Martens, Jochen; Wink, Michael & Kvist, Laura: Radiation of Atlantic goldcrests Regulus regulus spp.: evidence of a new taxon from the Canary Islands. Journal of Avian Biology 37(4): 364-380.[1]


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