Taxonomic and nomenclatural implications of a review of the Pied Currawong Strepera graculina in southern Victoria

Abstract

In a review of knowledge about subspecies of the Pied Currawong in southern Victoria and far south-eastern South Australia, Menkhorst & Morley (2017) hypothesised that the type specimen of Strepera graculina ashbyi Mathews 1913 might be an immature female of the population currently recognized as S. g. nebulosa Schodde and Mason 1999. If this hypothesis is correct, there are nomenclatural consequences, which we detail here. We also retract the suggestion that neotypes should be defined for the subspecies concerned.