Central Melanesian cicadabird

The central Melanesian cicadabird is a passerine bird in the family Campephagidae that is found on the islands of Tabar, Lihir as well as the islands in the Solomon Islands archipelago.

Taxonomy

The central Melanesian cicadabird was formally described in 1888 by the English ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe based on specimens collected on the island of "Guadalcanar" in the Solomon Islands. He coined the binomial name Endoliisoma erythropygium. The specific epithet erythropygium combines the Ancient Greek ερυθρος/eruthros meaning "red" with -πυγιος/-pugios meaning "-rumped. Sharpe explained that the name applied to the female bird. This cicadabird was formerly considered as a subspecies of Endoliisoma remotum but based on molecular genetic data and a comparison of plumage and vocalization, the central Melanesian cicadabird was promoted to species status and now includes four subspecies all of which were formerly included in Endoliisoma remotum.
Four subspecies are recognised:E. e. ultimum – Tabar Island, Lihir Island and Tanga Islands E. e. saturatius Rothschild & Hartert, EJO, 1902 – Buka Island to Bougainville Island and New Georgia group E. e. nisorium Mayr, 1950 – Russell Islands E. e. erythropygium Sharpe, 1888 – Guadalcanal, Savo Island, Florida Islands, Malaita and Ulawa Island