Schoeniparus Dubius Bird

English Name:  Rusty-capped Fulvetta
Latin Name:  Schoeniparus dubius
Protonym:  Proparus dubius Str.Feath. 2 p.447
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Pellorneidae / Schoeniparus
Taxonomy Code:  rucful1
Type Locality:  'outskirts of the Pine forests above the Salween,'' Salween District, Tenasserim, Lower Burma.
Author:  Hume
Publish Year:  1874
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

SCHOENIPARUS
(Pellorneidae; Ϯ Rusty-capped Fulvetta S. dubius) Gr. σχοινος skhoinos  reed, rush; genus Parus Linnaeus, 1758, tit; "Proparus dubius, Hume.  ... THIS last bird I described with some hesitation; it is a Leiotrichine form allied to Minla and Proparus, but distinct from all known species, I believe, of this group.  ...  In some particulars it closely resembles Mr. Mandelli's Minla rufogularis  ... Could it be that my bird is the female, rufogularis the male?  ...  I am much puzzled about the location of this species. The wings are short and bowed, the fifth quill is the shortest, the sixth subequal, the bill is essentially Parian, but rather too much compressed and raised on the culmen. The tail is long and narrow and much rounded, perhaps cuneate is the proper term. The tarsus very stout, the feet moderate, the hind toe and claw long. It is structurally very similar to vinipectus, but alike in bill, tarsus and feet is more robust. The two clearly go together, but they are not in my opinion congeneric with chrysotis (vel chrysæus), Hodgson, and they are both more or less reed and grass-haunters. I would separate them as Schœniparus." (Hume 1874); "Schœniparus, g. n., type Proparus dubius, sp. n. (Hume, J. A. S. B. (n.s.) xiiii. pt. 2, p. 107), Tenasserim; A. O. Hume, Str. Feath. ii. pp. 447-449." (Sharpe & Murie 1876) (Mark Brown in litt.); "Schœniparus Anonymous = Hume, 1874, Stray Feathers, 2, p. 449. Type, by subsequent designation (Sharpe, 1883, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., 7, p. 606), Minla rufogularis Mandelli." (Deignan in Peters 1964, X, 397).
Var. Schaeniparus.
Synon. Proparoides, Pseudominla, Semiparus, Sittiparus.

schoeniparus
L. schoenus  rush, reed  < Gr. σχοινος skhoinos  rush, reed; Late L. parus  tit.

dubium / dubius
L. dubius  doubtful, uncertain, dubious  < duo  two; habere  to have.
• "ACANTHORHYNCHUS DUBIUS, Gould.  ...  Remark. Although I have given the name of dubius to this species on account of his close resemblance to Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris, I have but little doubt that it will ultimately prove to be distinct.   Habitat. Australia: locality, Van Diemen's Land." (Gould 1837) (subsp. Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris).
• "Aegotheles dubius n. sp.  ...  Ich würde diesen Vogel, der mir in zwei Exemplaren vorliegt, zu Aegotheles Wallacii Gray (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1859, S. 154 stellen, falls die dort gegebene durchaus ungenügende Beschreibung mich dazu berechtigte." (Meyer 1874) (syn. Aegotheles albertisi).
• ex “Japú negro y amarillo” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 59 (syn. Cacicus chrysopterus).
• "158.  Carpodacus dubius, nov. sp.   Tab. XIII.   C. Thurae simillimus.  Mas abdomine medio albo; genis totis roseis; vitta superciliari argentea, postice candidissima.  Fem. uropygio ochraceo, fusco striato; vitta superciliari antice ochracea, postice alba." (Przhevalsky 1876) (subsp. Carpodacus thura).
• "81.  CHARADRIUS (dubius)  rectricibus nigris, apice albis.  Habitus Pluvialis, sed digitus posticus nullus.  Nigra sunt caput, fascia collaris & caudalis, rostrum, pedes.  Alba frons, iugulum, pectus, abdomen, femora apex caudae, fascia verticalis.   Ibid, p. 84.  Tab. 46." (Scopoli 1786); ex “Petit Pluvier à collier de l’isle de Luçon” of Sonnerat 1776, who doubted the specific distinctness of the Little Ringed Plover, considering it to be a barely separable example of the wide-ranging Ringed Plover whose plumage had been subtly altered by climatic influences (Charadrius).
• "46. RAMPHASTOS.   ...   dubius.  15. R. gula caerulea.  Blue throated Toucan.  Lath. syn. 1.I. p. 336. n. 14." (J. Gmelin 1788); "5. RAMPHASTOS DUBIUS, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 357 (1788).  Blue-throated Toucan, Lath. Syn. i. p. 357 [sic = 336].  "In a list of birds in the Museum of Baron de Faugeres of Montpelier, I find one by the name of Toucan à gorge bleue, with this addition, 'Ce Toucan n'est decrit par aucun auteur.'  I do not find a Toucan with a blue throat mentioned by any writer, and must therefore, with him, conclude it to be a new species.  As it is but very lately that I have known this circumstance, it has not been in my power to say further on this head, resting the whole, for the present, on his opinion."  Latham [1781], as above, and in Gen. Hist. ii. p. 294, gives the same account of it, in substance.  I agree in allowing it to rest for the present, but should the original Baron or other be disposed to stir in the matter he can now be better accommodated." (Cassin 1867) (?syn. Eurystomus gularis).
• "12.  Heliangelus dubius sp. nov.   With the last-named specimen the Museum received an Heliangelus to which I give the name H. dubius.  ...  I admit that it is with some hesitation that I describe this bird, but if it is not separated nominally many other species would have to be sunk as synonyms, for example Heliotrypha violicollis Salv., which differs from H. strophianus in about the same characters as my H. dubius does from H. clarissae.  It is possible that Mons. Simon's theory that these darker forms are melanistic aberrations is right, but as yet we have no proof of it, and we do not know their proper locality, so that it will be better to give names to those at least of which several entirely similar specimens are known and which seem to be distinct enough.  This proceeding will more incite future research, and thus be of more advantage for the present than treating such peculiar forms with neglect." (Hartert 1897) (syn. Heliangelus clarisse (melanistic)).
• “MORPHINUS  DUBIUS.   ...   Obs. — In the above descriptions I am very doubtful if either the mature or young plumage be detailed, as a variety of circumstances concur to induce me to believe that both are examples of a plumage in a middle stage, only; that of the one being at least a year older than that of the other  ...  In consideration of its form and general character, I have placed it for the present in the Genus Morphinus, though I am not quite convinced but that a more extensive opportunity of studying and comparing its characters, habits, and anatomical structure, will point out its affinity and position to be elsewhere.” (A. Smith 1830) (syn. Hieraaetus ayresi).
• "Chætura dubia  new species.  (Pl. XII.)  ...  The few words, without measurements, in Catalogue of Birds, XVI, p. 476, scarcely apply to the Mindoro species for Hartert says of celebensis: "In size similar to C. gigantea," whereas C. dubia is decidedly larger than gigantea; Clarke's measurements of the Negros specimen certainly agree much better with our bird, but neither of these writers makes any mention of white wing lining in C. celebensis, a character very noticeable in C. dubia." (McGrgeor 1905) (syn. Hirundapus celebensis).
• "284. Ixobrychus minutus dubius subsp. n.   Western Little Bittern.  Mathews, Handlist No. 212 (pars).  Differs from I. m. pusillus in having the feathers of the back blackish-brown, with brown edges.  Type: South-West Australia, No. 675.  Range: South-West Australia." (Mathews 1912) (Ixobrychus).
• "84. ARDEA.   ...   dubia.  27. A. glauca, subtus sordide alba, rostro subtrigono.   Argill or Hargill. Ives it. p. 183.   Boorong Cambing or Booring-volar. Marsd. Sumatr. p. 98?   Gigantic Crane. Lath. syn. III. I. p. 45. n. 8   Habitat in India et Africa, gregatim ad ostia fluviorum, testaceis, amphibiis, avibus, mammalibus victitans, voracissima, docilis, facileque mansuescens, ad 7 pedes alta.” (J. Gmelin 1789); “The specific name argala is Latham’s, not Gmelin’s; but as Gmelin’s name dubia, though prior, implies an erroneous proposition, for the species is not dubious, Latham’s name may be allowed to stand” (Strickland 1841) (Leptoptilos).
• "Dr. Cabot read descriptions of three new species of Woodpecker, from Yucatan, viz:  Picus dubius, P. parvus and P. Yucatanensis, and exhibited the specimens." (Cabot 1844) (subsp. Melanerpes aurifrons).
• "Prazák trennte im Orn. Jahrb. 1895, p. 81 die persischen, Trauermeisen als besondere Subspecies ab und benannte sie Poecile lugubris persica.  ...  Die Gattung Parus bildet aber eine so natürlich geschlossene Gruppe, dass man von jeder generischen Spaltung absehen muss; der Prazák'sche Name ist daher unverwendbar, weil persicus von Blanford bereits für die persische Blaumeise gebraucht wurde, und schlage ich deshalb vor, die östliche Trauermeise Parus lugubris dubius zu nennen." (Hellmayr 1901) (subsp. Poecile lugubris).
• “16. DOUBTFUL BARBET  ...  This bird inhabits the Coasts of Barbary, and is of a doubtful genus.  Buffon places it between the Barbets and the Toucans, to both of which it seems to belong; however, it seems most to incline to the former; First, from its place of nativity, as no true Toucan is found throughout the old Continent; Secondly the tongue is fleshy, and not pennaceous, which last is one of the characteristics of the Toucan genus; And thirdly, the bristles which project from the base of the bill, added to the others, incline me to give it place in this chapter.” (Latham 1782); "56.  BUCCO.   ...   dubius.  16. B. niger, subtus ruber, fascia pectorali crissoque nigris.   Barbican. Buff. hist. nat. des ois 7. p. 132.   Barbican des cotes de Barbarie. Buff. pl. enlum. n. 602.   Doubtfull Barbet. Lath. syn. I. 2. p. 506. n. 16.   Habitat in maritimis Barbariae, 9 pollices longus, inter Ramphaston et Bucconem ambiguus, huic tamen patria, lingua carnosa, setisque basin rostri obsidentibus propior." (J. Gmelin 1788) (Pogonornis).
• "863.  Megalurus gramineus dubius subsp. n.   Southern Grass Bird.  Mathews, Handlist No. 553 (pars).   Differs from M. g. wilsoni in being much darker and more streaked on the throat.  Type: Mannam, South Australia, No. 6204." (Mathews 1915) (syn. Poodytes gramineus).
• "p. 137.  PSEPHOTELLUS PULCHERRIMUS DUBIUS, subsp. n.  Differs from P. p. pulcherrimus in being darker above.  Type, New South Wales." (Mathews 1915) (syn. Psephotellus pulcherrimus).
• "4. PYROCEPHALUS  DUBIUS.  Gould.   P. minor, lividus; fronte, superciliis corporeque subtus stramineis; tectricibus stramineo marginatis.  ...   From the appearance of this bird when alive, although closely resembling P. nanus, I entertained no doubt that it was a distinct species." (Gould 1839) (‡subsp. Pyrocephalus rubinus).
• "Proparus dubius, Hume.   Pro. A. S. B., May 1st, 1874.  ...  THIS last bird I described with some hesitation; it is a Leiotrichine form, allied to Minla and Proparus, but distinct from all known species, I believe, of this group.  My reason for doubt is this.  In some particulars it closely resembles Mr. Mandelli's Minla rufogularis, (STRAY FEATHERS, Vol. 1, p. 416), but is longer, has a smaller wing, entirely wants the rusty red throat, and the black and white bands continued over the forehead, which bands in our bird do not extend further forward than the middle of the eye.  In other respects Mr. Mandelli's description would apply fairly well.  Could it be that my bird is the female, rufogularis the male?" (Hume 1874) (Schoeniparus).
• "AVES PICÆ.   Lanius.   ...   5. L. dubius.   L. cinereus cauda cuneiformi, uropygio tectricibusque caudæ apice coccineo striatis.  Dubious Shrike, Gen. Syn. Sup. ii. p. 73. No. 11.   HABITATIO dubia: longit. poll. 8—rostrum & pedes flavi: cauda valde cuneata." (Latham 1802) (Scissirostrum).
• "Sericornis beccarii dubius, new subspecies.  ...  Adult male similar to S. b. minimus, but more brownish throughout, and with the facial pattern less defined.  ...  S. b. dubius is much too similar to minimus to be regarded anything but a subspecies." (Mayr 1937) (subsp. Sericornis beccarii).
• "9.  DYSITHAMNUS DUBIUS, sp. n.   D. schistaceo, d'Orb., simillimus, sed rostro longiore multo magis compresso, necnon rectricibus minus graduatis fere æqualibus, lateralium apicibus minime albo marginatis, distinguendus." (von Berlepsch & Sztolcman 1894) (syn. Thamnophilus schistaceus).
• "37. Parus dubius, the black-cap: this and the following were received by Vaillant from Ceylon.  They resemble in some respects the titmice; but he says do not properly belong to that genus.  ...  As these were dried specimens which Vaillant received, he can speak no further but upon conjecture.  ...  He describes and figures another individual, which he supposes to have been the female of this species, or at least a variety." (J. Wilkes 1821); ex “Cap Nègre” of Levaillant 1804, pl. 140, figs. 1-2 (unident.).

SUBSPECIES

Rusty-capped Fulvetta (mandellii)
Latin Name: Schoeniparus dubius mandellii
mandelli / mandellii
Louis H. Mandelli (1833-1880) Italian tea planter in Darjeeling, Assam, ornithologist, collector (syn. Agraphospiza rubescens, Arborophila, subsp. Certhia hodgsoni, ?syn. Cyornis unicolor, Locustella, syn. Muscicapa muttui, subsp. Pellorneum ruficeps, subsp. Phylloscopus humei, syn. Pyrgilauda taczanowskii, subsp. Schoeniparus dubius).

Rusty-capped Fulvetta (genestieri)
Latin Name: Schoeniparus dubius genestieri
genestieri
Père Annet Genestier (1857-1937) French missionary to China, botanist (subsp. Schoeniparus dubius).

Rusty-capped Fulvetta (intermedius)
Latin Name: Schoeniparus dubius intermedius
intermedea / intermedia / intermedianus / intermedium / intermedius
L. intermedius  intermediate, that is between (cf. Late L. intermedium  intervention, between two others; Med. L. intermedium  interval).  These epithets are common in ornithology, highlighting forms considered to have intermediate plumage, size, distribution, etc.; only a few are shown below.
• “Genus Ardea.   ...   A. intermedia.  ...  Habitat in insula Java.  Simillima habitu ac colore Ardeae flavirostri, eadem dimidio fere minor.” (Wagler 1829) (Ardea).
• "73.  Coracina papuensis papuensis Gm.   ...   The birds from the Snow Mts. are exactly intermediate between C. p. papuensis from N. W. New Guinea and C. p. meekiana from S. E. New Guinea; so I propose to call the race found on the south side of the Central Range.   Coracina papuensis intermedia subsp. nov." (Rothschild 1931) (subsp. Coracina papuensis).
• "Ce tinamou présente, comme nous l'avons dit, des caractères de transition entre Calopezus elegans et Calopezus formosus.  Cette nouvelle espèce, ou peut-être race intermédiaire, qui paraît localisée dans les régions montagneuses du Nord-ouest de la République Argentine, nous la distinguerons avec le nom de:  Calopezus intermedius n. sp.   ...   Il est possible que Calopezus intermedius et Calopezus formosus représentent seulement des formes géographiques de Calopezus elegans" (Dabbene & Lillo 1913) ( subsp. Eudromia elegans).
• "Formicivora   ...   F. grisea  ...  Kommt in Brasilien, Cayenne und Guiana vor.   ...   F. rufatra  ...  Vaterland: Brasilien und Bolivien.   ...   F. intermedia.  ...  Vaterland: Columbien" (Cabanis 1847) (Formicivora).
• "Falco pondicerianus apud Horsfield is a race intermediate to Haliastur indus of India proper and H. leucosternum of Australia, having dark central streaks to the white portion of the plumage, but considerably less developed than (constantly) in the Indian bird..  ...  Of very many examples of the Indian race examined or beheld close, I certainly have never seen one that had the dark streaks or lines so little developed as in the Javanese bird, or most assuredly I should have remarked it.  To what extent the Indian and Australian races may thus grade into each other, in other intermediate localities, remains to be ascertained.  ...  Mr. Gurney informs me that he thinks the Javanese race should be distinguished by the name intermedius." (Blyth 1865) (subsp. Haliastur indus).
• "Then we have in Tenasserim, most abundant in the hills, but extending in the cold weather to the sea-board and the plains of Pegu, a race of melaschistus, which I will, for convenience sake, denominate VOLVOCIVORA  INTERMEDIA.  It is very close to melaschistus, and as such I originally identified it, but with 24 specimens before me I find that sex being ascertained no specimen of it can be mistaken for a specimen of the corresponding sex of melaschistus, but it is much the same size, and the old males are nearly as possible the same colour as the females of melaschistus.  ...  I am very doubtful whether this should be considered a subspecies or not, but it is a very distinguishable and perfectly constant race, and not one single specimen of true melaschistus has occurred to us throughout the region in which it is so abundant, and it may be best therefore to characterize it by a distinct name." (Hume 1877) (subsp. Lalage melaschistos).
• "5.  SETOPHAGA  INTERMEDIA, Nob.  ...  Espèce typique intermédiaire entre la S. vulnerata et la S. verticalis, Lafresn.  Elle diffère de la première par un bec plus grand et plus large, par la gorge cendrée, par le coloris de la queue, par la couleur de l'abdomen; la S. verticalis, Lafr. est jaune d'œuf en dessous." (Hartlaub 1852) (subsp. Myioborus miniatus).
• "3. CRYPTOLOPHA  INTERMEDIA  La Touche, sp. n.   Near C. tephrocephala (Anders.) and C. affinis (Hodgs.).  Differs from the former in having a much shorter bill, and the secondary coverts distinctly tipped with pale yellow, forming a well-marked bar; from C. affinis it differs in having a ring of feathers round the eye, yellow." (La Touche 1898) (Phylloscopus).
• “728. —  Pipreola viridis intermedia  ...  Forme intermédiaire entre la P. viridis de la Bolivie et la P. melanolæma de l’Ecuador, plus voisine de la dernière.” (Taczanowski 1884) (Pipreola).
• "Ploceus intermedius.  Sehr nahe mit meinem Ploceus larvatus verwandte Art.  Vorderkopf bis über den hintern Augenwinkel, Kehle, Oberhals und Ohrengegend schwarz, Hinterkopf und Nacken röthlich braungelb.  Mitte der Brust orangengelb, Seiten des Halses und Unterkörpers citrongelb.  Rücken gelbgrün, gegen den Schwanz hin citronengelb." (Rüppell 1845) (Ploceus).
• “This species is somewhat intermediate between Palaeornis schisticeps and P. cyanocephala in size and coloration, but is nearer P. schisticeps” (Rothschild 1895) (syn. Psittacula cyanocephala x Psittacula himalayana).
• "RHIPIDURA  INTERMEDIA, sp. nov.  ...  Dr. Sharpe's description of Rhipidura rufifrons in the "Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum," vol. iv., p. 319 (1879), evidently applies to this species, for he describes the tail feathers as being "distinctly tipped with white."  The type of Rhipidura rufifrons characterized by Dr. Latham, was obtained in New South Wales, and has the tips of the tail feathers pale brown, not white.  In the latter respect Rhipidura intermedia agrees with R. torrida, described and figured (Proc. Zool. Soc., 1865, p. 477, pl. xxviii.) by Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace, from the island of Ternate, but R. torrida differs from R. intermedia in having the ear-coverts and upper breast black." (North 1902) (subsp. Rhipidura rufifrons).
• "Sp. intermedia n. sp.  ... Der [Sp.] hypoleuca im Schnabel und der ganzen Gestalt äusserst ähnlich, nur etwas kleiner, von dieser durch die nicht weisse, sondern graue Färbung der Kehle und Brust verschieden, mithin fast ganz so gefärbt wie Sp. plumbea, von welcher intermedia sich nur unterscheidet durch den grössern Schnabel und die kürzeren abgerundeteren, daher nicht so zugespitzten Flügel; auch sind Kehle und Brust etwas dunkler als in plumbea und fehlt das weisse Fleckchen an der Wurzel des Unterkiefers; der weisse Spiegel auf dem Flügel ist kleiner und versteckter" (Cabanis 1851) (Sporophila).
• "Thamnistes anabatinus intermedius subsp. nov.  ...  This form, based on but one specimen, is clearly an intermediate between T. æquatorialis of eastern Ecuador and southeastern Colombia, and the quite different T. anabatinus group of Panama to Mexico.  Its crown and back closely agree in color with those of æquatorialis while the underparts are similar to those of T. a. coronatus; the tail and wings externally are intermediate but nearer to those of coronatus." (Chapman 1914) (subsp. Thamnistes anabatinus).
• "33.  Thamnophilus intermedius, sp. nov.   SP. CHAR.—Adult male: Similar to that of T. nigricristatus LAWR., but bill larger, and feathers of crest largely white in middle portion; adult female similar to that of T. doliatus, but with larger bill." (Ridgway 1888) (subsp. Thamnophilus doliatus).
• "ZOSTEROPS  INTERMEDIA.  ...  Very near Z. flava, but a little larger, more yellow on the forehead and less on the upper tail-coverts, and the black subocular streak not extending so far forward  ...  Hab. Macassar and Lombock.   Remark.—Mr. G. R. Gray attached the MS. name of intermedius to my Macassar specimen." (Wallace 1864) (subsp. Zosterops chloris).

Rusty-capped Fulvetta (dubius)
Latin Name: Schoeniparus dubius dubius
dubium / dubius
L. dubius  doubtful, uncertain, dubious  < duo  two; habere  to have.
• "ACANTHORHYNCHUS DUBIUS, Gould.  ...  Remark. Although I have given the name of dubius to this species on account of his close resemblance to Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris, I have but little doubt that it will ultimately prove to be distinct.   Habitat. Australia: locality, Van Diemen's Land." (Gould 1837) (subsp. Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris).
• "Aegotheles dubius n. sp.  ...  Ich würde diesen Vogel, der mir in zwei Exemplaren vorliegt, zu Aegotheles Wallacii Gray (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1859, S. 154 stellen, falls die dort gegebene durchaus ungenügende Beschreibung mich dazu berechtigte." (Meyer 1874) (syn. Aegotheles albertisi).
• ex “Japú negro y amarillo” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 59 (syn. Cacicus chrysopterus).
• "158.  Carpodacus dubius, nov. sp.   Tab. XIII.   C. Thurae simillimus.  Mas abdomine medio albo; genis totis roseis; vitta superciliari argentea, postice candidissima.  Fem. uropygio ochraceo, fusco striato; vitta superciliari antice ochracea, postice alba." (Przhevalsky 1876) (subsp. Carpodacus thura).
• "81.  CHARADRIUS (dubius)  rectricibus nigris, apice albis.  Habitus Pluvialis, sed digitus posticus nullus.  Nigra sunt caput, fascia collaris & caudalis, rostrum, pedes.  Alba frons, iugulum, pectus, abdomen, femora apex caudae, fascia verticalis.   Ibid, p. 84.  Tab. 46." (Scopoli 1786); ex “Petit Pluvier à collier de l’isle de Luçon” of Sonnerat 1776, who doubted the specific distinctness of the Little Ringed Plover, considering it to be a barely separable example of the wide-ranging Ringed Plover whose plumage had been subtly altered by climatic influences (Charadrius).
• "46. RAMPHASTOS.   ...   dubius.  15. R. gula caerulea.  Blue throated Toucan.  Lath. syn. 1.I. p. 336. n. 14." (J. Gmelin 1788); "5. RAMPHASTOS DUBIUS, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 357 (1788).  Blue-throated Toucan, Lath. Syn. i. p. 357 [sic = 336].  "In a list of birds in the Museum of Baron de Faugeres of Montpelier, I find one by the name of Toucan à gorge bleue, with this addition, 'Ce Toucan n'est decrit par aucun auteur.'  I do not find a Toucan with a blue throat mentioned by any writer, and must therefore, with him, conclude it to be a new species.  As it is but very lately that I have known this circumstance, it has not been in my power to say further on this head, resting the whole, for the present, on his opinion."  Latham [1781], as above, and in Gen. Hist. ii. p. 294, gives the same account of it, in substance.  I agree in allowing it to rest for the present, but should the original Baron or other be disposed to stir in the matter he can now be better accommodated." (Cassin 1867) (?syn. Eurystomus gularis).
• "12.  Heliangelus dubius sp. nov.   With the last-named specimen the Museum received an Heliangelus to which I give the name H. dubius.  ...  I admit that it is with some hesitation that I describe this bird, but if it is not separated nominally many other species would have to be sunk as synonyms, for example Heliotrypha violicollis Salv., which differs from H. strophianus in about the same characters as my H. dubius does from H. clarissae.  It is possible that Mons. Simon's theory that these darker forms are melanistic aberrations is right, but as yet we have no proof of it, and we do not know their proper locality, so that it will be better to give names to those at least of which several entirely similar specimens are known and which seem to be distinct enough.  This proceeding will more incite future research, and thus be of more advantage for the present than treating such peculiar forms with neglect." (Hartert 1897) (syn. Heliangelus clarisse (melanistic)).
• “MORPHINUS  DUBIUS.   ...   Obs. — In the above descriptions I am very doubtful if either the mature or young plumage be detailed, as a variety of circumstances concur to induce me to believe that both are examples of a plumage in a middle stage, only; that of the one being at least a year older than that of the other  ...  In consideration of its form and general character, I have placed it for the present in the Genus Morphinus, though I am not quite convinced but that a more extensive opportunity of studying and comparing its characters, habits, and anatomical structure, will point out its affinity and position to be elsewhere.” (A. Smith 1830) (syn. Hieraaetus ayresi).
• "Chætura dubia  new species.  (Pl. XII.)  ...  The few words, without measurements, in Catalogue of Birds, XVI, p. 476, scarcely apply to the Mindoro species for Hartert says of celebensis: "In size similar to C. gigantea," whereas C. dubia is decidedly larger than gigantea; Clarke's measurements of the Negros specimen certainly agree much better with our bird, but neither of these writers makes any mention of white wing lining in C. celebensis, a character very noticeable in C. dubia." (McGrgeor 1905) (syn. Hirundapus celebensis).
• "284. Ixobrychus minutus dubius subsp. n.   Western Little Bittern.  Mathews, Handlist No. 212 (pars).  Differs from I. m. pusillus in having the feathers of the back blackish-brown, with brown edges.  Type: South-West Australia, No. 675.  Range: South-West Australia." (Mathews 1912) (Ixobrychus).
• "84. ARDEA.   ...   dubia.  27. A. glauca, subtus sordide alba, rostro subtrigono.   Argill or Hargill. Ives it. p. 183.   Boorong Cambing or Booring-volar. Marsd. Sumatr. p. 98?   Gigantic Crane. Lath. syn. III. I. p. 45. n. 8   Habitat in India et Africa, gregatim ad ostia fluviorum, testaceis, amphibiis, avibus, mammalibus victitans, voracissima, docilis, facileque mansuescens, ad 7 pedes alta.” (J. Gmelin 1789); “The specific name argala is Latham’s, not Gmelin’s; but as Gmelin’s name dubia, though prior, implies an erroneous proposition, for the species is not dubious, Latham’s name may be allowed to stand” (Strickland 1841) (Leptoptilos).
• "Dr. Cabot read descriptions of three new species of Woodpecker, from Yucatan, viz:  Picus dubius, P. parvus and P. Yucatanensis, and exhibited the specimens." (Cabot 1844) (subsp. Melanerpes aurifrons).
• "Prazák trennte im Orn. Jahrb. 1895, p. 81 die persischen, Trauermeisen als besondere Subspecies ab und benannte sie Poecile lugubris persica.  ...  Die Gattung Parus bildet aber eine so natürlich geschlossene Gruppe, dass man von jeder generischen Spaltung absehen muss; der Prazák'sche Name ist daher unverwendbar, weil persicus von Blanford bereits für die persische Blaumeise gebraucht wurde, und schlage ich deshalb vor, die östliche Trauermeise Parus lugubris dubius zu nennen." (Hellmayr 1901) (subsp. Poecile lugubris).
• “16. DOUBTFUL BARBET  ...  This bird inhabits the Coasts of Barbary, and is of a doubtful genus.  Buffon places it between the Barbets and the Toucans, to both of which it seems to belong; however, it seems most to incline to the former; First, from its place of nativity, as no true Toucan is found throughout the old Continent; Secondly the tongue is fleshy, and not pennaceous, which last is one of the characteristics of the Toucan genus; And thirdly, the bristles which project from the base of the bill, added to the others, incline me to give it place in this chapter.” (Latham 1782); "56.  BUCCO.   ...   dubius.  16. B. niger, subtus ruber, fascia pectorali crissoque nigris.   Barbican. Buff. hist. nat. des ois 7. p. 132.   Barbican des cotes de Barbarie. Buff. pl. enlum. n. 602.   Doubtfull Barbet. Lath. syn. I. 2. p. 506. n. 16.   Habitat in maritimis Barbariae, 9 pollices longus, inter Ramphaston et Bucconem ambiguus, huic tamen patria, lingua carnosa, setisque basin rostri obsidentibus propior." (J. Gmelin 1788) (Pogonornis).
• "863.  Megalurus gramineus dubius subsp. n.   Southern Grass Bird.  Mathews, Handlist No. 553 (pars).   Differs from M. g. wilsoni in being much darker and more streaked on the throat.  Type: Mannam, South Australia, No. 6204." (Mathews 1915) (syn. Poodytes gramineus).
• "p. 137.  PSEPHOTELLUS PULCHERRIMUS DUBIUS, subsp. n.  Differs from P. p. pulcherrimus in being darker above.  Type, New South Wales." (Mathews 1915) (syn. Psephotellus pulcherrimus).
• "4. PYROCEPHALUS  DUBIUS.  Gould.   P. minor, lividus; fronte, superciliis corporeque subtus stramineis; tectricibus stramineo marginatis.  ...   From the appearance of this bird when alive, although closely resembling P. nanus, I entertained no doubt that it was a distinct species." (Gould 1839) (‡subsp. Pyrocephalus rubinus).
• "Proparus dubius, Hume.   Pro. A. S. B., May 1st, 1874.  ...  THIS last bird I described with some hesitation; it is a Leiotrichine form, allied to Minla and Proparus, but distinct from all known species, I believe, of this group.  My reason for doubt is this.  In some particulars it closely resembles Mr. Mandelli's Minla rufogularis, (STRAY FEATHERS, Vol. 1, p. 416), but is longer, has a smaller wing, entirely wants the rusty red throat, and the black and white bands continued over the forehead, which bands in our bird do not extend further forward than the middle of the eye.  In other respects Mr. Mandelli's description would apply fairly well.  Could it be that my bird is the female, rufogularis the male?" (Hume 1874) (Schoeniparus).
• "AVES PICÆ.   Lanius.   ...   5. L. dubius.   L. cinereus cauda cuneiformi, uropygio tectricibusque caudæ apice coccineo striatis.  Dubious Shrike, Gen. Syn. Sup. ii. p. 73. No. 11.   HABITATIO dubia: longit. poll. 8—rostrum & pedes flavi: cauda valde cuneata." (Latham 1802) (Scissirostrum).
• "Sericornis beccarii dubius, new subspecies.  ...  Adult male similar to S. b. minimus, but more brownish throughout, and with the facial pattern less defined.  ...  S. b. dubius is much too similar to minimus to be regarded anything but a subspecies." (Mayr 1937) (subsp. Sericornis beccarii).
• "9.  DYSITHAMNUS DUBIUS, sp. n.   D. schistaceo, d'Orb., simillimus, sed rostro longiore multo magis compresso, necnon rectricibus minus graduatis fere æqualibus, lateralium apicibus minime albo marginatis, distinguendus." (von Berlepsch & Sztolcman 1894) (syn. Thamnophilus schistaceus).
• "37. Parus dubius, the black-cap: this and the following were received by Vaillant from Ceylon.  They resemble in some respects the titmice; but he says do not properly belong to that genus.  ...  As these were dried specimens which Vaillant received, he can speak no further but upon conjecture.  ...  He describes and figures another individual, which he supposes to have been the female of this species, or at least a variety." (J. Wilkes 1821); ex “Cap Nègre” of Levaillant 1804, pl. 140, figs. 1-2 (unident.).

Rusty-capped Fulvetta (cui)
Latin Name: Schoeniparus dubius cui
cui
Nguyen Cu (fl. 2002) Vietnamese ornithologist and collector (subsp. Schoeniparus dubius).