G’day Richard, Nikolas and Stephen.
I’m interested to know where everyone is getting their data from. HANZAB shows that Tasmanian birds are bigger in all measurements so rather than having proportionately longer wings they are just bigger all around, no advantage in that for migration. Similarly there is not enough data in HANZAB to compare average weights for the two ssp, but if the birds in Tas are physically bigger in all measurements then they would have to be heavier.
Cheers Jeff.
G’day Chris,
Average differences with extensive overlap. Without presenting all of the data, wings of adult males from HANZAB nom rodinogaster(Tas) from four data sets combine, 64-71mm, ssp inexpectata(SE Aust) two data sets wing, 63-70mm Would be extremely courageous to claim a bird based on those measurements. I’m still not convinced about the migration theory as both populations are known to drop altitude in winter. Just makes you think what a perfect wintering place Bass Strait would be during periods of low sea level, with Pink Robins in the dense Titree, Flame Robins and Orange-bellied Parrots out in the open country, Tas birds dispersing north and Vic birds dispersing south.
Cheers Jeff.
So would Tassy Pinks be identifiable as such if collected in Victoria?
Or is this just an average difference with broad overlap?
Cheers, Chris.
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