The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 123 ( 2 ): 323 — 331 , 2011 
THE WHITE-COLLARED KITE ( LEPTODON FORBESI SWANN, 1922) 
AND A REVIEW OF THE TAXONOMY OF THE GREY-HEADED KITE 
(LEPTODON CAYANENS1S LATHAM, 1790) 
FRANCISCO VOEROES D£NES, 16 LUIS FABIO SILVE1RA.' SERGIO SEIPKE. 2 ^ 
RUSSELL THORSTROM7 WILLIAM S. CLARK, 4 AND JEAN-MARC THIOLLAY 5 
ABSTRACT.-The White-collared Kile (Leptodon forhesi Swann. 1922). previously known by the hototype and three 
■iwimens from northeastern Brazil from the late 1980s, is considered by many as a juvenile variant o tie rev ea e 
M: IL cayanensis Latham. 1790). We present new morphological evidence from museum specimens o both species 
baling a previously misidentified specimen of L. forhesi. and field study to support the validity ol t e nc co arc 
tie as a species, now seen as endemic and severely threatened in northeastern Brazil. This species occurs on y in n ' mnan 
file Atlantic Forest in the states of Alagoas and Pernambuco. It is distinguished fronrits congener by its vv utc in co ar. 
Mowing covens, and leading edge of the wings. The under surface of the secondaries show re uce ac arnn =' 
-mber of white and black tail bands is variable, and not a good diagnostic character. We also review a taxa cscri ec 
^ “Tfuntruis and show the described subspecies are not valid. Received U May 2010. At < epted -i i overn er - 
There is disagreement about the division of 
'Pvtiesand subspecies within the genus Leptodon 
Sundevall, 1836. Some consider this genus to be 
nionotypic and represented only by the Grey¬ 
headed Kite (Leptodon cayanensis) (Grossman 
Jn( * Hamlet 1964. Brown and Amadou 1968, 
Blake 1977 , sick 1997); others consider the 
White-collared Kite (L forhesi) a valid species 
■7‘strictcd to the Atlantic Forest of northeastern 
Braz »l (Swann 1922, 1945; Teixeira el al. 1987a, 
o. ThiolJay 1994; Ferguson-Lces and Christie 
This latter taxon was described by Swann 
1J --) as a species based on a single specimen (at 
,J|e Natural History Museum in Tring. United 
8 iugdoni) collected by W. A. Forbes in 1882 in 
: c non heastem Brazilian State of Pernambuco. 
^ ^hite-collared Kite is known from the 
lotype anc j th re e other specimens (at the Museu 
■*ctonal do Rio de Janeiro; Teixeira et al. 1987a) 
* llB no previous reliable observations (Roda and 
;f 1( * 2003, Silveira et al. 2003. Pereira et al. 
- 006 ). 
The taxonomic status of the White-collared 
" lle ll *ptodon forhesi ), often considered a 
>9onym of L cayanensis , has been uncertain 
.. ^namento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociencias, 
na ersidade de Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo. Brazil. 
Talle 57 n , 2 3 0 .. A *. La plata , 9(X) Buenos Aires, 
^entina. 
The Peregrine Fund. 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane. 
^ID 83709, USA. 
South Whitehouse Circle. Harlingen. TX 78550, 
.,:, me de la Riviere 10220 Rouilly-Sacey. France, 
corresponding author; e-mail: fvdenes@gmail.com 
since the time of its description. Brown and 
Amadon (1968) consider the holotype specimen 
of L forhesi . described by Swann (1922, 1945), as 
a juvenile plumage variant of the more common 
and widespread Grey-headed Kite (L. cayanensis). 
Sick (1997) mentions the high variability of the 
plumage in L. cayanensis , acknowledged by 
Foster (1971). as an argument for a similar 
classification. Hellmayr and Conover (1949) 
reported the type specimen is a bird in very fresh 
plumage just finishing its molt, and that presence 
of an old primary on both wings and some dusky 
brown feathers on the rump suggest us immatu¬ 
rity They conclude (1949:26) “while the spec- 
men looks rather different from the ordinary run 
of L. cayanensis. further material is needed to 
establish the taxonomic status of L. Mbesi 
beyond doubt”. Ferguson-Lees and Christie 
(2001) concur with Hellmayr and Conover 
1949) regarding the morphological description 
of Leptodon forhesi. They indicate, however, that 
io consider the type specimen as a juvenile wou 
be a mistake because it has apparently molted 
recently and has adult plumage with the exception 
0 f two or three secondaries and some worn 
coverts. The traditional diagnos.s ol Leptodon 
forhesi include the white underw.ng coverts; the 
gray crown: a white collar; white tips on the 
scapulars, mantle, and wing quills; and a broad 
white tail band, measuring 60-70 mm (Swann 
1945. Hellmayr and Conover 1949, Ptnto and 
Camargo 1961). ... inon • 
The three specimens collected in the 1980s in 
the State of Alagoas share some similarities with 
the L. forhesi type specimen. Preliminary analysis 
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