Coracias naevius sharpei Reichenow, 1899b: 192

Frahnert, Sylke, Turner, Donald A. & Bracker, Cordula, 2023, Type specimens and type localities of birds (Aves) collected by Gustav Adolf Fischer (1848 - 1886) in East Africa, Zootaxa 5334 (1), pp. 1-84 : 17

Coracias naevius sharpei Reichenow, 1899b: 192 .

Now: Coracias naevius naevius Daudin, 1800 . (See Peters 1945: 243).

Syntype: ZMB 50.68 (Fischer no. 46), skin, female, collected at “Soboro”, 30.09.[1885] .

Syntype: ZMB 2002.361 (Böhm no. 1063), skin, collected by R. Böhm at Igonda, 19.11.[18]82.

Syntype: ZMB 2000.20408 , skin, collected by R. Böhm at Igonda, [1880–1884].

Type locality: “Deutsch Ost Afrika (Ussandaui, Igonda)”, from the original description, here ascertained as “Soboro” [Zoboro, Singida Region, Tanzania] and Igonda [Igonda, Tabora Region, Tanzania] as the localities of the type specimens (compare Peters 1945).

Remarks: In the original description, no type was chosen, nor were measurements or inventory numbers for specimens given; only the localities “Igonda” and “Ussandaui” were mentioned. No specimens at the ZMB have the locality “Ussandaui” (Ussandawe), the area inhabited by the Sandawe people in Kondoa District of Dodoma region. It lies southwest of Kondoa Town on current maps. “Soboro” is at 5°35’S, 35°10’E in what was then called “Ussandawe” country. The three above listed specimens have the name Coracias naevius sharpei on the historical museum labels. Reichenow (1902a: 226) listed all these specimens for C. n. sharpei, so all specimens are regarded as types. The type locality is ascertained as “Soboro” [Zoboro, Singida Region, Tanzania] and Igonda [Igonda, Tabora Region, Tanzania] being the localities of the type specimens. Peters (1945: 243) restricted the type locality to Igonda [Igonda, Tabora Region, Tanzania] and Ussandaui [ Tanzania], the two localities given in the description. This subspecies’ name honors the English ornithologist and curator of the bird collection at the BMNH Richard Bowdler Sharpe.