Systematics

Four subspecies usually recognized (e.g., Davis and Miller 1960, Dickinson and Christidis 2014):

parvida, described as Cinclocerthia ruficauda parvida Ridgway 1904; type locality St. Christopher [= St. Kitts], Lesser Antilles

Occurs on in northern Lesser Antilles on Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts, Nevis, and Montserrat, and presumably also on Barbuda.

Similar in coloration to nominate ruficauda, but larger (Ridgway 1907). Range is restricted to St. Kitts by Dickinson and Christidis (2014). This subspecies is considered to be a synonym of tremula by Storer (1989) and Brewer (2001).

tremula, described as R[amphocinclus]. tremulus Lafresnaye 1843; type locality Guadeloupe

Occurs on Guadeloupe.

Similar in coloration to tenebrosa (see below), but much larger (Ridgway 1907).

ruficauda, described as Stenorhynchus ruficauda Gould 1836; type locality not indicated, but restricted to Dominica by Ridgway 1907: 273

Occurs on Dominica.

See Detailed Description.

tenebrosa, described as Cinclocerthia ruficauda tenebrosa Ridgway 1904; type locality St. Vincent

Occurs on St. Vincent.

Similar to nominate ruficauda, but with darker upperparts: the crown is deep sooty gray, the back is sooty brown, and the remiges and rectrices are chestnut brown. Also the breast is more strongly and extensively suffused with grayish (Ridgway 1907).

Six taxa of Cinclocerthia usually are recognized (Ridgway 1907, Davis and Miller 1960, Dickinson and Christidis 2014). These have been arranged in anywhere from one (Davis and Miller 1960) to three (Ridgway 1907) species. Currently most authors recognize two species, following Storer (1989): ruficauda (including parvida, tremula, and tenebrosa), which occurs on the northern Lesser Antilles and on St. Vincent), and gutturalis (Gray Trembler, including macrorhyncha), which is restricted to Martinique and St. Lucia. Phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequence data, from both mitochondrial and nuclear genes, confirns that there is significant divergence between populations on St. Lucia compared to those of Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica, and St. Vincent, consistent with recognition of at least two species (Hunt et al. 2001, Lovette et al. 2012). Cody (2005) also suggested, without elaboration, that northernmost taxon, tremula, "possibly" merits recognitoion as a separate species; this suggestion may have been based on evidence of a genetic divide within Cinclocerthia ruficauda between the northern populations (as represented by samples from Montserrat and Guadeloupe) and southern populations (samples from Dominica and St. Vincent) (Hunt et al. 2001).

The genus Cinclocerthia belongs to a clade of mimids endemic to the Caribbean, including also Allenia and Margarops; Cinclocerthia and Margarops are sister genera (Hunt et al. 2001, Lovette et al. 2012).