The Grey Trembler is a songbird

Songbird

A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...

 species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 in the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Mimidae. It is found only in Martinique

Martinique

Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...

 and Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...

, the Martinique Trembler (C. g. gutturalis) on the former island, the Saint Lucia Trembler (C. g. macrorhyncha) – which might be a distinct species – on the latter.

In 1898 a unique skin was discovered in the World Museum Liverpool

World Museum Liverpool

World Museum is a large museum in Liverpool, England which has extensive collections covering archaeology, ethnology and the natural and physical sciences. Special attractions include the Natural History Centre and a free Planetarium. Entry to the museum itself is also free...

. This specimen was obtained by Edward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby

Edward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby

Edward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby KG , styled Lord Stanley from 1776 to 1832 and known as The Lord Stanley from 1832 to 1834, was an English politician, landowner, builder, farmer, art collector and naturalist...

 from bird collector Jules Verreaux

Jules Verreaux

Jules Pierre Verreaux was a French botanist, ornithologist and professional collector of, and trader in, natural history specimens...

 in 1850 and was on display in the Liverpool Museum since then. It was believed to be an extinct starling

Starling

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for starling, sturnus. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and many African species are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent...

 from the Mascarenes, described by Henry Ogg Forbes

Henry Ogg Forbes

Henry Ogg Forbes was a Scottish explorer, ornithologist, and botanist. Educated at Aberdeen Grammar School, the University of Aberdeen and the University of Edinburgh, he was primarily active in the Moluccas and New Guinea, he served as director of the Canterbury Museum in New Zealand between...

 under the name Necropsar leguati and sketched by bird illustrator John Gerrard Keulemans

John Gerrard Keulemans

Johannes Gerardus Keulemans was a Dutch bird illustrator.-Biography and Work:...

. A vernacular name for this supposed species was "White Mascarene Starling".

However, in April 2000 ancient DNA

Ancient DNA

Ancient DNA is DNA isolated from ancient specimens. It can be also loosely described as any DNA recovered from biological samples that have not been preserved specifically for later DNA analyses...

 analysis of that skin in the Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...

 led by Storrs Olson had shown that the Liverpool specimen was nothing more than a misidentified and mislabled albinistic

Albinism

Albinism is a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes due to absence or defect of an enzyme involved in the production of melanin...

specimen of C. g. gutturalis.