Obscure Honeyeater
Obscure Honeyeater
Here the details of the Obscure Honeyeater named bird below:
SCI Name:
Protonym: Ptilotis obscura Ibis p.383
Taxonomy: Passeriformes / Meliphagidae / Caligavis
Taxonomy Code: obshon1
Type Locality: Mt. Scratchley, southeastern New Guinea.
Author: De Vis
Publish Year: 1897
IUCN Status: Least Concern
DEFINITIONS
CALIGAVIS
(Meliphagidae; † Obscure Honeyeater C. obscura) L. caligo, caliginis darkness, gloom; avis bird; "CALIGAVIS gen. nov. Type, obscura De Vis 1897 (Ptilotis). ... OBSCURE HONEY-SUCKER (Caligavis obscura) ... The name "Obscure" is most applicable as everything about the bird in literature is unclear. The generic name Caligavis is proposed to act as a lighthouse to warn of the dangers in connection with the two species, the type being obscura, and the characters are the dark coloration, streaked above and below, small size with tail shorter than wing, short bill with longer legs and the bare eye space. ... In New Guinea, the species [Caligavis subfrenata] is even more confused than the preceding, as no fewer than seven names have been given to it though its range is co-incident with that." (Iredale 1956); "Caligavis Iredale, 1956, Birds New Guinea, I, p. xv; II, p. 150. Type, by original designation, Ptilotis obscura De Vis, 1897." (JAJ 2020).
obscura
L. obscurus dark, dusky, covered, obscure.
● ex “Dusky Duck” of Pennant 1785, and Latham 1785 (syn. Anas rubripes).
● ex “Brown Tern” of Pennant 1768, and Latham 1785 (syn. Chlidonias niger).
● ex “Yacúhú” of de Azara 1802-1805, No. 335: “Yacús ... Asi llaman los Güaranís á tres páxaros ... á otro llamado Mitú” (Penelope).
● ex “Dusky Petrel” of Latham 1785 (?syn. Pterodroma alba; unident.).
SUBSPECIES
Obscure Honeyeater (viridifrons)
SCI Name: Caligavis obscura viridifrons
viridifrons
L. viridis green < virere to be green; frons, frontis forehead, brow.
Obscure Honeyeater (obscura)
SCI Name: Caligavis obscura obscura
obscura
L. obscurus dark, dusky, covered, obscure.
● ex “Dusky Duck” of Pennant 1785, and Latham 1785 (syn. Anas rubripes).
● ex “Brown Tern” of Pennant 1768, and Latham 1785 (syn. Chlidonias niger).
● ex “Yacúhú” of de Azara 1802-1805, No. 335: “Yacús ... Asi llaman los Güaranís á tres páxaros ... á otro llamado Mitú” (Penelope).
● ex “Dusky Petrel” of Latham 1785 (?syn. Pterodroma alba; unident.).
UPPERCASE: current genus
Uppercase first letter: generic synonym
● and ● See: generic homonyms
lowercase: species and subspecies
●: early names, variants, mispellings
‡: extinct
†: type species
Gr.: ancient Greek
L.: Latin
<: derived from
syn: synonym of
/: separates historical and modern geographic names
ex: based on
TL: type locality
OD: original diagnosis (genus) or original description (species)