Brown-backed Whistler
Brown-backed Whistler
Here the details of the Brown-backed Whistler named bird below:
SCI Name:
Protonym: Poecilodryas modesta AnnualRep.Brit.NewGuinea(1893-1894) App.EE p.101
Taxonomy: Passeriformes / Pachycephalidae / Pachycephala
Taxonomy Code: brbwhi1
Type Locality: Mt. Maneao, 5,000 ft., southeastern New Guinea.
Author: De Vis
Publish Year: 1894
IUCN Status: Least Concern
DEFINITIONS
PACHYCEPHALA
(Pachycephalidae; Ϯ Golden Whistler P. pectoralis) Gr. παχυς pakhus large, thick; κεφαλη kephalē head; from the appearance of their large rounded heads the Indomalayan and Australasian whistlers were formerly known as 'thickheads'; "The interval betweeen the present groups and those of the Pari, where we entered on the family [Pipridæ], appears to be filled up by a race of birds peculiar to New Holland, and hitherto uncharacterized, of which the Muscicapa pectoralis, Lath. is the type*. These, uniting many external characters, at least, both of the Berry-Eaters and Flycatchers, exhibit also in general appearance a considerable resemblance to the Pari, and will be found, I conjecture, to be the connecting bond between all these groups. ... * Mr. Swainson has lately formed this group into a genus by the name of Pachycephala. Nov. 1824." (Vigors 1825); "Genus. PACHYCEPHALA*. Swains. MSS. ... Caput tumidiusculum. ... In their general appearance some of the species exhibit a resemblance to the birds of the genus Procnias, Ill., while by the puffed-out appearance of the feathers about the head, we trace an approximation to some of the Linnean Pari. ... * παχυς crassus, and κεφαλη caput" (Vigors & Horsfield 1827).
Var. Pachycephalus.
Synon. Alisterornis, Gilbertornis, Hylocharis, Hyloterpe, Lewinornis, Malacolestes, Mattingleya, Musciterpe, Muscitrea, Mutevodia, Pachycilodryas, Psaltricephus, Pucherania, Timixos.
modesta / modestum / modestus
L. modestus plain, modest, unassuming < modus measure, standard.
SUBSPECIES
Brown-backed Whistler (modesta)
SCI Name: Pachycephala modesta modesta
modesta / modestum / modestus
L. modestus plain, modest, unassuming < modus measure, standard.
Brown-backed Whistler (hypoleuca)
SCI Name: Pachycephala modesta hypoleuca
hypoleuca
Gr. ὑπο hupo beneath; λευκος leukos white (cf. ὑπολευκος hupoleukos whitish).
● ex “Pico triqueño” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 123 (syn. Sporophila leucoptera).
● Gr. ὑπερλευκος huperleukos exceedingly white; “The name hypoleucus was evidently a lapsus for hyperleucus” (Gadow 1883) (Gymnorhina).
Brown-backed Whistler (telefolminensis)
SCI Name: Pachycephala modesta telefolminensis
telefolminensis
Telefolmin, Victor Emanuel Mts., British New Guinea / Telefomin, Papua New Guinea.
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)