African Finfoot

SCI Name:  Podica senegalensis
Protonym:  Heliornis senegalensis Nouv.Dict.Hist.Nat. 14 p.277
Taxonomy:  Gruiformes / Heliornithidae / Podica
Taxonomy Code:  afrfin1
Type Locality:  Senegal.
Author:  Vieillot
Publish Year:  1817
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

PODICA
(Heliornithidae; Ϯ African Finfoot P. senegalensis) L. podicus  of the foot  < pes, pedis  foot  < Gr. πους pous, ποδος podos  foot; "II.^e Sous-genre. Podica.  Membrane bordant les doigts, découpée en festons ovalaires, au nombre de deux ou trois à chaque doigt.   2.º HÉLIORNE DU SÉNÉGAL; Heliornis senegalensis, Vieill., Gal., pl. 280 (médiocre figure). Le jeune âge est très-tacheté de roussâtre.  Du Sénégal. (Savigny.)" (Lesson 1831); "Podica Lesson, Traité d'Orn., livr. 8, 1831, p. 596. Type, by monotypy, Heliornis senegalensis Vieillot." (Peters 1934, II, 213).
Synon. Pteropus, Rhigelura.

senegala / senegalensis / senegalla / senegallensis / senegalli / senegallus
Senegal  < perhaps Wolof sunu gaal, our canoe, from a misunderstanding between local peoples and early Portuguese explorers on the Senegal River. In early ornithology the toponym sometimes included much of tropical West Africa.
● ex “Petit Héron roux du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 315, “Petit Butor du Sénégal” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Senegal Bittern” of Latham 1785 (syn. Ardeola ralloides).
● ex “Gobe-mouche à poitrine rousse du Sénégal” (= ♀) and “Gobe-mouche à poitrine noire du Sénégal” (= ♂) of Brisson 1760 (Batis).
● ex “Oedicnème du Sénégal” of Temminck 1820 (Burhinus).
● ex “Hirondelle à ventre roux du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 310 (Cecropis).
● ex “Coucou du Sénégal” of Brisson 1760 (Centropus).
● ex “Grimpereau violet du Sénégal” of Brisson 1760 (Chalcomitra).
● ex “Swallow-tail’d Indian Roller” of Edwards 1758-1764, “Rollier du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 326, and “Senegal Roller” of Latham 1781 (syn. Coracias abyssinicus).
● ex “Figuier du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 582, fig. 1 (?syn. Eremomela pusilla).
● ex “Grand Martin Pescheur du Sénégal” of Brisson 1760 (Halcyon).
● ex “Sénégali rouge” of Brisson 1760 (Lagonosticta).
● ex “Perdrix du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 137 (syn. Pternistis bicalcaratus).
● ex “Pie du Sénégal” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Ptilostomus afer).
● ex “Turtur gutture maculato Senegalensis” of Brisson 1760 (Spilopelia).
● ex “Pie-grièche grise du Sénégal” of Brisson 1760, and “Pie-grièche rousse à tête noire du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 479, fig. 1 (Tchagra).
● ex “Tourterelle du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 160 (syn. Turtur afer (Schmitt & Crémière 2008, mistakenly identify this as Turtur chalcospilos)).
● ex “Colius senegalensis cristatus” of Brisson 1760, “Coliou huppé du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 282, fig. 2, and de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Senegal Coly” of Latham 1783 (syn. Urocolius macrourus).
● ex "Vanneau armé du Sénégal" of Brisson 1760 (Vanellus).
● ex “Merula senegalensis” of Brisson 1760, “Merle brun du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 563, fig. 2, and “Senegal Thrush” of Latham 1783 (unident.).
● Erroneous TL. Senegal (= Bengal); ex “Spotted Indian Woodpecker” of Edwards 1743-1751 (syn. Dinopium benghalense).
● Erroneous TL. Senegal (= Gabon) (Dryoscopus).
● Erroneous TL. Senegal (= Algeria); ex “Gélinote du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 130 (Pterocles).
● Erroneous TL. Senegal (= Cayenne); ex “Petit pic du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 345, fig. 2, “Petit pic rayé du Sénégal” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Gold-backed Woodpecker" of Latham 1782 (syn. Veniliornis passerinus).

SUBSPECIES

African Finfoot (senegalensis)
SCI Name: Podica senegalensis senegalensis
senegala / senegalensis / senegalla / senegallensis / senegalli / senegallus
Senegal  < perhaps Wolof sunu gaal, our canoe, from a misunderstanding between local peoples and early Portuguese explorers on the Senegal River. In early ornithology the toponym sometimes included much of tropical West Africa.
● ex “Petit Héron roux du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 315, “Petit Butor du Sénégal” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Senegal Bittern” of Latham 1785 (syn. Ardeola ralloides).
● ex “Gobe-mouche à poitrine rousse du Sénégal” (= ♀) and “Gobe-mouche à poitrine noire du Sénégal” (= ♂) of Brisson 1760 (Batis).
● ex “Oedicnème du Sénégal” of Temminck 1820 (Burhinus).
● ex “Hirondelle à ventre roux du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 310 (Cecropis).
● ex “Coucou du Sénégal” of Brisson 1760 (Centropus).
● ex “Grimpereau violet du Sénégal” of Brisson 1760 (Chalcomitra).
● ex “Swallow-tail’d Indian Roller” of Edwards 1758-1764, “Rollier du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 326, and “Senegal Roller” of Latham 1781 (syn. Coracias abyssinicus).
● ex “Figuier du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 582, fig. 1 (?syn. Eremomela pusilla).
● ex “Grand Martin Pescheur du Sénégal” of Brisson 1760 (Halcyon).
● ex “Sénégali rouge” of Brisson 1760 (Lagonosticta).
● ex “Perdrix du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 137 (syn. Pternistis bicalcaratus).
● ex “Pie du Sénégal” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Ptilostomus afer).
● ex “Turtur gutture maculato Senegalensis” of Brisson 1760 (Spilopelia).
● ex “Pie-grièche grise du Sénégal” of Brisson 1760, and “Pie-grièche rousse à tête noire du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 479, fig. 1 (Tchagra).
● ex “Tourterelle du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 160 (syn. Turtur afer (Schmitt & Crémière 2008, mistakenly identify this as Turtur chalcospilos)).
● ex “Colius senegalensis cristatus” of Brisson 1760, “Coliou huppé du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 282, fig. 2, and de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Senegal Coly” of Latham 1783 (syn. Urocolius macrourus).
● ex "Vanneau armé du Sénégal" of Brisson 1760 (Vanellus).
● ex “Merula senegalensis” of Brisson 1760, “Merle brun du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 563, fig. 2, and “Senegal Thrush” of Latham 1783 (unident.).
● Erroneous TL. Senegal (= Bengal); ex “Spotted Indian Woodpecker” of Edwards 1743-1751 (syn. Dinopium benghalense).
● Erroneous TL. Senegal (= Gabon) (Dryoscopus).
● Erroneous TL. Senegal (= Algeria); ex “Gélinote du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 130 (Pterocles).
● Erroneous TL. Senegal (= Cayenne); ex “Petit pic du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 345, fig. 2, “Petit pic rayé du Sénégal” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Gold-backed Woodpecker" of Latham 1782 (syn. Veniliornis passerinus).

African Finfoot (somereni)
SCI Name: Podica senegalensis somereni
somereni
● Dr Victor Gurnet Logan van Someren (1886-1976) Scottish physician, medical officer in Kenya, ornithologist, entomologist, first Director (1930) of Coryndon Mus. (now Nairobi National Mus.) (syn. Cossypha polioptera, syn. Crithagra burtoni tanganjicae, subsp. Hedydipna collaris, subsp. Podica senegalensis, syn. Sarothrura boehmi, subsp. Terpsiphone rufiventer, syn. Uraeginthus ianthinogaster (ex Granatina ianthogaster ugandae van Someren, 1919)).
● Dr Robert Abraham Logan van Someren (1880-1955) Scottish physician, medical officer in Uganda 1905-1925, naturalist (subsp. Crithagra atrogularis).
● Lt. Noel van Someren (d. 1921) British Army, collector in East Africa (syn. Zosterops poliogastrus kikuyuensis).

African Finfoot (camerunensis)
SCI Name: Podica senegalensis camerunensis
cameroonensis / camerunensis / camerunensus
Cameroons, West Africa (German Cameroon (= Kamerun) 1884-1919, when divided into French Cameroun and British Cameroons; upon independence in 1961 southern British Cameroons joined with French Cameroun to become a republic (Cameroun), and northern British Cameroons became a part of Nigeria) (Rio dos Camerões, river of prawns, the name given to the River Wouri by the Portuguese explorer Fernão do Póo in 1492).
● Mt. Cameroon, German Cameroon (subsp. Bradypterus lopesi, Pternistis).
● Between Nola and Mbaiki, French Cameroun (= Ubangi Shari) (Vidua).

African Finfoot (petersii)
SCI Name: Podica senegalensis petersii
petersi / petersii
● Prof. Wilhelm Karl Hartwig Peters (1815-1883) German zoologist, collector in tropical Africa 1842-1848 (subsp. Podica senegalensis).
● Dr James Lee Peters (1889-1952) US ornithologist, nomenclaturist, Curator of Birds MCZ (subsp. Aethopyga saturata, subsp. Agelasticus thilius, subsp. Coccyzus longirostris, syn. Coracina schistacea, subsp. Hydrornis soror, syn. Hylatomus lineatus similis, subsp. Pheugopedius maculipectus, syn. Picoides kizuki matsudairai, syn. Rupornis magnirostris griseocauda, subsp. Schoeniophylax phryganophilus, Xenodacnis).
● Ernst Peters (fl. 1890) German student, collector in Venezuela 1890 (Zimmerius).