African Skimmer / Rynchops flavirostris
WBN 
African Skimmer
SCI Name:
Protonym: Rhyncops flavirostris Nouv.Dict.Hist.Nat. 3 p.338
Taxonomy: Charadriiformes / Laridae / Rynchops
Taxonomy Code: afrski1
Type Locality: 'Australasie,'' error = Senegal.
Author: Vieillot
Publish Year: 1816
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
DEFINITIONS
RYNCHOPS
(Rynchopidae; Ϯ Black Skimmer R. niger) Gr. ῥυγχος rhunkhos bill; κοπτω koptō to cut off;"the upper mandible being as if cut" (Pennant 1773); the skimmers use their specialised bills to skim through the water surface for food; "71. RYNCHOPS. Rostrum rectum: mandibula superiore multo breviore. ... Genus proxima affinitate Laris junctum." (Linnaeus 1758): based on "Cut Water" of Catesby 1731, "Rygchopsalia" of Barrère 1745, and "Plotus rostro conico inæquali" of Klein 1750; "Rynchops Linné, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 138. Type, by monotypy, Rynchops nigra Linné." (Peters 1934, II, 349). Linnaeus's Rynchops comprised two forms (R. nigra, R. fulva).
Var. Rhynchops, Rhincops, Rhinchops, Rhijncops, Rhyncops.
Synon. Anisoramphos, Phalacrocorax, Psalidoramphos, Rygchopsalia.
flavirostre / flavirostris
L. flavus yellow, golden-yellow; -rostris -billed < rostrum beak.
● ex “Pato pico amarillo y negro” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 439 (Anas).
● "98. FRINGILLA. ... flavirostris. 21. F. fusca, rostro flavicante. Faun. svec. 204. Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Linaria).
● ex “Favorite de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 897, “Favorite” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Favourite Gallinule” of Latham 1785 (Porphyrio).
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)
