African Spoonbill

SCI Name:  Platalea alba
Protonym:  Platalea alba Del.Flor.Faun.Insubr. 2 p.92
Taxonomy:  Pelecaniformes / Threskiornithidae / Platalea
Taxonomy Code:  afrspo1
Type Locality:  Luzon, Philippines; error. Cape of Good Hope.
Author:  Scopoli
Publish Year:  1786
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

PLATALEA
(Threskiornithidae; Ϯ Eurasian Spoonbill P. leucorodia) L. platalea  spoonbill; "73. PLATALEA.  Rostrum planiusculum: apice dilatato, orbiculato, plano.  Pedes tetradactyli, semipalmati." (Linnaeus 1758); "Platalea Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, p. 139. Type, by subsequent designation (G. R. Gray, 1840, List Gen. Birds, p. 67), Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus." (Steinbacher in Peters 1979, I, ed. 2, 266). Linnaeus's Platalea comprised three species (P. Leucorodia, P. Ajaja, P. pygmea).
Var. Platelea, Platalaea, Platea (L. platea  spoonbill).
Synon. Ajaia, Leucerodia, Mystrorhamphus, Pelecanus, Platibis, Spatherodia.

platalea
L. platalea spoonbill.
● ex “Pato espátula” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 431 (Spatula).

alba
L. albus  white, dead white (cf. candidus  glittering white) (see also albus).
● "76. ARDEA.  ...  alba.  17. A. capite lævi, corpore albo, rostro rubro.  Ardea tota alba, capite lævi. Fn. svec. 132.  Ardea alba major. Will. orn. 205. t. 43. Raj. av. 99. n. 4.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Ardea).
● ex “Cacatua” of Brisson 1760, and “Kakatoës des Moluques” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 263 (Cacatua).
● ex “White Sheathbill” of Latham 1785, and “Vaginalis” or “Chionis” of Forster 1788 (Chionis).
● ex “Fedoa canadensis, rostro recurvo” of Edwards 1750, and “Limosa candida” of Brisson 1760 (?syn Limosa haemastica).
● "99. MOTACILLA.  ...  alba.  12. M. pectore nigro, rectricibus duabus lateralibus dimidiato oblique albis.  Motacilla pectore nigro. Fn. svec. 214.  Motacilla. Gesn. av. 618. Aldr. orn. l. 17. c. 23. Bell. av. 88. 6. Will. orn. 171. t. 42. Raj. av. 75. n. 1. Alb. av. 1. p. 49. t. 49. Frisch. av. . t. 23. f. 4. Olin. av. 43.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Motacilla).
● ex “Spatule blanche de L’Île de Luçon” of Sonnerat 1776. “Mr Ogilvie Grant argues for the adoption of Scopoli’s name of P. alba, founded on Sonnerat’s plate. Although the bird is said to have come from Luzon, it is well-known that many of Sonnerat’s species were obtained in Africa, and set down in error as being from the Philippines. That this has been the case with the present species hardly admits of a doubt” (Sharpe 1898) (Platalea).
● ex “Guira Panga” or “Cotinga Blanc” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (Procnias).
● ex “White-breasted Petrel” of Latham 1785 (Pterodroma).
● ex “Mouette cendrée tachetée” (= ☼) of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 387 (syn. Rissa tridactyla).
● ex “Gobe-mouche blanc huppé du Cap de Bonne Espérance” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 234, fig. 2 (syn. Terpsiphone paradisi).
● ex “Curiçaca” of Marcgrave 1648, and “Courlis à col blanc de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 976 (syn. Theristicus caudatus).
● ex “Aluco minor” of Aldrovandus 1603, “Common Barn-Owl”, “White-Owl” or “Church-Owl” of Ray 1676, and “Common Barn-Owl” or “White Owl” of Albin 1731 (Tyto).