Black-headed Sibia

SCI Name:  Heterophasia desgodinsi
Protonym:  Sibia Desgodinsi Bull.Soc.Philom.(7), Tome 1er (1876-1877), N° 3 p. 139-141
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Leiothrichidae / Heterophasia
Taxonomy Code:  blhsib1
Type Locality:  Yer-ka-lo, on the Mekong at ca. lat. 29° 03'' 30'' N., Hsikang.
Author:  Oustalet
Publish Year:  1877
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

HETEROPHASIA
(Leiothrichidae; Ϯ Long-tailed Sibia H. picaoides) Gr. ἑτερος heteros  different; φασις phasis  appearance  < φαινω phainō  to appear; “Heterophasia, Nobis, n. g?   A curious meruline form, exhibiting affinity for various distinct genera, but which cannot be immediately approximated to any with which I am acquainted. It has long rounded wings, a very long and much graduated tail, slender and slightly curving bill, and rather short tarsi.  Bill longer than the head, slender, tapering, a little incurved, its base as high as broad, and gradually more compressed for the basal ¾ths; the ridge of the upper mandible distinct (but not sharp) to beyond the nostrils, then rather less so, and its tip very slightly if at all emarginated: nostrils somewhat large, and almost closed by impending membrane, the naral orificies appearing as mere fissures on the inferior margin of this, though more apart anteriorly: a few small setæ at the gape. Tarse somewhat longer than the middle toe; and the claws compressed and suitable for perching.  Wings having the 5th or 6th primary longest, and the 7th equal to the 4th.  Tail broad and very much lengthened and graduated.  The plumage throughout is soft, dense, and smooth; the wings and tail tolerably firm.    34. H. cuculopsis, Nobis.   ...   At a first glance, this bird is apt to be mistaken for Cuculidous; an appearance to which its large and lengthened graduated tail, each feather tipped with whitish, its incurved bill, and the general hue of its colouring, alike contribute.  From Darjeeling.” (Blyth 1842); "Heterophasia Blyth, 1842, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, 11, p. 186. Type, by monotypy, Heterophasia cuculopsis Blyth = Sibia picaoides Hodgson." (Deignan in Peters, 1964, X, p. 416).
Var. Heterophosia.
Synon. Malacias.

desgodinsi
Abbé Auguste Desgodins (1826-1913) French missionary to Tibet (Heterophasia, syn. Tetraophasis szechenyii).

SUBSPECIES

Black-headed Sibia (Black-headed)
SCI Name: Heterophasia desgodinsi desgodinsi/tonkinensis
HETEROPHASIA
(Leiothrichidae; Ϯ Long-tailed Sibia H. picaoides) Gr. ἑτερος heteros  different; φασις phasis  appearance  < φαινω phainō  to appear; “Heterophasia, Nobis, n. g?   A curious meruline form, exhibiting affinity for various distinct genera, but which cannot be immediately approximated to any with which I am acquainted. It has long rounded wings, a very long and much graduated tail, slender and slightly curving bill, and rather short tarsi.  Bill longer than the head, slender, tapering, a little incurved, its base as high as broad, and gradually more compressed for the basal ¾ths; the ridge of the upper mandible distinct (but not sharp) to beyond the nostrils, then rather less so, and its tip very slightly if at all emarginated: nostrils somewhat large, and almost closed by impending membrane, the naral orificies appearing as mere fissures on the inferior margin of this, though more apart anteriorly: a few small setæ at the gape. Tarse somewhat longer than the middle toe; and the claws compressed and suitable for perching.  Wings having the 5th or 6th primary longest, and the 7th equal to the 4th.  Tail broad and very much lengthened and graduated.  The plumage throughout is soft, dense, and smooth; the wings and tail tolerably firm.    34. H. cuculopsis, Nobis.   ...   At a first glance, this bird is apt to be mistaken for Cuculidous; an appearance to which its large and lengthened graduated tail, each feather tipped with whitish, its incurved bill, and the general hue of its colouring, alike contribute.  From Darjeeling.” (Blyth 1842); "Heterophasia Blyth, 1842, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, 11, p. 186. Type, by monotypy, Heterophasia cuculopsis Blyth = Sibia picaoides Hodgson." (Deignan in Peters, 1964, X, p. 416).
Var. Heterophosia.
Synon. Malacias.

Black-headed Sibia (engelbachi/kingi)
SCI Name: Heterophasia desgodinsi engelbachi/kingi
HETEROPHASIA
(Leiothrichidae; Ϯ Long-tailed Sibia H. picaoides) Gr. ἑτερος heteros  different; φασις phasis  appearance  < φαινω phainō  to appear; “Heterophasia, Nobis, n. g?   A curious meruline form, exhibiting affinity for various distinct genera, but which cannot be immediately approximated to any with which I am acquainted. It has long rounded wings, a very long and much graduated tail, slender and slightly curving bill, and rather short tarsi.  Bill longer than the head, slender, tapering, a little incurved, its base as high as broad, and gradually more compressed for the basal ¾ths; the ridge of the upper mandible distinct (but not sharp) to beyond the nostrils, then rather less so, and its tip very slightly if at all emarginated: nostrils somewhat large, and almost closed by impending membrane, the naral orificies appearing as mere fissures on the inferior margin of this, though more apart anteriorly: a few small setæ at the gape. Tarse somewhat longer than the middle toe; and the claws compressed and suitable for perching.  Wings having the 5th or 6th primary longest, and the 7th equal to the 4th.  Tail broad and very much lengthened and graduated.  The plumage throughout is soft, dense, and smooth; the wings and tail tolerably firm.    34. H. cuculopsis, Nobis.   ...   At a first glance, this bird is apt to be mistaken for Cuculidous; an appearance to which its large and lengthened graduated tail, each feather tipped with whitish, its incurved bill, and the general hue of its colouring, alike contribute.  From Darjeeling.” (Blyth 1842); "Heterophasia Blyth, 1842, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, 11, p. 186. Type, by monotypy, Heterophasia cuculopsis Blyth = Sibia picaoides Hodgson." (Deignan in Peters, 1964, X, p. 416).
Var. Heterophosia.
Synon. Malacias.

Black-headed Sibia (Lang Bian)
SCI Name: Heterophasia desgodinsi robinsoni
robinson / robinsoni / robinsonii
● Herbert Christopher Robinson (1874-1929) British ornithologist, systematist, collector in Australia 1896, and Malaysia 1908-1926 (syn. Aerodramus maximus, syn. Alectura lathami, subsp. Alophoixus pallidus, subsp. Chalcophaps indica, subsp. Cissa chinensis, subsp. Enicurus maculatus, subsp. Gecinulus grantia, subsp. Heterophasia desgodinsi, subsp. Macropygia amboinensis, syn. Megalaima australis duvaucelii, syn. Myiagra cyanoleuca, Myophonus, subsp. Oriolus traillii, subsp. Picus guerini, subsp. Pteruthius aeralatus, syn. Pycnonotus blanfordi conradi, syn. Rallina tricolor, syn. Rhipidura albicollis atrata, subsp. Strepera graculina, subsp. Treron sphenurus).
● Col. Wirt Robinson (1864-1929) US Army, who taught chemistry at West Point 1906-1928, ornithologist, collector (syn. Butorides striata, syn. Cardinalis phoeniceus, syn. Zenaida auriculata stenura).
● Dr Anthony Robinson (d. 1768) English surgeon, botanist, resident in Jamaica (syn. Pyrrhulagra violacea ruficollis).
● Robinson Crusoe, literary character who was shipwrecked but survived on a desert island, created by Daniel Defoe 1719; the character was heavily influenced by the adventures of the privateer Alexander Selkirk (1676-1721) who survived several years on the uninhabited island of Juan Fernandez (syn. Sephanoides fernandensis).