Blue Jewel-babbler

SCI Name:  Ptilorrhoa caerulescens
Protonym:  Eupetes caerulescens Pl.Col. livr.97 pl.574
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Cinclosomatidae / Ptilorrhoa
Taxonomy Code:  blujeb1
Type Locality:  Lobo [lat. 3° 45'' S., long. 134° 05'' E.], New Guinea.
Author:  Temminck
Publish Year:  1836
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

PTILORRHOA
(Cinclosomatidae; Ϯ Blue Jewel-babbler P. caerulescens) Gr. πτιλον ptilon  feather; ορρος orrhos  rump; "For many years an assemblage of Papuan Timeliidae has been united generically with Eupetes (type Eupetes macrocercus Temminck) of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. A preliminary survey of the Timeliidae in the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy shows that this grouping is not correct, but that the Papuan birds are generically separable from Eupetes and that there is no name available. I therefore propose  Ptilorrhoa genus novum   TYPE, Eupetes caerulescens Temminck.   DIAGNOSIS.—Related to Eupetes but bill relatively much shorter, more decurved terminally, little wider than high; position of nostril more basal, the distance from its anterior edge to tip of culmen equal to or less than the distance from its anterior edge to the gape; tail slightly graduated, rectrices broad and obtuse; tarsus less than twice as long as middle toe without claw; entire feathering of head normal (not velvety); under tail-coverts normal; no bare skin about eye; no naked patches on sides of neck.   ...  The most noticeable point of similarity in the two genera is the extraordinary thick mat of feathers covering the lower back and rump.  The forms of Ptilorrhoa are:—  Ptilorrhoa caerulescens  ...  Ptilorrhoa castanotus  ...  Ptilorrhoa leucostictus" (J. L. Peters 1940).
Synon. Mollitor.

caerulescens
Unattested L. caerulescens, caerulescentis  bluish (neither caerulescere nor caerulescens have been found in Classical Latin, but their existence may be inferred from caeruleus  azure-blue, by the example, amongst others, of rufus  red, ruddy, giving rufescere  to become reddish, and rufescens  reddish).
● "61. ANAS.  ...  cærulescens.  10. A. grisea, subtus alba, tectricibus alarum dorsoque postico cærulescentibus.  Anser canadensis, alis cæruleis. Edw. av. 152. t. 152.  Habitat in Canada." (Linnaeus 1758) (Anser).
● "43. LANIUS.  ...  cærulescens.  8. L. cauda forficata, corpore nigro cærulescente, abdomine albo.  Lanius cauda forcipata. Edv. av. 96. t. 56.  Habitat in Benghala." (Linnaeus 1758) (Dicrurus).
● ex “Héron bleuâtre de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, “Crabier bleu à cou brun” of de Buffon 1770-1785, and “Blue Heron” of Latham 1785 (syn. Egretta caerulea).
● ex “Blue Roller” of Latham 1785 (syn. Eurystomus glaucurus).
● "41. FALCO.  ...  cærulescens.  7. F. cera palpebris pedibus subtusque luteus, dorso nigro-cærulescente, temporibus linea alba inclusis.  Accipiter minimus benghalensis. Edv. av. 108. t. 108.  Habitat in Asia." (Linnaeus 1758). This epithet is the thirteenth name in avian nomenclature. (Microhierax).
● ex "Oiseau bleu" of Dubois 1671, and "Gros oiseau" of Brown 1724 (‡Porphyrio).
● ex “Blue-necked Rail” of Latham 1785 (Rallus).
● ex "Fauvette bleuâtre de S. Domingue" of de Buffon 1770-1783, and "Blue-grey Warbler" of Latham 1783 (Setophaga).
● ex “Batara negro y aplomado” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 213 (Thamnophilus).
● ex “Caerulean Creeper” of Latham 1801 (syn. Zosterops lateralis).

SUBSPECIES

Blue Jewel-babbler (caerulescens)
SCI Name: Ptilorrhoa caerulescens caerulescens
caerulescens
Unattested L. caerulescens, caerulescentis  bluish (neither caerulescere nor caerulescens have been found in Classical Latin, but their existence may be inferred from caeruleus  azure-blue, by the example, amongst others, of rufus  red, ruddy, giving rufescere  to become reddish, and rufescens  reddish).
● "61. ANAS.  ...  cærulescens.  10. A. grisea, subtus alba, tectricibus alarum dorsoque postico cærulescentibus.  Anser canadensis, alis cæruleis. Edw. av. 152. t. 152.  Habitat in Canada." (Linnaeus 1758) (Anser).
● "43. LANIUS.  ...  cærulescens.  8. L. cauda forficata, corpore nigro cærulescente, abdomine albo.  Lanius cauda forcipata. Edv. av. 96. t. 56.  Habitat in Benghala." (Linnaeus 1758) (Dicrurus).
● ex “Héron bleuâtre de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, “Crabier bleu à cou brun” of de Buffon 1770-1785, and “Blue Heron” of Latham 1785 (syn. Egretta caerulea).
● ex “Blue Roller” of Latham 1785 (syn. Eurystomus glaucurus).
● "41. FALCO.  ...  cærulescens.  7. F. cera palpebris pedibus subtusque luteus, dorso nigro-cærulescente, temporibus linea alba inclusis.  Accipiter minimus benghalensis. Edv. av. 108. t. 108.  Habitat in Asia." (Linnaeus 1758). This epithet is the thirteenth name in avian nomenclature. (Microhierax).
● ex "Oiseau bleu" of Dubois 1671, and "Gros oiseau" of Brown 1724 (‡Porphyrio).
● ex “Blue-necked Rail” of Latham 1785 (Rallus).
● ex "Fauvette bleuâtre de S. Domingue" of de Buffon 1770-1783, and "Blue-grey Warbler" of Latham 1783 (Setophaga).
● ex “Batara negro y aplomado” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 213 (Thamnophilus).
● ex “Caerulean Creeper” of Latham 1801 (syn. Zosterops lateralis).

Blue Jewel-babbler (neumanni)
SCI Name: Ptilorrhoa caerulescens neumanni
neumanni / neumanniana / neumannianus
Prof. Oskar Rudolph Neumann (1867-1946) German ornithologist, explorer and collector in East Africa 1892-1899, Associate at Tring Mus. 1908-1931 (syn. Alcedo leucogaster bowdleri, syn. Anthreptes orientalis, syn. Anthus similis hararensis, subsp. Anthus vaalensis, syn. Apalis flavida flavocincta, Arizelocichla, subsp. Bradornis microrhynchus, syn. Campethera nubica, syn. Cecropis semirufa gordoni, subsp. Centropus leucogaster, syn. Certhia brachydactyla, syn. Cisticola hunteri, syn. Euplectes axillaris phoeniceus, subsp. Gallinula tenebrosa, subsp. Galerida cristata, Hemitesia, subsp. Lophoceros pallidirostris, subsp. Melierax metabates, syn. Muscicapa adusta minima, subsp. Muscicapa striata (ex Muscicapa grisola sibirica Neumann, 1900), syn. Numida meleagris, subsp. Oenanthe melanura (ex Cercomela melanura erlangeri Neumann & von Zedlitz, 1913), Onychognathus, syn. Passer griseus swainsonii, subsp. Phonygammus keraudrenii, subsp. Ploceus baglafecht, syn. Prionops retzii graculina, subsp. Psittacara acuticaudatus, subsp. Ptilinopus solomonensis, subsp. Ptilorrhoa caerulescens, syn. Pyrenestes ostrinus, subsp. Terpsiphone rufiventer, subsp. Vidua chalybeata).

Blue Jewel-babbler (nigricrissus)
SCI Name: Ptilorrhoa caerulescens nigricrissus
nigricrissa / nigricrissus
L. niger  black; Mod. L. crissum  vent  < L. crissare  to copulate.