Brown-backed Whistler

SCI Name:  Pachycephala modesta
Protonym:  Poecilodryas modesta AnnualRep.Brit.NewGuinea(1893-1894) App.EE p.101
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Pachycephalidae / Pachycephala
Taxonomy Code:  brbwhi1
Type Locality:  Mt. Maneao, 5,000 ft., southeastern New Guinea.
Author:  De Vis
Publish Year:  1894
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

PACHYCEPHALA
(Pachycephalidae; Ϯ Golden Whistler P. pectoralis) Gr. παχυς pakhus  large, thick; κεφαλη kephalē  head; from the appearance of their large rounded heads the Indomalayan and Australasian whistlers were formerly known as 'thickheads'; "The interval betweeen the present groups and those of the Pari, where we entered on the family [Pipridæ], appears to be filled up by a race of birds peculiar to New Holland, and hitherto uncharacterized, of which the Muscicapa pectoralis, Lath. is the type*. These, uniting many external characters, at least, both of the Berry-Eaters and Flycatchers, exhibit also in general appearance a considerable resemblance to the Pari, and will be found, I conjecture, to be the connecting bond between all these groups.  ...  * Mr. Swainson has lately formed this group into a genus by the name of Pachycephala.  Nov. 1824." (Vigors 1825); "Genus. PACHYCEPHALA*. Swains. MSS.  ... Caput tumidiusculum.  ...  In their general appearance some of the species exhibit a resemblance to the birds of the genus Procnias, Ill., while by the puffed-out appearance of the feathers about the head, we trace an approximation to some of the Linnean Pari.  ...  * παχυς crassus, and κεφαλη caput" (Vigors & Horsfield 1827). 
Var. Pachycephalus. 
Synon. Alisterornis, Gilbertornis, Hylocharis, Hyloterpe, Lewinornis, Malacolestes, Mattingleya, Musciterpe, Muscitrea, Mutevodia, Pachycilodryas, Psaltricephus, Pucherania, Timixos.

modesta / modestum / modestus
L. modestus  plain, modest, unassuming  < modus  measure, standard.

SUBSPECIES

Brown-backed Whistler (modesta)
SCI Name: Pachycephala modesta modesta
modesta / modestum / modestus
L. modestus  plain, modest, unassuming  < modus  measure, standard.

Brown-backed Whistler (hypoleuca)
SCI Name: Pachycephala modesta hypoleuca
hypoleuca
Gr. ὑπο hupo beneath; λευκος leukos white (cf. ὑπολευκος hupoleukos whitish).
● ex “Pico triqueño” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 123 (syn. Sporophila leucoptera).
● Gr. ὑπερλευκος huperleukos exceedingly white; “The name hypoleucus was evidently a lapsus for hyperleucus” (Gadow 1883) (Gymnorhina).

Brown-backed Whistler (telefolminensis)
SCI Name: Pachycephala modesta telefolminensis
telefolminensis
Telefolmin, Victor Emanuel Mts., British New Guinea / Telefomin, Papua New Guinea.