Golden Bowerbird

SCI Name:  Amblyornis newtoniana
Protonym:  Prionodura Newtoniana Proc.Linn.Soc.NewS.Wales 7 p.562
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Ptilonorhynchidae / Amblyornis
Taxonomy Code:  golbow1
Type Locality:  Tully River Scrubs, North Queensland.
Author:  De Vis
Publish Year:  1883
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

AMBLYORNIS
(Ptilonorhynchidae; Ϯ Vogelkop Bowerbird A. inornata) Gr. αμβλυοεις ambluoeis  dull  <  αμβλυς amblus  dull  < αμβλυνω amblunō  to blunt; ορνις ornis, ορνιθος ornithos  bird; "The other species to which I referred above as having been described by Prof. Schlegel in the same paper, was placed by him in the genus Ptilonorhynchus, and named P. inornatus. It, however, differs greatly from the P. violaceus (holosericeus auct.), the only species now representing that genus, in wanting the feathers projecting over the bill and hiding the nostril (one of the principal characters of Ptilonorhynchus), and also in having a very different structure of feather. The sexes, according to Von Rosenberg, are the same in the colour of their plumage, while those of P. violaceus are widely different. I have therefore regarded it as representing a new generic form, which I propose to call AMBLYORNIS,  with the following characters — Bill short, thick, culmen much curved, gonys nearly straight; nostrils partly hidden by the feathers of the forehead, which are soft and flexible. A few short bristles project forwards over the culmen and nostrils, which last are round, open, and partly exposed. Wings moderate, fourth primary longest. Tail very slightly rounded, composed of ten feathers. Toes slender, middle one nearly as long as the tarsus, outer longer than the inner one.  The only species known is  AMBLYORNIS INORNATA.  Ptilonorhynchus inornatus, Schleg., Tijdsch. v. d. Dierk. pt. v. p. 51 (1871)." (Elliot 1872); "Ambylornis Elliot, Ibis, 1872, p. 113.  Type (by monotypy): Ptilorhynchus [sic] inornatus Schl." (Mathews, 1930, Syst. Av. Austral., II, p. 886).
Var. Ambliornis.
Synon. Xanthochlamys.

newtoniana
Prof. Alfred Newton (1829-1907) British ornithologist (Prionodura).