Golden-headed Cisticola

SCI Name:  Cisticola exilis
Protonym:  Malurus exilis Trans.Linn.Soc.London(1), 15(1826) p.223
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Cisticolidae / Cisticola
Taxonomy Code:  gohcis1
Type Locality:  Sydney, New South Wales, fide Mathews, 1930, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, p. 596.
Author:  Vigors & Horsfield
Publish Year:  1827
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

CISTICOLA
(Cisticolidae; † Zitting Cisticola C. juncidis cisticola) Gr. κιστις kistis  little basket  < dim. κιστη kistē  basket; L. -cola  dweller  < colere  to dwell (cf. specific name Sylvia cisticola Temminck, 1820 (= subsp. Cisticola juncidis)); the Zitting Cisticola, formerly known as Fan-tailed Warbler, is the only European member of this wide-ranging Old World, predominantly Afrotropical, genus of small monomorphic warblers; “2. Sylvia cisticola.   ...   2. Zistensänger. Cisticola.   E[ntwickelung]. Wie gewöhnlich.  Ch[arakter]. Kleine Oleandersänger mit hellrostfarbigem, schwarz geflecktem Rücken.  L[ebensart]. Sie leben wie die übrigen Rohrsänger, bauen aber ein trichterförmiges Nest ins hohe Gras.” (Kaup 1829); "Cisticola Kaup, 1829, Skizzirte Entwickelungs-Geschichte Europäisch. Thierwelt, p. 119.  Type, by tautonymy, Sylvia cisticola Temminck." (Traylor in Peters, 1986, XI, p. 84).
Var. Cisiticola.
Synon. Calamanthella, Cistodyta, Drymodyta, Drymodytops, Dryodromas, Hemipteryx, Merion, Neocisticola, Nephelicola, Pseudhemipteryx, Rhathymodyta, Tachydyta, Threnetes, Threnodyta, Threnodytops, Threnolais.

cisticola
Gr. κιστις kistis  little basket  < dim. κιστη kistē  basket; L. -cola dweller < colere to dwell.

exilis
L. exilis  small, slender, thin  < ex  without; ile, ilis  intestines.
● ex “Minute Bittern” (= ♀) and “Mexican Bittern” of Latham 1785 (Ixobrychus).
● ex “Hummingbird of a black colour” of Bancroft 1769, and “Little Humming Bird” of Latham 1782 (subsp. Orthorhyncus cristatus).

SUBSPECIES

Golden-headed Cisticola (tytleri)
SCI Name: Cisticola exilis tytleri
tytleri
Col. Robert Christopher Tytler (1818-1872) British Army in India 1835-1864, naturalist, pioneer photographer, collector (subsp. Aplonis panayensis, subsp. Cisticola exilis, syn. Ficedula parva, subsp. Hirundo rustica, subsp. Hypothymis azurea, Phylloscopus, subsp. Psittacula longicauda, syn. Tarsiger cyanura rufilata).

Golden-headed Cisticola (erythrocephalus)
SCI Name: Cisticola exilis erythrocephalus
erythrocephala / erythrocephalum / erythrocephalus
Gr. ερυθρος eruthros  red; -κεφαλος -kephalos  -headed  < κεφαλη kephalē  head.
● "96. LOXIA.  ...  eryocephala [sic].  9. L. cinerascens, capite purpurascente, pectore albo maculato.  Passer paradisæus, capite rubro, pectore nigro albo maculato. Edw. av. 180. t. 180.   Habitat in Africa.  Corpus supra cinereum, griseo maculatum; subtus totum fuscum maculis albis rotundis. Alæ fuscæ. Remiges margine griseæ. Cauda nigra, forficata. Caput purpureum." (Linnaeus 1758) (Amadina).
● ex “Barbu de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 206, fig. 1 (syn. Capito niger).
● "100. PARUS.  ...  erythrocephalus.  10. P. niger, capite femoribusque fulvis.  Parus auricapillus. Klein. av. 86.  Parus niger, capite fulvo. Edw. av. 21. p. 21.  Habitat in America australi." (Linnaeus 1758) (Ceratopipra).
● ex “Petit Pic à Baguettes d’Or” of Levaillant 1808, pl. 253 (syn. Dendropicos fuscescens).
● ex “Red-headed Finch” of Latham 1783 (syn. Foudia rubra).
● "54. PICUS.  ...  erythrocephalus.  5. P. capite toto rubro, alis caudaque nigris, abdomine albo.  Picus capite toto rubro. Catesb. car. I. p. 20. t. 20.  Habitat in America." (Linnaeus 1758) (Melanerpes).
● ex “Apiaster indicus erythrocephalus” of Brisson 1760, “Guêpier à tête rouge” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Red-headed Bee-eater” of Shaw 1778 and Latham 1782 (syn. Merops leschenaulti).
● ex “Red-headed Swallow” of Latham 1783 (unident.; ?syn. Petrochelidon fluvicola).
● ex “Psittaca ginginiana erythrocephalos” of Brisson 1760, “Perruche à tête rouge de Gingi” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 264, “Perruche à tête rouge” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Blossom-headed Parrakeet” of Latham 1781 (syn. Psittacula roseata).

Golden-headed Cisticola (equicaudatus)
SCI Name: Cisticola exilis equicaudatus
equicaudata / equicaudatus
L. aequus equal, even; caudatus tailed < cauda tail.

Golden-headed Cisticola (courtoisi)
SCI Name: Cisticola exilis courtoisi
courtoisi
Revd. Père Frédéric Courtois (1860-1928) French missionary to China 1901-1928, Curator of Sikawei Mus., naturalist (syn. Cisticola exilis tinnabulans, Garrulax, subsp. Geokichla citrina).

Golden-headed Cisticola (volitans)
SCI Name: Cisticola exilis volitans
volitans
L. volitans, volitantis  flying  < volitare  to fly about.
● ex “Volatile Thrush” of Latham 1801 (syn. Myiagra inquieta).

Golden-headed Cisticola (semirufus)
SCI Name: Cisticola exilis semirufus
semirufa / semirufus
L. semi-  half-  < semis, semissis  half  < as, assis  whole; rufus  rufous.

Golden-headed Cisticola (rusticus)
SCI Name: Cisticola exilis rusticus
rusticus
L. rusticus  rural, rustic  < rus, ruris  country.

Golden-headed Cisticola (lineocapilla)
SCI Name: Cisticola exilis lineocapilla
lineocapilla
L. linea  line  < linum  thread  < Gr. λινον linon  flax, thread; -capillus -capped  < capillus  hair of the head.

Golden-headed Cisticola (diminutus)
SCI Name: Cisticola exilis diminutus
diminuta / diminutus
L. diminutus  diminutive, diminished  < deminuere  to diminish.

Golden-headed Cisticola (polionotus)
SCI Name: Cisticola exilis polionotus
polionota / polionotum / polionotus
Gr. πολιος polios  grey; -νωτος -nōtos  -backed  < νωτον nōton  back.

Golden-headed Cisticola (alexandrae)
SCI Name: Cisticola exilis alexandrae
alexandrae
● Alexandra Station (= Alexandria), Northern Territory, Australia (subsp. Cisticola exilis, syn. Climacteris melanurus, syn. Petroica goodenovii, syn. Taeniopygia guttata castanotis, syn. Tyto delicatula).
● Annie Montague Alexander (1867-1950) US patron of zoology, field ornithologist, founder of Mus. of Vertebrate Zoology, Berkeley (subsp. Lagopus lagopus, subsp. Sitta carolinensis).
● Princess Alexandra Caroline Mary Charlotte Louisa Julia (1844-1925), eldest daughter of Christian IX King of Denmark and wife to Edward Prince of Wales (married 1863) (Polytelis).

Golden-headed Cisticola (exilis)
SCI Name: Cisticola exilis exilis
exilis
L. exilis  small, slender, thin  < ex  without; ile, ilis  intestines.
● ex “Minute Bittern” (= ♀) and “Mexican Bittern” of Latham 1785 (Ixobrychus).
● ex “Hummingbird of a black colour” of Bancroft 1769, and “Little Humming Bird” of Latham 1782 (subsp. Orthorhyncus cristatus).