Great Parrotbill

SCI Name:  Conostoma aemodium
Protonym:  Conostama OEmodius J.Asiat.Soc.Bengal 10 p.857 ? 1841
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Sylviidae / Conostoma
Taxonomy Code:  grepar1
Type Locality:  northern Nepal.
Author:  Hodgson
Publish Year:  1841
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

CONOSTOMA
(Sylviidae; † Great Parrotbill C. aemodium) Gr. κωνος kōnos  cone; στομα stoma, στοματος stomatos  mouth; "Conostoma Æmodius, (Nobis type.)  ...  The group alluded to, is the Glaucopin, or Finch-billed Crows of Swainson; and the single species I am acquainted with, tenants exclusively the immediate neighbourhood of the perpetual snows.  ...  The present birds, which we shall denominate generically Conostoma, (κωνος et στομα,) have the massive bill and simple concealed nares of the Magpies. The bill of the Crypsirinæ vel Dendrocittæ, or tree Magpies in particular, has much resemblance to that of the Conostomæ, owing to the clear arcuation of its whole commissure, and to the perfect entireness of its tip.  ...  Conostoma is clearly a typical example of the Glaucopinæ of Swainson, and its natural position would seem to be between Glaucopis and Crypsirinæ. In manners the present species is a shy forester, adhering to the wilds, and tenanting the skirts of forests, where brush-wood as well as trees abound. Five or six birds are usually found together, chattering, hopping, and scraping on the ground, and resorting to the trees and shrubs chiefly for shelter.  ...  Their essential form may be characterised thus:— Bill short, strong, conico-compressed, with broad rounded ridges and vertical sides; the culmen and commissure entirely arched, the tips equal, obtuse, and entire.  Nostrils circular, unfossed, furnished with a membranous raised edge all round, and concealed by incumbent setaceous plumuli.  Rictus provided with a close series of short bristles.  Wings short, feeble, almost entirely rounded, the 6th, 7th and 8th quills usually equal and longest.  Tail slightly elongated, , rounded, consisting of 12 broad simple plumes.  Feet very large and strong, yet not typically ambulatory.  Tarsi elevate, nearly or quite smooth, exceeding much the central toe and nail.  Toes medial, unequal; fores basally connected, and outer lateral considerably longer than the inner.  Hind toe large, depressed, exceeding the outer fore, and with its large nail reaching to the middle of the central toe and nail.  Nails simple, large, scarcely so acute or so curved as in Crypsirinæ.  Habitat, the northern region close to the perpetual snows.  Type. Conostama [sic] Œmodius, Nob. new." (Hodgson 1841); "Conostoma Hodgson, 1841 or 1842, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, 10, p. 856.  Type, by original designation and monotypy, Conostoma oemodium Hodgson." (Deignan in Peters, 1964, X, p. 431).
Var. Conostama.
Synon. Enendrozdovoma.

aemodium / aemodius
L. Oemodium  of the Himalayas (Oemodi Montes  Himalayas, of which only the western ranges were known to the ancients).