Indian Spotted Creeper

SCI Name:  Salpornis spilonota
Protonym:  Certhia spilonota Proc.Zool.Soc.London Pt1 no.10 p.121
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Certhiidae / Salpornis
Taxonomy Code:  spocre3
Type Locality:  between Calcutta and Benares.
Author:  Franklin
Publish Year:  1831
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

SALPORNIS
(Sittidae; Ϯ Indian Spotted Creeper S. spilonota) Gr. σαλπιγκτης   salpinktēs  unknown bird, probably the Wren  < σαλπιγκτης salpinktēs  trumpeter  < σαλπιγξ salpinx, σαλπιγγος salpingos  war-trumpet; ορνις ornis, ορνιθος ornithos  bird; "CERTHINÆ  ...  I have also before me another bird that appears to belong to the same subfamily, which I shall form into a distinct genus, under the name of SALPORNIS.   Rostrum longum latum basi subdepressum, per totam longitudinem curvatum; lateribus a naribus fortiter compressis.  Gonys elongatus, curvatus.  Nares laterales, antice in sulco lato brevi siti, apertura magna nuda.  Alæ longissimæ, usque ad caudæ apicem fere attingentes, acutæ, remige prima brevissima, secunda fere longitudinis tertiæ quartæque, quæ æquales et omnium longissimæ.  Cauda breviuscula, quadrata, rectricum apicibus rotundatis.  Tarsi medio digito breviores, squamis latis muniti.  Digiti longi, fortes, intimo quam extimo breviore basi parum coadunato, extimo longius coadunato; postico longo, forti, ungue curvato armato.   The type of this proposed genus is already described by Major Franklin in the Proceedings of the Society under the name of Certhia spilonota (Proc. 1831, p. 121).  The differences exhibited between this and the former genus are at once seen in the form of the wings, which are lengthened and pointed, and of the tail, which has the ends of the feathers slightly rounded. These characters are like those of Tichodroma, while the form of the bill and feet are similar to those of the genus [Caulodromus] proposed above." (G. Gray 1847). Recent works indicate that the spotted creepers should either be replaced in the Certhiidae or treated in a monogeneric family Salpornithidae.
Synon. Hylypsornis.

spilonota / spilonotum / spilonotus
Gr. σπιλος spilos  spot; -νωτος -nōtos  -backed  < νωτον nōton  back.