Inland Thornbill

SCI Name:  Acanthiza apicalis
Protonym:  Acanthiza apicalis BirdsAustr. pt26 pl.[?],text
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Acanthizidae / Acanthiza
Taxonomy Code:  inltho1
Type Locality:  Swan River, southwestern Australia.
Author:  Gould
Publish Year:  1847
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

ACANTHIZA
(Acanthizidae; Ϯ Brown Thornbill A. pusilla) Gr. ακανθεων akantheōn  thorn-brake  < ακανθα akantha  thorn  < ακη akē  point; ζαω zaō  to inhabit, to live  < ζω zō  to live; "Genus ACANTHIZA *.  Rostrum gracile, breve, rectum, basi subdepressum, apice compressum, culmine apicem versus leviter arcuato; mandibula superiori subemarginata; naribus linearibus, longitudinalibus, supra membrana tectis, setis plumulisque partim opertis; rictu setis parce instructo.  Alæ subbreves, rotundatæ; remige prima brevi, secunda et tertia gradatim longioribus, quarta longissima, secunda et decima æqualibus.  Pedes graciles, acrotarsiis paratarsiisque integris.  Cauda mediocris, apice subrotundata.   This group is closely connected with that of Malurus. The construction of the wings and legs is the same, and their habits, as far as we can learn, are similar. But the soft, lengthened, and graduated tail, which gives a striking character to the typical species of Malurus, is wanting in the present group, in which the tail is short and rounded.   ...   As in all similar cases of groups thus approximating to each other, we fix our attention on the typical species chiefly of each, which in the present instance may be considered to be Malurus Lamberti and Acanthiza pusilla.   ...   Like the Reguli they appear to be the inhabitants of bushes and low scrubs.   1. NANA.   ...   2. REGULOIDES.   ...   3. FRONTALIS.   ...   4. PYRRHOPYGIA.   ...   5. PUSILLA.   ...   6. BUCHANANI.   ...   *Aκανθεων dumetum, and ζαω vivo." (Vigors & Horsfield 1827).  
Var. Ancathiza, Acanthisa.
Synon. Geobasileus, Milligania, Subacanthiza.

apicalis
Mod. L. apicalis  apical, of the tip  < L. apex, apicis  point, extremity.
● "ACANTHIZA APICALIS.  ...  Distinguished from A. Diemenensis, A. pusilla, and A. Ewingii, to all of which it is nearly allied, by its large size, by its larger and rounder tail, by the broad and distinct band of black which crosses the tail-feathers near their extremities, and by their being largely tipped with white." (Gould 1847) (Acanthiza).
● "MOHO APICALIS  ...  I avail myself of the opportunity of characterizing the species, and have assigned to it the name of apicalis, from the circumstance of all but the two middle tail-feathers being tipped with white" (Gould 1861) (‡Moho).
● "MYIARCHUS APICALIS  ...  caudæ nigricantis rectricis externæ pogonio externo et ceterarum apicibus latis flavido-albicantibus" (P. Sclater & Salvin 1881) (Myiarchus). 

SUBSPECIES

Inland Thornbill (whitlocki)
SCI Name: Acanthiza apicalis whitlocki
whitlocki
Frederick Bulstrode Lawson Whitlock (1860-1953) English ornithologist, entomologist, field naturalist, collector who settled in Australia 1901 (subsp. Acanthiza apicalis, syn. Daphoenositta chrysoptera pileata, syn. Gerygone tenebrosa christophori, syn. Glossoptila porphyrocephala, subsp. Hylacola cauta, syn. Melithreptus lunatus chloropsis, syn. Ocyphaps lophotes, syn. Pardalotus punctatus, syn. Peltohyas australis, syn. Platycercus icterotis).

Inland Thornbill (apicalis)
SCI Name: Acanthiza apicalis apicalis
apicalis
Mod. L. apicalis  apical, of the tip  < L. apex, apicis  point, extremity.
● "ACANTHIZA APICALIS.  ...  Distinguished from A. Diemenensis, A. pusilla, and A. Ewingii, to all of which it is nearly allied, by its large size, by its larger and rounder tail, by the broad and distinct band of black which crosses the tail-feathers near their extremities, and by their being largely tipped with white." (Gould 1847) (Acanthiza).
● "MOHO APICALIS  ...  I avail myself of the opportunity of characterizing the species, and have assigned to it the name of apicalis, from the circumstance of all but the two middle tail-feathers being tipped with white" (Gould 1861) (‡Moho).
● "MYIARCHUS APICALIS  ...  caudæ nigricantis rectricis externæ pogonio externo et ceterarum apicibus latis flavido-albicantibus" (P. Sclater & Salvin 1881) (Myiarchus). 

Inland Thornbill (albiventris)
SCI Name: Acanthiza apicalis albiventris
albiventer / albiventre / albiventris
L. albus  white; venter, ventris  belly.
● ex “Drongri à Ventre Blanc” of Levaillant 1805, pl. 171 (syn. Dicrurus leucophaeus).
● ex “Martin-pêcheur de l’Île de Luçon” of Sonnerat 1776 (Halcyon).
● ex “Hirondelle à ventre blanc de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 546, fig. 2 (Tachycineta).

Inland Thornbill (cinerascens)
SCI Name: Acanthiza apicalis cinerascens
cinerascens
Late L. cinerescens, cinerescentis  ashen  < cinerescere  to turn to ashes  < L. cinis, cineris  ashes.
● ex “Mésange Grisette” of Levaillant 1803, pl. 138 (Melaniparus).