Knysna Turaco

SCI Name:  Tauraco corythaix
Protonym:  Spelectos Corythaix Syst.Av. Spelectos [p.116] sp.1
Taxonomy:  Musophagiformes / Musophagidae / Tauraco
Taxonomy Code:  knytur1
Type Locality:  No locality = Cape of Good Hope, in the forests on the east coast at the entrance to the Anteniquoi country, ex Levaillant.
Author:  Wagler
Publish Year:  1827
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

TAURACO
(Musophagidae; Ϯ Guinea Turaco T. persa) According to SOED (1950), II, 2219,  Touraco is a native name in West Africa for the Guinea Turaco. Ray 1713, used “Tooracca” and “Tooraca” (e.g. “Tooracca Pigaly. Red Tooracca with a black head”), but these were for various Indian bulbuls, based on Telugu name Turaka-pigli-pitta for the Red-whiskered Bulbul. De Buffon 1783, coined “Tourocco”, combining French Tourterelle turtle dove, and Hocco curassow; Rüppell 1835 reported that Guguka was an Amharic name for a plantain-eater; and Gotch 1981, has "an imitation of the bird's cry."; "TOURACO.  THIS Bird is about the Bigness of a Magpye or Jay  ...  What genus of Birds to range this with, I cannot positively say; it climes not as Parrots do, nor doth it agree with them in any respect, except in the Position of the Toes; nor is its Bill any thing like a Woodpecker's, so that I think it nearest the Cuckow-kind.  Albin has figur'd this Bird, and calls it the Crown Bird from Mexico; tho' these Birds are indeed Africans, brought from Guinea, by the Way of the West Indies, to us" (Edwards 1743); "TAVRACO; regia avis, Edvv. I. p. 7. The Crown Bird from Mexico.  Albin II. 18. Rex Guineensis; Krohn-Vogel; nova dicitur avis.  Inter aviculas habemus regulos; quidem etiam haberemus regem? Edvvardo hæc avis apparet similis Picæ glandariæ; quod non dixerim; elegantissima est, rostro brevissimo, in capite condecorata plumis, qualibus se distinguunt Reguli africani. Albinus avem nec bene pinxit, nec recte descripsit, neque solum natale recte indigitavit; non enim mexicana est, sed guineensis, ex Africa septentrionali, versus regnum Congo, Capiti bonæ spei conterminum" (Klein 1750); "58. Rodzay V. Korończyk, (Tauraco,) szczegulnie tylko ten ieden iest gatunek. Ptak tu należący nadpospolicie pięknie się wydaie. Ma dziob krotki, i nosi na swey głowie takowe piora, iakich Afrykańscy Krolikowie zażywaią. Oyczyzną iego iest Gwinea, połnocna Afryka, i Krolestwo Kongo." (Kluk 1779); "Tauraco Kluk, Hist. [Historyi Naturalney], 2, 1779, p. 25. Type, by subsequent designation, Cuculus persa Linné. (Domaniewski, Acta Orn. Mus. Zool. Polon., 1, 1933, p. 26.)" (Peters 1940, IV, 3). 
Var. Touraco, Turaco.
Synon. Corythaix, Heuglinornis, Menelikornis, Neumannornis, Opoethus, Persa, Proturacopsis, Proturacus, Pseudogallirex, Pseudopoetus, Spelectoides, Spelectos, Turacus.

corythaix
Gr. κορυθαιξ koruthaix  with waving plumes, helmet-shaking  < κορυς korus, κορυθος koruthos  helmet; αισσω aissō  to move rapidly.
● ex “Touraco Louri” of Levaillant 1816, pl. 16 (Tauraco).

Corythaix
(Musophagidae; syn. Tauraco † Guinea Turaco T. persa) Gr. κορυθαιξ koruthaix  with waving plumes, helmet-shaking  < κορυς korus, κορυθος koruthos  helmet; αισσω aissō  to move quickly; "GENUS 6. CORYTHAIX (κορυθαιξ  galeae cristam movens)  Turacus Cuv.  Turaco La Cép. Dum.  (Trägvogel Germ.  Touraco Gall.)  ...  Species: Cuculus Persa Lin." (Illiger 1811); "Corythaix Illiger, 1811, Prodromus Systematis Mammalium et Avium, p. 202.  Type, by monotypy, Cuculus persa Linnaeus, 1758." (JAJ 2020).
Var. Corythrix (Gr. κορυς korus, κορυθος koruthos  helmet; θριξ thrix, τριχος trikhos  hair).

SUBSPECIES

Knysna Turaco (Northern)
SCI Name: Tauraco corythaix phoebus
phoebus
Gr. φοιβος phoibos  radiant, bright (an epithet of Apollo as the sun god).

Knysna Turaco (Southern)
SCI Name: Tauraco corythaix corythaix
corythaix
Gr. κορυθαιξ koruthaix  with waving plumes, helmet-shaking  < κορυς korus, κορυθος koruthos  helmet; αισσω aissō  to move rapidly.
● ex “Touraco Louri” of Levaillant 1816, pl. 16 (Tauraco).