Large Scimitar-Babbler

SCI Name:  Megapomatorhinus hypoleucos
Protonym:  O[rthorhinus]. hypoleucos J.Asiat.Soc.Bengal 13 p.371
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Timaliidae / Megapomatorhinus
Taxonomy Code:  lasbab1
Type Locality:  Arakan, Lower Burma.
Author:  Blyth
Publish Year:  1844
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

Megapomatorhinus
(syn. Erythrogenys; Ϯ Large Scimitar-babbler E. hypoleucos) Gr. μεγας megas, μεγαλη megalē  great; genus Pomatorhinus Horsfield, 1821, scimitar-babbler; "Megapomatorhinus ([Pomatorhinus]) hypoleucos, erythrocnemis, erythrogenys, swinhoei)   ...   Megapomatorhinus.— Among the genus names used in the past for the group/members of the group now newly separated from Pomatorhinus based on molecular-genetic markers, none is available according to the Code (ICZN 1999): Orthorhinus Blyth 1844: 124 is preoccupied by Orthorhinus Schönherr 1825, Coleoptera; Erythrogenys E. C. S. Baker 1930, is preoccupied by Erythrogenys Brandt 1841, itself a nomen emendatum of Gould's Erythrogonys. Hodgson's (1836, Asiatic Researches vol. 20: p. 180) use of the name Erythrogenys is without a proper genus description and the original description in the paper refers to a new species only; thus also this name is not available. We therefore formally establish here Megapomatorhinus gen. nov., diagnosed by its general appearance and proportions like Pomatorhinus babblers but generally larger, and in adult birds a curved bill roughly as long as the head, upperparts olive brown to brown, white underparts gradually becoming rusty or brown toward the vent, on breast and/or on flanks striped/dotted light to dark brown/umber, white supercilium lacking or, if present, thin and not reaching distally in front of the eyes, sexes alike; the type species is Orthorhinus hypoleucos Blyth 1844.  ...  The name acknowledges the similarity to species of Pomatorhinus, but also the large, heavy-bodied, and large-billed nature of species in the named genus." (Moyle et al. 2012); "Recently introduced name Megapomatorhinus is a synonym of Erythrogenys, although latter name was coined accidentally." (del Hoyo & Collar 2016).

hypoleucos / hypoleucum
Gr. ὑπο hupo  beneath; λευκος leukos  white (cf. ὑπολευκος hupoleukos  whitish).
● "78. TRINGA.  ...  Hypoleucos.  9. T. rostro lævi, pedibus lividis, corpore cinereo lituris nigris: subtus albo. Fn. svec. 147.  Tringa minor. Will. orn. 223. t. 35. Raj. av. 108.  Gallinula hypoleucos. Gesn. av. 509. Aldr. orn. 3. p. 469.  Habitat in Europa.” (Linnaeus 1758) (Actitis).

Hypoleucus
(Phalacrocoracidae; syn. Phalacrocorax † Pied Cormorant P. varius) Gr. ὑπο hupo  beneath; λευκος leukos  white (cf. specific name Carbo hypoleucos von Brandt, 1837 (= syn. Phalacrocorax fuscescens)); "Genera et Species typicae.  ...  b. *Hypoleucus Rchb.  varius (Pelic. — L. Gm.) Rchb.  Ic. Av. t. 63. ic. 474.  Rel. spec. ib. 872—73. 875—876. t. 60. ic. 2309—10." (Reichenbach 1853); "Hypoleucus Reichenbach, 1853, Avium Systema Naturale, p. VII.  Type, by original designation, Pelecanus varius J. Gmelin, 1789." (JAJ 2020).
Var. Hypoleucos.

SUBSPECIES

Large Scimitar-Babbler (hypoleucos)
SCI Name: Megapomatorhinus hypoleucos hypoleucos
hypoleucos / hypoleucum
Gr. ὑπο hupo  beneath; λευκος leukos  white (cf. ὑπολευκος hupoleukos  whitish).
● "78. TRINGA.  ...  Hypoleucos.  9. T. rostro lævi, pedibus lividis, corpore cinereo lituris nigris: subtus albo. Fn. svec. 147.  Tringa minor. Will. orn. 223. t. 35. Raj. av. 108.  Gallinula hypoleucos. Gesn. av. 509. Aldr. orn. 3. p. 469.  Habitat in Europa.” (Linnaeus 1758) (Actitis).

Large Scimitar-Babbler (tickelli)
SCI Name: Megapomatorhinus hypoleucos tickelli
tickelli
Col. Samuel Richard Tickell (1811-1875) British Army in India, Nepal and Burma, field ornithologist, artist (subsp. Arborophila rufogularis, subsp. Erythrogenys hypoleucos, subsp. Ixos mcclellandii, Ptilolaemus, Trichastoma).

Large Scimitar-Babbler (brevirostris)
SCI Name: Megapomatorhinus hypoleucos brevirostris
brevirostre / brevirostris
Mod. L. brevirostris  having a short beak  < L. brevis  short; -rostris  -billed  < rostrum  beak.

Large Scimitar-Babbler (wrayi)
SCI Name: Megapomatorhinus hypoleucos wrayi
wrayi
Leonard Wray, Jr. (1852-1942) British civil servant in Malaya, Director of Museums Federated Malay States 1905-1908 (subsp. Aethopyga saturata, subsp. Brachypteryx leucophris, subsp. Chrysophlegma flavinucha, subsp. Erythrogenys hypoleucos, subsp. Heterophasia picaoides, syn. Pericrocotus solaris montanus).

Large Scimitar-Babbler (hainanus)
SCI Name: Megapomatorhinus hypoleucos hainanus
hainana / hainanensis / hainanum / hainanus
Hainan I., China.