Magellanic Tapaculo

SCI Name:  Scytalopus magellanicus
Protonym:  Motacilla magellanica Syst.Nat. 1 pt2 p.979
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Rhinocryptidae / Scytalopus
Taxonomy Code:  magtap1
Type Locality:  Tierra del Fuego.
Author:  Gmelin, JF
Publish Year:  1789
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

SCYTALOPUS
(Rhinocryptidae; Ϯ Dusky Tapaculo S. fuscus) Gr. σκυταλη skutalē or σκυταλον skutalon  stick, cudgel; πους pous, ποδος podos  foot; "Mr. Gould also proposed a new genus in the group of Wrens, under the name of Scytalopus, and which he characterized as follows:  Genus SCYTALOPUS.  Rostrum capite brevius, compressum, obtusum leviter recurvum.  Nares basales, membrana tectæ.  Alæ concavæ, breves, rotundatæ, remige prima abbreviata, tertia, quarta, quinta et sexta æqualibus.  Cauda brevis, rotundata, (pennis externis brevissimis,) laxa.  Tarsi elongati, atque robusti, antrorsum scutellis tecti; posterius fasciis angustis cincti, squamis serpentum abdominalibus, haud dissimilibus; halluce elongato et robusto; ungue elongato; digitum anteriorum, medio elongato et gracili.    SCYTALOPUS FUSCUS.   ...   Hab. in Fretu Magellanico, Chili, &c.  Hoc genus ad illud in quo Troglodytes veræ amplectuntur maximam affinitatem demonstrat.     SCYTALOPUS ALBOGULARIS.  ...  Hab. in Brasilia." (Gould 1837); "The general contour of form is that of Troglodytes  ...  the tail is even shorter than in that genus, and consists of decomposed feathers, the whole has a rugged and disunited appearance; and lastly, the tarsi have their posterior aspect regularly banded with narrow scales, instead of having one or two continuous laminæ on that part.  ...  Tarsi long and stout, the forepart covered with large scutellæ; the hind part bound round with narrow scales, like the abdominal scales of snakes; hind toe long and rather stout, claw long; middle toe long and slender, and with the other two fore toes furnished with fine nails." (Gould 1851); "Scytalopus Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, pt. 4, 1836 (1837), p. 89. Type, by subsequent designation, Sylvia Magellanicus (Lath.) = Motacilla magellanica Gmelin (G. R. Gray, List Gen. Bds., 1840, p. 19)." (Peters 1951, VII, 283) (see Myornis).
Var. Scytolopus.
Synon. Agathopus, Sylviaxis.

magellani / magellanica / magellanicus
Straits of Magellan (named after the Portuguese explorer Fernão de Magalhães (1480-1521), whose Spanish sponsored expedition 1519-1522 was the first circumnavigation of the Earth). In ornithology this toponym includes Tierra del Fuego and associated islands.
● ex “Jacurutu” of Marcgrave 1648, and “Hibou des Terres Magellaniques” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (Bubo).
● ex “Oie des Terres Magellaniques” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 1006, and de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Magellanic Goose” of Latham 1785 (syn. Chloephaga picta).
● ex “Magellanic Shag” of Latham 1785 (Phalacrocorax).
● ex “Magellanic Warbler” (= ☼) of Latham 1783 (Scytalopus).
● Erroneous TL. Southern America and vicinity of Straits of Magellan (= Buenos Aires, Argentina); ex “Gafarron” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 134 (Spinus).