New Caledonian Whistler

SCI Name:  Pachycephala caledonica
Protonym:  Muscicapa caledonica Syst.Nat. 1 pt2 p.944
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Pachycephalidae / Pachycephala
Taxonomy Code:  necwhi3
Type Locality:  New Caledonia [= Olive Flycatcher of Latham, 1783, Gen. Synop. Birds, 2, pt. 1, p. 342, no. 35].
Author:  Gmelin, JF
Publish Year:  1789
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

PACHYCEPHALA
(Pachycephalidae; Ϯ Golden Whistler P. pectoralis) Gr. παχυς pakhus  large, thick; κεφαλη kephalē  head; from the appearance of their large rounded heads the Indomalayan and Australasian whistlers were formerly known as 'thickheads'; "The interval betweeen the present groups and those of the Pari, where we entered on the family [Pipridæ], appears to be filled up by a race of birds peculiar to New Holland, and hitherto uncharacterized, of which the Muscicapa pectoralis, Lath. is the type*. These, uniting many external characters, at least, both of the Berry-Eaters and Flycatchers, exhibit also in general appearance a considerable resemblance to the Pari, and will be found, I conjecture, to be the connecting bond between all these groups.  ...  * Mr. Swainson has lately formed this group into a genus by the name of Pachycephala.  Nov. 1824." (Vigors 1825); "Genus. PACHYCEPHALA*. Swains. MSS.  ... Caput tumidiusculum.  ...  In their general appearance some of the species exhibit a resemblance to the birds of the genus Procnias, Ill., while by the puffed-out appearance of the feathers about the head, we trace an approximation to some of the Linnean Pari.  ...  * παχυς crassus, and κεφαλη caput" (Vigors & Horsfield 1827). 
Var. Pachycephalus. 
Synon. Alisterornis, Gilbertornis, Hylocharis, Hyloterpe, Lewinornis, Malacolestes, Mattingleya, Musciterpe, Muscitrea, Mutevodia, Pachycilodryas, Psaltricephus, Pucherania, Timixos.

caledonica / caledonicus
New Caledonia, sighted by Captain Cook in 1774, and so named because its forested and mountainous aspect reminded him of Scotland (L. Caledonia  highlands of Scotland).
● ex “New-Caledonian Crow” of Latham 1781 (Coracina).
● ex “Caledonian Night-Heron” of Latham 1785 (Nycticorax).
● ex “Olive Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (Pachycephala).
● Erroneous TL. New Caledonia (= Tasmania); ex “Caledonian Parrot” of Latham 1781 (Platycercus).
● Erroneous TL. New Caledonia (= Buton I., Celebes); ex “Caledonian Crow” of Latham 1801 (syn. Streptocitta albicollis).