New Zealand Fantail

SCI Name:  Rhipidura fuliginosa
Protonym:  Muscicapa fuliginosa Mus.Carls. fasc.2 no.xlvii pl.
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Rhipiduridae / Rhipidura
Taxonomy Code:  nezfan1
Type Locality:  'In Deserto Africano inter rivulum Heuj et Fontem Quamedacka'' = South Island, New Zealand.
Author:  Sparrman
Publish Year:  1787
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

RHIPIDURA
(Rhipiduridae; Ϯ New Zealand Fantail R. fuliginosa) Gr. ῥιπις rhipis, ῥιπιδος rhipidos  fan; ουρα oura  tail; “Fan-tailed Fly-catcher  ... flies always with its tail spread in shape of a fan.” (Latham 1783); "Genus. RHIPIDURA*.  Rostrum breve, depressum, basi latum, apice compressum, culmine arcuato; mandibula superiore apice emarginata; naribus basalibus, ovalibus, setis plumulisque fere obtectis; rictu vibrissis confertis mandibulas longitudine fere superantibus instructo.  Alæ mediocres, subacuminatæ; remige prima brevissima, secunda duplo longiore, tertia et quarta, quæ est longissima, gradatim longioribus.  Cauda elongata, patula, apice rotundata.  Pedes mediocres, graciles, acrotarsiis paratarsiisque integris.  This group may be at once recognised as offering strong marks of distinction from the true Muscicapa in the fan-like structure of the tail.   ...   *'Pιπις flabellum, and ουρα cauda.   ...   1. FLABELLIFERA. ...  Muscicapa flabellifera. Gmel. i. 943. no. 67.  Fan-tailed Flycatcher. Lath. Gen. Hist. vi. p. 184. no. 44. pl. 99.  ...  Fantail.—There is something singular in the habits of this bird. It frequents the small trees and bushes, from whence it suddenly darts at its prey, spreading out its tail like a fan, and to appearance turning over like a tumbler Pigeon, and then immediately returning to the same twig or bough from whence it sprang.   ...   2. MOTACILLOIDES.  ...  It bears a great resemblance to the description of Dr. Latham's Motacilla atricapilla, or the Black-topped Flycatcher of his "General History," but differs in the colour of the bill, back and throat.   ...   3. RUFIFRONS.  ...  Muscicapa rufifrons. Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp. p. 1. no. 5.  Rufous-fronted Flycatcher.  Id. Gen. Hist. vi. p. 213. no. 95." (Vigors & Horsfield 1827); "Rhipidura Vigors and Horsfield, 1827, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 15, p. 246. Type, by subsequent designation (G. R. Gray, 1840, List Gen. Birds, p. 32), Muscicapa flabellifera Gmelin [= Muscicapa fuliginosa Sparrman]." (Mayr in Peters 1986, XI, 530).
Var. Ripidura, Rhipadura, Rhissidura.
Synon. Cyanonympha, Howeavis, Leucocirca, Muscylva, Neomyias, Rhipidicidura, Ripidicala, Rupicula, Sauloprocta, Setosura.

rhipidura / rhipidurus
Gr. ῥιπις rhipis, ῥιπιδος rhipidos  fan; -ουρος -ouros  -tailed  < ουρα oura  tail.

fuliginosa / fuliginosum / fuliginosus
Late L. fuliginosus  sooty, covered with soot  < L. fuligo, fuliginis  soot.
● ex “Soui-manga carmelite” of Audebert & Vieillot 1802 (Chalcomitra).
● ex “Grimpar Enfumé” of Levaillant 1807, pl. 28 (Dendrocincla).
● ex “Sooty Petrel” of Latham 1785 (Nesofregetta).
● ex “Sooty or Brown Albatros” of Latham 1785 (syn. Phoebetria palpebrata).
● ex “Hirondelle de Mer à grande envergure” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Sooty Tern”, “Simple Tern, var. A” and “Dusky Tern” of Latham 1785 (syn. Onychoprion fuscatus).
● ex “Gobe-mouche brun de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 574, fig. 1, and “Brown Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (unident.; has been linked with Cnemotriccus fuscatus and with Contopus cinereus).

SUBSPECIES

New Zealand Fantail (fuliginosa)
SCI Name: Rhipidura fuliginosa fuliginosa
fuliginosa / fuliginosum / fuliginosus
Late L. fuliginosus  sooty, covered with soot  < L. fuligo, fuliginis  soot.
● ex “Soui-manga carmelite” of Audebert & Vieillot 1802 (Chalcomitra).
● ex “Grimpar Enfumé” of Levaillant 1807, pl. 28 (Dendrocincla).
● ex “Sooty Petrel” of Latham 1785 (Nesofregetta).
● ex “Sooty or Brown Albatros” of Latham 1785 (syn. Phoebetria palpebrata).
● ex “Hirondelle de Mer à grande envergure” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Sooty Tern”, “Simple Tern, var. A” and “Dusky Tern” of Latham 1785 (syn. Onychoprion fuscatus).
● ex “Gobe-mouche brun de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 574, fig. 1, and “Brown Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (unident.; has been linked with Cnemotriccus fuscatus and with Contopus cinereus).

New Zealand Fantail (placabilis)
SCI Name: Rhipidura fuliginosa placabilis
placabilis
L. placabilis appeasing, placable < placare to calm.

New Zealand Fantail (penita)
SCI Name: Rhipidura fuliginosa penita
penita / penitus
L. penitus  having a tail  < penis  tail.

New Zealand Fantail (cervina)
SCI Name: Rhipidura fuliginosa cervina
cervina
L. cervinus pertaining to a stag, stag-coloured < cervus stag.