Pheasant Pigeon

SCI Name:  Otidiphaps nobilis
Protonym:  Otidiphaps nobilis Ann.Mag.Nat.Hist.(4), 5 p.62
Taxonomy:  Columbiformes / Columbidae / Otidiphaps
Taxonomy Code:  phepig1
Type Locality:  'Probably procured on some one of the islands of the Eastern Archipelago or in New Guinea.''
Author:  Gould
Publish Year:  1870
IUCN Status:  

DEFINITIONS

OTIDIPHAPS
(Columbidae; Ϯ Green-naped Pheasant Pigeon O. nobilis) Gr. ωτις ōtis, ωτιδος ōtidos  bustard; φαψ phaps, φαβος phabos  pigeon; "Genus OTIDIPHAPS, Gould.  Size large, equalling that of a wood-pigeon, Columba œnas; bill longer than the head, straight, and plover-like; wings short and round, armed with a spur at the shoulder; tail round and moderately long; tarsi very long for a pigeon, and with the toes covered with thick plate-like scales; nails somewhat straight and pointed; general structure adapted for the ground rather than for trees or for flight.  Otidiphaps nobilis, Gould.  ...  I obtained this fine bird of Mr. James Gardner of Holborn, who could not inform me of the precise locality in which it was collected; but as it was accompanied by Paradisea papuana, Epimachus maximus, many specimens of Semioptera Wallacei, and Pitta maxima, it was probably procured on some one of the islands of the Eastern Archipelgo or in New Guinea.  Although the bill is not toothed, this species appears to be allied to Didunculus." (Gould 1870); "Otidiphaps Gould, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. (4), 5, 1870, p. 62. Type, by monotypy, Otidiphaps nobilis Gould." (Peters 1937, III, 138).

nobilis
L. nobilis  admirable, famous, renowned, noble, high-born, nobleman  < noscere  to acknowledge.
● "44. PSITTACUS.  ...  nobilis.  4. P. macrourus viridis, genis nudis, humeris coccineis. Mus. Ad. Fr. 2. p.  Psittacus viridis, alarum costa superne rubente. Aldr. orn. l. 11. c. 5. Raj. av. 30, 181. Sloan. jam. 2. p. 297.  Psittacus mediae magnitudinis. Will. orn. 112. t. 16.  Habitat in America meridionali." (Linnaeus 1758) (Diopsittaca).
● “The yellow tufts of costal feathers on this beautiful bird, furnished the material for the splendid and costly royal robes, capes, and “lei’s,” or head-dresses of the Hawaiians in former days. The bunches of feathers called hulu... are still prepared and received in payment of a poll tax to the King; they are afterwards made up principally in “lei’s”, or head-bands worn by the ladies, and are beautiful but costly ornaments; but few can afford to wear them. The mantles made of these feathers, were, until lately, considered the principal treasures of the crown; now they are not to be seen; the labour of collecting the feathers and attaching them to a network base – a labour of years – being too great” (Peale 1848) (‡Moho).
● “Its large size and the great development of the feathers of its crown and beard render it a remarkable bird to look at; and the admirable way in which the original skins were prepared justify the large price of twenty pounds which I had to pay for my first specimen” (Gould 1880-1887) (Oreonympha). 
● Adolf Friedrich Albrecht Heinrich Herzog zu Mecklenburg (1873-1969) German naturalist, collector, explorer in tropical Africa 1907-1911, Gov. of Togoland 1912-1914 (Michel Rieser & Laurent Raty in litt.) (Pternistis).

SUBSPECIES

Pheasant Pigeon (Green-naped)
SCI Name: Otidiphaps nobilis nobilis
nobilis
L. nobilis  admirable, famous, renowned, noble, high-born, nobleman  < noscere  to acknowledge.
● "44. PSITTACUS.  ...  nobilis.  4. P. macrourus viridis, genis nudis, humeris coccineis. Mus. Ad. Fr. 2. p.  Psittacus viridis, alarum costa superne rubente. Aldr. orn. l. 11. c. 5. Raj. av. 30, 181. Sloan. jam. 2. p. 297.  Psittacus mediae magnitudinis. Will. orn. 112. t. 16.  Habitat in America meridionali." (Linnaeus 1758) (Diopsittaca).
● “The yellow tufts of costal feathers on this beautiful bird, furnished the material for the splendid and costly royal robes, capes, and “lei’s,” or head-dresses of the Hawaiians in former days. The bunches of feathers called hulu... are still prepared and received in payment of a poll tax to the King; they are afterwards made up principally in “lei’s”, or head-bands worn by the ladies, and are beautiful but costly ornaments; but few can afford to wear them. The mantles made of these feathers, were, until lately, considered the principal treasures of the crown; now they are not to be seen; the labour of collecting the feathers and attaching them to a network base – a labour of years – being too great” (Peale 1848) (‡Moho).
● “Its large size and the great development of the feathers of its crown and beard render it a remarkable bird to look at; and the admirable way in which the original skins were prepared justify the large price of twenty pounds which I had to pay for my first specimen” (Gould 1880-1887) (Oreonympha). 
● Adolf Friedrich Albrecht Heinrich Herzog zu Mecklenburg (1873-1969) German naturalist, collector, explorer in tropical Africa 1907-1911, Gov. of Togoland 1912-1914 (Michel Rieser & Laurent Raty in litt.) (Pternistis).

Pheasant Pigeon (White-naped)
SCI Name: Otidiphaps nobilis aruensis
aruense / aruensis
Aru Is., Moluccas, Indonesia.

Pheasant Pigeon (Gray-naped)
SCI Name: Otidiphaps nobilis cervicalis
cervicalis
L. cervicalis  cervical, of the neck  < cervix, cervicis  neck.
● ex “Red-naped Parrakeet” of Latham 1787 (artefact).
● See: cervina (subsp. Dacelo leachii).

Pheasant Pigeon (Black-naped)
SCI Name: Otidiphaps nobilis insularis
insularis
L. insularis  of an island  < insula, insulae  island.
● Ceylon (= Sri Lanka) (syn. Accipiter badius, subsp. Chloropsis aurifrons, subsp. Dicrurus caerulescens, subsp. Prinia inornata).
● New Caledonia (syn. Accipiter fasciatus vigilax).
● Phu-Quoc I., Cochin China (=Vietnam) (subsp. Aethopyga siparaja).
● Andaman Is., Bay of Bengal (subsp. Amaurornis phoenicurus).
● Bahrain, Arabian Gulf (subsp. Ammomanes deserti)
● Erroneous TL. Madagascar (= Zanzibar) (subsp. Andropadus importunus).
● Santa Cruz I., Channel Is., California, USA (subsp. Aphelocoma californica, subsp. Eremophila alpestris).
● Rennell I., Solomon Is. (Aplonis).
● Jobi I. (= Japen = Yapen), New Guinea (Arses, subsp. Pachycephalopsis hattamensis).
● Sardinia (Bubo).
● Fernando Póo (= Bioko), Gulf of Guinea (syn. Campethera tullbergi, syn. Cinnyris chloropygius).
● Isla Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico (syn. Cathartes aura, subsp. Cyclarhis gujanensis).
● Aldabra, Indian Ocean (subsp. Centropus toulou).
● Sardinia (syn. Coccothraustes coccothraustes).
● Grand Cayman, Caribbean Sea (subsp. Columbina passerina).
● New Britain, Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea (Corvus).
● Formosa/Taiwan (subsp. Dendrocopos leucotos, Myophonus, syn. Garrulus bispecularis).
● Borneo (syn. Dicrurus paradiseus).
● Nicobar Is., Bay of Bengal (syn. Ducula aenea nicobarica).
● Corsica (syn. Emberiza calandra, syn. Saxicola rubicola).
● Socotra (subsp. Emberiza tahapisi, Passer).
● Weda Is., Halmahera, Indonesia (syn. Eos squamata).
● Tres Marías Is., Nayarit, Mexico (Forpus, subsp. Myadestes occidentalis, subsp. Nyctidromus albicollis, subsp. Pachyramphus aglaiae, subsp. Setophaga pitiayumi, syn. Zenaida asiatica).
● Lord Howe I., Tasman Sea (syn. Fregetta grallaria, ‡Gerygone).
● Rottnest I., Western Australia (syn. Gavicalis virescens).
● Meco I., Quintana Roo, Mexico (subsp. Habia fuscicauda).
● Ship I., off Gulfport, Mississippi, USA (syn. Hirundo rustica erythrogaster).
● Tobago (Hylophilus, subsp. Platyrinchus mystaceus, subsp. Psarocolius decumanus).
● Isla Guadalupe, Baja California, Mexico (Junco).
● Isla Margarita, Venezuela (syn. Leptotila verreauxi,  subsp. Quiscalus lugubris).
● New Providence, Bahamas (sym. Leuconotopicus villosus maynardi).
● King I., Bass Strait, Australia (syn. Melithreptus brevirostris).
● Kangean Is., Java Sea, Indonesia (subsp. Oriolus chinensis).
● Fergusson I., D'Entrecasteaux Is., Papua New Guinea (Otidiphaps).
● Mahé I., Seychelles (Otus).
● Kodiak I., Alaska, USA (subsp. Passerella unalaschcensis).
● Honshu, Japan (subsp. Periparus ater).
● Stewart I., New Zealand (syn. Poodytes punctatus).
● Henderson I., Pitcairn Group, Pacific Ocean (Ptilinopus).
● Naochow I., Kwangtung, China (syn. Pycnonotus aurigaster resurrectus).
● Banggai I., North Borneo (syn. Pycnonotus plumosus hachisukae).
● Madagascar (Sarothrura, subsp. Thalassornis leuconotus).
● Forsyth I., Bass Strait, Australia (syn. Sericornis frontalis).
● Grand Bahama I., Bahamas (Sitta).
● Trinidad (syn. Sporophila intermedia).
● Nias I., Sumatra (subsp. Terpsiphone affinis).
● Terangan I., Aru Is., Indonesia (syn. Todiramphus macleayii).
● Isla Socorro, Colima, Mexico (syn. Troglodytes sissonii).
● Erroneous TL. São Vicente, Cape Verde Is. (= St. Vincent, West Indies) (subsp. Tyto glaucops).
● Vancouver I., British Columbia, Canada (syn. Vireo huttoni).
● Stephens I., Cook Strait, New Zealand (‡syn. Xenicus lyalli).
● Curaçao, Dutch Antilles (subsp. Zonotrichia capensis).
● Tanegashima, south of Kyushu, Japan (subsp. Zosterops japonicus).