Pink-backed Pelican

SCI Name:  Pelecanus rufescens
Protonym:  Pelecanus rufescens Syst.Nat. 1 pt2 p.571
Taxonomy:  Pelecaniformes / Pelecanidae / Pelecanus
Taxonomy Code:  pibpel1
Type Locality:  West Africa.
Author:  Gmelin, JF
Publish Year:  1789
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

PELECANUS
(Pelecanidae; Ϯ Great White Pelican P. onocrotalus) Gr. πελεκαν pelekan, πελεκανος pelekanos  pelican; "66. PELECANUS.  Rostrum edentulum, rectum: apice adunco, unguiculato.  Nares lineares, obliteratæ.  Facies nudiuscula.  Pedes digitis omnibus quatuor simul palmatis." (Linnaeus 1758); "Pelecanus Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, p. 132. Type, by subsequent designation (G. R. Gray, 1840, List Gen. Birds, p. 80), Pelecanus onocrotalus Linnaeus." (Dorst & Mougin in Peters 1979, I, ed. 2, 188). Linnaeus's Pelecanus comprised five species (P. Onocrotalus, P. Aquilus, P. Carbo, P. Bassanus, P. Piscator).
Var. Pelicanus, Pilecanus, Pelecanis.
Synon. Alcatras, Catoptropelicanus, Cyrtopelicanus, Leptopelicanus, Metapelecanus, Neopelecanus, Onocrotalus, Sacrificator.
● (syn. Fregata Ϯ Ascension Frigatebird F. aquila) "197. PELICANUS.  Tail forked.  P. aquilus, or Frigatebird." (Fleming 1822).
● (syn. Platalea Ϯ Eurasian Spoonbill P. leucorodia) "60. LEPELAAR, PELIKAAN, in 't Latyn Pelecanus.  By den Heer LINNÆUS geplaatst onder de Eenden met den naam van Platea. Syst. Nat. geslacht 48" (Moehring 1758).

pelecanus
L. pelecanus  pelican  < Gr. πελεκαν pelekan, πελεκανος pelekanos  pelican.

rufescens
L. rufescens, rufescentis  reddish  < rufescere  to become reddish  < rufus  red.
● ex “Aigrette rousse de la Louisiane” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 902, “Aigrette rousse” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Reddish Egret” of Pennant 1785, and Latham 1785 (Egretta).
● ex “Gobe-mouche roux de Cayenne” (= ♀) of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 453, fig. 1, and de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Rufous Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (syn. Pachyramphus rufus).
● ex “Red-backed Pelican” of Latham 1785 (Pelecanus).
● ex Tringa fulicaria Linnaeus, 1758, and “Phalarope roussâtre” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Phalaropus fulicarius).
● ex “Ynambú guazú” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 326 (Rhynchotus).
● ex “Crombec” or “Figuier à Bec Courbi” of Levaillant 1803, pl. 135 (Sylvietta).