Racket-tipped Thorntail

SCI Name:  Discosura longicaudus
Protonym:  Trochilus longicaudus Syst.Nat. 1 pt1 p.498
Taxonomy:  Caprimulgiformes / Trochilidae / Discosura
Taxonomy Code:  ratcoq2
Type Locality:  No type locality; Cayenne designated by Berlepsch and Hartert, Nov. Zool., 9, 1902, p. 89.
Author:  Gmelin, JF
Publish Year:  1788
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

DISCOSURA
(Trochilidae; Ϯ Racquet-tailed Coquette D. longicauda) Gr. δισκος diskos  plate; ουρα oura  tail. "The tail above, greenish brown, beneath of reddish or yellowish white. The feathers, excepting the two outer ones, are pointed, and assume a slightly forked form. The two on the outside exceed the others by about half their own length, and the shafts commence to be entirely bare where they exceed the length of the others, and are finished by a nearly round tip of black plume in the form of a racket-board" (Jardine 1833); "*198. Discosura, Bp. (Platurus, p. Less. - Mellisuga, p. Gr.)  America m.  2.    1. TROCHILUS longicaudus, Gm. (platurus, Lath.) Vieill. Ois. dor. t. 60. - Less. Ois.-Mouch. t. 40.  ex Gujana.    2. TROCHILUS ligonicaudus, Gould, (Ocreatus! ligonicaudus, Gould.) Pr. Zool. Soc. 1846.  ex Brasil." (Bonaparte 1850); "Discosura Bonaparte, Consp. Av., 1, Mar., 1850, p. 84. Type, by subsequent designation, Trochilus longicaudus Gmelin. (G. R. Gray, Cat. Gen. Subgen. Bds., 1855, p. 22.)" (Peters, 1945, V, p. 35).   
Synon. Discura, Gouldia, Gouldomyia, Mytinia, Platurus, Popelairia, Prymnacantha, Tricholopha.

longicaudus / longicaudis
L. longus long; cauda tail.
● ex “Drongolon” of Levaillant 1805, pl. 174 (syn. Dicrurus macrocercus).
● ex “Oiseau-mouche à raquettes” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Racket-tailed Humming-bird” of Latham 1782 (Discosura).
● ex “Petit Figuier à longue queue de la Chine” of Sonnerat 1782, and “Long-tailed Warbler” of Latham 1783 (Orthotomus).
● ex “Blanchard” of Levaillant 1796, pl. 3 (= ☼) (syn. Stephanoaetus coronatus).
● ex “Stercoraire à longue queue” of Brisson 1760 (Stercorarius).