Red-headed Bluebill

SCI Name:  Spermophaga ruficapilla
Protonym:  Spermospiza ruficapilla Proc.Zool.Soc.London Pt1 p.30
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Estrildidae / Spermophaga
Taxonomy Code:  rehblu1
Type Locality:  Bellima, upper Uele district.
Author:  Shelley
Publish Year:  1888
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

SPERMOPHAGA
(Estrildidae; Ϯ Western Bluebill S. haematina) Gr. σπερμα sperma,  σπερματος spermatos  seed  < σπειρω speirō  to scatter; -φαγος -phagos -eating  
< φαγειν phagein  to eat; "BLUE BILLED NUT CRACKER.  Spermophaga cyanorynchus, SWAINS.  ...  Loxia hæmatina, Vieillot, Ois. Chant. Pl. 67.— Loxia guttata, ib. 68.  ALTHOUGH the two birds we shall now describe under the above name have been considered different species, we strongly suspect they will turn out to be sexes of only one. Their size and proportions are precisely the same, while the very remarkable colour of the bill, exactly alike in both, still further  strengthens this belief.   ...   The colouring is simple,— that of the bill is very peculiar in some lights; at a distance it appears almost black; when viewed more closely, however,  it becomes of the darkest indigo-blue, but with reflections of a much lighter colour, nearly resembling ultramarine, the tips being rich orange." (Swainson 1837 (Nat. Hist Bds. Western Africa)); "Spermophaga, Sw.   Bill moderate, conic, but rather lengthened; upper mandible thicker than the under; the tip entire; the commissure sinuated. Wings and tail much rounded; the first quill fully developed, but only half as long as the fifth.   Africa.  S. cyanorynchus. West. Af. i. 164.  Vieil. Ois. Chant. pl. 67, 68." (Swainson 1837 (Nat. Hist. Classification Bds.)); "Spermophaga Swainson, 1837, Birds W. Africa, 1, p. 164. Type, by monotypy, Spermophaga cyanorynchus Swainson = Loxia haematina Vieillot." (Traylor in Peters 1968, XIV, 321).
Synon. Spermospiza.

ruficapilla / ruficapillum / ruficapillus
L. rufus  red, ruddy, rufous; -capillus  -capped  < capillus  hair of the head.
● ex “Tutu” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 52, and “Motmot Oranroux” of Levaillant 1806 < French orange orange; roux red (Baryphthengus).
● ex “Tordo del corona de canela” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 72 (Chrysomus).
● ex “Rousse-Tête” of Levaillant 1803, pl. 124 (syn. Cisticola fulvicapillus).
● ex “Ficedula martinicana” of Brisson 1760, “Figuier à tête rousse” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Bloody-side Warbler” of Latham 1783 and Pennant 1785 (subsp. Dendroica petechia).
● ex “Tachurí corona de canela” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 164 (syn. Euscarthmus meloryphus).
● ex “Suirirí cabeza y rabadilla de canela” (= ♀) of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 178 (syn. Knipolegus cyanirostris).
● ex “Guêpier Rousse Tête” or “Guêpier Bonelli” of Levaillant 1814, pl. 19 (syn. Merops superciliosus).
● ex “Ortolan de la Louisiane” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 158, fig. 1 (syn. Zonotrichia leucophrys).

SUBSPECIES

Red-headed Bluebill (ruficapilla)
SCI Name: Spermophaga ruficapilla ruficapilla
ruficapilla / ruficapillum / ruficapillus
L. rufus  red, ruddy, rufous; -capillus  -capped  < capillus  hair of the head.
● ex “Tutu” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 52, and “Motmot Oranroux” of Levaillant 1806 < French orange orange; roux red (Baryphthengus).
● ex “Tordo del corona de canela” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 72 (Chrysomus).
● ex “Rousse-Tête” of Levaillant 1803, pl. 124 (syn. Cisticola fulvicapillus).
● ex “Ficedula martinicana” of Brisson 1760, “Figuier à tête rousse” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Bloody-side Warbler” of Latham 1783 and Pennant 1785 (subsp. Dendroica petechia).
● ex “Tachurí corona de canela” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 164 (syn. Euscarthmus meloryphus).
● ex “Suirirí cabeza y rabadilla de canela” (= ♀) of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 178 (syn. Knipolegus cyanirostris).
● ex “Guêpier Rousse Tête” or “Guêpier Bonelli” of Levaillant 1814, pl. 19 (syn. Merops superciliosus).
● ex “Ortolan de la Louisiane” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 158, fig. 1 (syn. Zonotrichia leucophrys).

Red-headed Bluebill (cana)
SCI Name: Spermophaga ruficapilla cana
cana
L. canus grey, hoary.
● ex “Echenilleur Gris” of Levaillant 1805, pll. 162, 163 (syn. Coracina caesia).
● ex “Muscicapa madagascariensis cinerea major” of Brisson 1760, “Grand Gobe-mouche cendré de Madagascar” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 541, “Kinki-manou de Madagascar” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Ash-coloured Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (syn. Coracina cinerea).
● ex “Ash-coloured Heron” of Pennant 1787 (syn. Nycticorax nycticorax).
● ex “Figuier cendré à gorge cendrée” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Grey-throated Warbler” of Latham 1783 and Pennant 1785 (syn. Polioptila caerulea).
● ex “Héoro-taire gris” of Audebert & Vieillot 1802 (?syn. Ptilotula fusca).
● ex “Grey-headed Duck” of Brown 1776, “Oie sauvage à tête grise de la côte de Coromandel” of Sonnerat 1782, and “Grey-headed Goose” of Latham 1785 (Tadorna).
● "96. LOXIA.  ...  cana.  27. L. cana, remigibus rectricibusque fuscis, pedibus rubris.  Linaria cinerea orientalis. Edw. av. 179. t. 179. f. 1.  Habitat in Asia.  Margines rectricum & oris regio albida." (Linnaeus 1758) (unident.).