Red-tailed Ant-Thrush

SCI Name:  Neocossyphus rufus
Protonym:  Pseudocossyphus rufus J.Orn. 32 p.58
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Turdidae / Neocossyphus
Taxonomy Code:  rtathr1
Type Locality:  Pangani.
Author:  Fischer & Reichenow
Publish Year:  1884
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

NEOCOSSYPHUS
(Turdidae; Ϯ Red-tailed Ant Thrush N. rufus) Gr. νεος neos new, strange; κοσσυφος kossuphos  blackbird, thrush (cf. genus Cossypha Vigors, 1825, robin chat); "5. Neocossyphus rufus, sp. n. Fschr. et Rchn.  Neocossyphus n. g. Fschr. et Rchw.  Diese neue Gattung gehört zur Unterfamilie der Turdinæ und schliesst sich nahe an die Gattung Turdus L. an, unterscheidet sich von letzterer aber in folgenden Punkten: Der Schnabel ist flacher und an der Basis viel breiter. Der Flügel ist runder, 3-5. oder 4-6. Schwinge am längsten, 2. gleich 7. oder 8., 1. länger als die Handdecken, aber viel kürzer als die Hälfte der zweiten. Die Vordertafeln des Laufes sind verwachsen, aber nur theilweise zu einer glatten Stiefelschiene; namentlich am unteren Ende bleiben die Ränder der einzelnen Tafeln noch deutlich.  Typus: Pseudocossyphus rufus, Fschr. et Rchw." (Fischer & Reichenow 1884).

rufum / rufus
L. rufus  red, ruddy, rufous. In ornithology rufus, rufa and rufum cover a wide spectrum of colours from yellow, orange and brown to crimson, scarlet and purple.
● ex “Red-legg’d Partridge from Barbary” of Edwards 1743-1751 (syn. Alectoris rufa).
● ex “Crapaud-Volant” or “Tête-chêvre de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 735, and “Engoulevent roux de Cayenne” of de Buffon 1770-1785 (Antrostomus).
● ex “Batara roxo” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 218 (Casiornis).
● ex “Pic roux de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 694, fig. 1, and “Rufous Woodpecker” of Latham 1782 (syn. Celeus undatus).
● ex “Coucal Rufin” of Levaillant 1807, pl. 221 (syn. Centropus benghalensis).
● ex “Fournier des Buenos Ayres” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 739, “Fournier” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Rufous Bee-eater” of Latham 1782 (Furnarius).
● ex “Gobe-mouche roux de Cayenne” (= ♀) of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 453, fig. 1 (Pachyramphus).
● ex “Merle roux de Cayenne” (= ♀) of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 644, fig. 1 (syn. Percnostola rufifrons).
● “I cannot see the slightest advantage to be gained by rejecting Bechstein’s name for the Chiffchaff on the ground that Boddaert’s Sylvia rufa may be the Whitethroat. It is obvious that Boddaert intended to designate a bird other than the Whitethroat by this name; and under no circumstances can the name of Phylloscopus rufa, Bechst., be confounded with any other bird than the one to which he applied it” (Seebohm 1881); “Bechstein’s name, used by both Seebohm and Saunders, and also in the 1^st edition [1883] of the List, really dates from his Gem. naturg. Deutsch. iv. 1795, p. 682, and is not an original description, but is founded on Gmelin’s Motacilla rufa. This is not a Phylloscopus, and the name cannot be used for the Chiffchaff” (BOU 1915) (syn. Phylloscopus collybita).
● ex “Caracterizado cañela corona de pizarra” (= ♀) of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 208 (Platypsaris).
● ex “Courly brun de l’isle de Luçon” of Sonnerat 1776 (syn. Plegadis falcinellus).
● ex “Ruff-necked Humming-bird” of Latham 1782, and “Ruffed Honey-sucker” of Pennant 1785 (Selasphorus).
● ex “Tangaroux de Cayenne” (= ♀) of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 711 (Tachyphonus).
● "95. TURDUS.  ...  rufus.  6. T. ferrugineus subtus dilutior maculatus, remigibus unicoloribus, cauda rotundata.  Turdus ruffus [sic]. Catesb. car. I. p. 28. t. 28.  Habitat in America septentrionali & meridionali." (Linnaeus 1758) (Toxostoma).
● ex “Yellow-belly’d Green Cuckow” of Edwards 1758, “Couroucou à queue rousse de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 736, and “Rufous Curucui” of Latham 1782 (Trogon).

SUBSPECIES

Red-tailed Ant-Thrush (Red-tailed)
SCI Name: Neocossyphus rufus gabunensis
gabun / gabunensis
Gaboon / Gabon.

Red-tailed Ant-Thrush (Coastal)
SCI Name: Neocossyphus rufus rufus
rufum / rufus
L. rufus  red, ruddy, rufous. In ornithology rufus, rufa and rufum cover a wide spectrum of colours from yellow, orange and brown to crimson, scarlet and purple.
● ex “Red-legg’d Partridge from Barbary” of Edwards 1743-1751 (syn. Alectoris rufa).
● ex “Crapaud-Volant” or “Tête-chêvre de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 735, and “Engoulevent roux de Cayenne” of de Buffon 1770-1785 (Antrostomus).
● ex “Batara roxo” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 218 (Casiornis).
● ex “Pic roux de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 694, fig. 1, and “Rufous Woodpecker” of Latham 1782 (syn. Celeus undatus).
● ex “Coucal Rufin” of Levaillant 1807, pl. 221 (syn. Centropus benghalensis).
● ex “Fournier des Buenos Ayres” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 739, “Fournier” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Rufous Bee-eater” of Latham 1782 (Furnarius).
● ex “Gobe-mouche roux de Cayenne” (= ♀) of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 453, fig. 1 (Pachyramphus).
● ex “Merle roux de Cayenne” (= ♀) of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 644, fig. 1 (syn. Percnostola rufifrons).
● “I cannot see the slightest advantage to be gained by rejecting Bechstein’s name for the Chiffchaff on the ground that Boddaert’s Sylvia rufa may be the Whitethroat. It is obvious that Boddaert intended to designate a bird other than the Whitethroat by this name; and under no circumstances can the name of Phylloscopus rufa, Bechst., be confounded with any other bird than the one to which he applied it” (Seebohm 1881); “Bechstein’s name, used by both Seebohm and Saunders, and also in the 1^st edition [1883] of the List, really dates from his Gem. naturg. Deutsch. iv. 1795, p. 682, and is not an original description, but is founded on Gmelin’s Motacilla rufa. This is not a Phylloscopus, and the name cannot be used for the Chiffchaff” (BOU 1915) (syn. Phylloscopus collybita).
● ex “Caracterizado cañela corona de pizarra” (= ♀) of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 208 (Platypsaris).
● ex “Courly brun de l’isle de Luçon” of Sonnerat 1776 (syn. Plegadis falcinellus).
● ex “Ruff-necked Humming-bird” of Latham 1782, and “Ruffed Honey-sucker” of Pennant 1785 (Selasphorus).
● ex “Tangaroux de Cayenne” (= ♀) of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 711 (Tachyphonus).
● "95. TURDUS.  ...  rufus.  6. T. ferrugineus subtus dilutior maculatus, remigibus unicoloribus, cauda rotundata.  Turdus ruffus [sic]. Catesb. car. I. p. 28. t. 28.  Habitat in America septentrionali & meridionali." (Linnaeus 1758) (Toxostoma).
● ex “Yellow-belly’d Green Cuckow” of Edwards 1758, “Couroucou à queue rousse de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 736, and “Rufous Curucui” of Latham 1782 (Trogon).