Rodrigues Night-Heron

SCI Name:  Nycticorax megacephalus
Protonym:  Ardea megacephala Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Cinquième Série, Zoologie et Paléontologie 19(3) 31-Jan
Taxonomy:  Pelecaniformes / Ardeidae / Nycticorax
Taxonomy Code:  rodnih1
Type Locality:  
Author:  Milne-Edwards
Publish Year:  1874
IUCN Status:  Extinct

DEFINITIONS

NYCTICORAX
(Ardeidae; Ϯ Black-crowned Night Heron N. nycticorax) Specific name Ardea nycticorax Linnaeus, 1758; "153. NYCTICORAX INFAVSTVS.  THE NIGHT RAVEN." (T. Forster 1817); "Nycticorax T. Forster, Synopt. Cat. Brit. Bds., 1817, p. 59. Type, by tautonymy and monotypy, Nycticorax infaustus Forster = Ardea nycticorax Linné." (Peters 1931, I, 114) (see nycticorax).
Var. Nicticorax, Nigricorax (L. niger black).
Synon. Maridus, Megaphoyx, Nycterodius, Nyctiardea, Scotaeus.

nycticorax
L. nycticorax, nycticoracis  unknown bird, probably an owl  < Gr. νυκτικοραξ nuktikorax, νυκτικορακος nuktikorakos  bird of evil omen mentioned by Aristotle, Hesychius and other authors, probably a sort of owl, but long associated with the night heron  < νυξ nux, νυκτος  nuktos night; κοραξ korax, κορακος korakos  raven  < κρωζω krōzō  to croak; “The Germans call it, Nacht rab, that is, Night-raven, and under that title it is figured and described by Gesner ...  It is called Night-Raven, because in the night time it cries with an uncouth voice, like one that were straining to vomit” (Ray 1678); "76. ARDEA.  ...  Nycticorax.  9. A. crista occipitis tripenni dependente, dorso nigro, abdomine flavescente.  Nycticorax. Gesn. av. 628. Aldr. orn. l. 19. c. 57. p. 272.  Ardea cinerea minor. Will. orn. 204. t. 49. Raj. av. 99. n. 3. Mars. danub. 5. t. 3. Alb. av. 2. p. 62. t. 67. Aldr. orn. l. 20. c. 10.  Habitat in Europa australi.  Frons alba circum rostrum. Dorsum nigrum, abdomen album. Pennæ cristæ 3, teretiusculæ, albæ, ad medium dorsi dependentes." (Linnaeus 1758) (Nycticorax).

megacephalus
Gr. μεγας megas  great; -κεφαλος -kephalos  -headed  < κεφαλη kephalē  head.
● ex “Great-headed Goatsucker” of Latham 1801 (syn. Podargus strigoides).

Megacephalus
(syn. Notharchus Ϯ Buff-bellied Puffbird N. swainsoni) Gr. μεγας megas  great; -κεφαλος -kephalos  -headed  < κευαλη kephalē  head; "Megacephalus bitorquatus W.Bertoni (gen. n.)  ...  Es ave singular, que participa de varias familias, y se aparta de todas, por su enorme cabeza y pico" (Bertoni 1901); "Megacephalus W. Bertoni, An. Cient. Paraguayos (1), no. 1, 1901, p. 39. Type, by monotypy, Megacephalus bitorquatus W. Bertoni = Bucco swainsoni G. R. Gray. Not Megacephalus Fitzinger, 1843." (Peters 1948, VI, 10).