Rufous-tailed Fantail

SCI Name:  Rhipidura phoenicura
Protonym:  Rhipidura phoenicura Verh.Nat.Gesch.[Temminck] Land-Volk. pt6,7or8 p.185,note
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Rhipiduridae / Rhipidura
Taxonomy Code:  rutfan1
Type Locality:  Java.
Author:  Müller, S
Publish Year:  1843
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

RHIPIDURA
(Rhipiduridae; Ϯ New Zealand Fantail R. fuliginosa) Gr. ῥιπις rhipis, ῥιπιδος rhipidos  fan; ουρα oura  tail; “Fan-tailed Fly-catcher  ... flies always with its tail spread in shape of a fan.” (Latham 1783); "Genus. RHIPIDURA*.  Rostrum breve, depressum, basi latum, apice compressum, culmine arcuato; mandibula superiore apice emarginata; naribus basalibus, ovalibus, setis plumulisque fere obtectis; rictu vibrissis confertis mandibulas longitudine fere superantibus instructo.  Alæ mediocres, subacuminatæ; remige prima brevissima, secunda duplo longiore, tertia et quarta, quæ est longissima, gradatim longioribus.  Cauda elongata, patula, apice rotundata.  Pedes mediocres, graciles, acrotarsiis paratarsiisque integris.  This group may be at once recognised as offering strong marks of distinction from the true Muscicapa in the fan-like structure of the tail.   ...   *'Pιπις flabellum, and ουρα cauda.   ...   1. FLABELLIFERA. ...  Muscicapa flabellifera. Gmel. i. 943. no. 67.  Fan-tailed Flycatcher. Lath. Gen. Hist. vi. p. 184. no. 44. pl. 99.  ...  Fantail.—There is something singular in the habits of this bird. It frequents the small trees and bushes, from whence it suddenly darts at its prey, spreading out its tail like a fan, and to appearance turning over like a tumbler Pigeon, and then immediately returning to the same twig or bough from whence it sprang.   ...   2. MOTACILLOIDES.  ...  It bears a great resemblance to the description of Dr. Latham's Motacilla atricapilla, or the Black-topped Flycatcher of his "General History," but differs in the colour of the bill, back and throat.   ...   3. RUFIFRONS.  ...  Muscicapa rufifrons. Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp. p. 1. no. 5.  Rufous-fronted Flycatcher.  Id. Gen. Hist. vi. p. 213. no. 95." (Vigors & Horsfield 1827); "Rhipidura Vigors and Horsfield, 1827, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 15, p. 246. Type, by subsequent designation (G. R. Gray, 1840, List Gen. Birds, p. 32), Muscicapa flabellifera Gmelin [= Muscicapa fuliginosa Sparrman]." (Mayr in Peters 1986, XI, 530).
Var. Ripidura, Rhipadura, Rhissidura.
Synon. Cyanonympha, Howeavis, Leucocirca, Muscylva, Neomyias, Rhipidicidura, Ripidicala, Rupicula, Sauloprocta, Setosura.

rhipidura / rhipidurus
Gr. ῥιπις rhipis, ῥιπιδος rhipidos  fan; -ουρος -ouros  -tailed  < ουρα oura  tail.

phoenicura
Gr. φοινιξ phoinix, φοινικος phoinikos  crimson, red; -ουρος -ouros 
-tailed  < ουρα oura  tail.
● ex “Palumbus coeruleus madagascariensis” of Brisson 1760, Columba madagascariensis Linnaeus, 1766, and “Ramier Founingo” of Levaillant 1808, pl. 266 (syn. Alectroenas madagascariensis).

phoenicurus
L. phoenicurus  redstart  < Gr. φοινικουρος phoinikouros  redstart  < φοινιξ phoinix, φοινικος phoinikos  crimson, red; -ουρος -ouros -tailed   < ουρα  oura  tail.
● ex “Red-tailed Thrush” of Latham 1783 (?syn. Dessonornis caffer).
● "99. MOTACILLA.  ...  Phœnicurus.  21. M. gula nigra, abdomine rufo, capite dorsoque cano. Fn. svec. 2. 4.  Ruticilla. Will. orn. 159. Raj. av. 78. n. 5. Alb. av. I. p. 48. t. 50.  Phœnicurus media, penna caudæ subnigra. Frisch. av. t. 20. f. 3.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Phoenicurus).

PHOENICURUS
(Muscicapidae; Ϯ Common Redstart P. phoenicurus) L. phoenicurus  redstart  < Gr. φοινικουρος phoinikouros  redstart  < φοινιξ phoinix, φοινικος phoinikos  crimson, red; -ουρος -ouros -tailed   < ουρα  oura  tail (cf. specific name Motacilla phoenicurus Linnaeus, 1758); "SYLVIA PHOENICVRVS.  Phoenicurus Ruficilla?  Redstart, Redtail, or Shaketail." (T. Forster 1817); "Phoenicurus Forster, 1817, Synopt. Cat. Brit. Birds, 16, p. 53. Type, by tautonymy, Motacilla phoenicurus Linnaeus." (Ripley in Peters 1964, X, 74). According to Aristotle, the Common Redstart changed into the European Robin during the winter, and some of the shared synonyms reflect this old folkloric wisdom.
Var. Phenicura, Phoenicura, Phaenicura, Phaenicurus.
Synon. Adelura, Chaimarrornis, Diplootocus, Dorisornis, Kawabitakia, Nymphaeus, Phaeca, Rhyacornis, Rhondella, Rubecula, Ruticilla, Torrentaria.
● (syn. Phaethon Ϯ Red-tailed Tropicbird P. rubricauda) Gr. φοινιξ phoinix, φοινικος phoinikos  red; ουρα oura  tail (cf. specific name Phaethon phoenicurus J. Gmelin, 1789 (= syn. Phaethon rubricauda)); "Subf. 7.  Phaetoninæ.  ...  19. Phœnicurus, Bp.   70 rubricauda, Bodd. (erubescens, Brandt.)" (Bonaparte 1855).