Sapayoa

SCI Name:  Sapayoa aenigma
Protonym:  Sapayoa aenigma Novit.Zool. 10 p.117
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Sapayoidae / Sapayoa
Taxonomy Code:  sapayo1
Type Locality:  Rio Sapayo [= Zapallo Grande], Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
Author:  Hartert, E
Publish Year:  1903
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

SAPAYOA
(Sapayoidae; Ϯ Sapayoa S. aenigma) Río Sapáyo (= Río Zapállo Grande), Esmeraldas, Ecuador; "Sapayoa gen. nov. Pipridarum.   Passeris domestici magnitudine.  Rostro lato, depresso, culmine carinato, apice adunco, vibrissis rictalibus fortibus.  Naribus rotundatis.  Corporis plumis copiosis, mollibus, in capite summo paullum elongatis, itaque pileo fere subcristato.  Cauda aequali, paullum emarginata.  Remige exteriore secundariarum longitudine, quarta longissima.  Pedibus parvis, invalidis, metatarsis ocreatis, dimidio summo plumatis.  Digitis metatarsi fere longitudine, basi syndactylis.  Typus generis species unica cognita: Sapayoa aenigma sp. nov.  ...  Hab. In Ecuadoria occidentali septentrionali, ad flumen Sapayo dictum.   This remarkable new genus, for which I propose the name Sapayoa, is difficult to place in the system.  After a careful comparison, however, I have come to the conclusion, that it is best placed among the Pipridae, not far from the genus Scotothorus (Heteropelma, Cat. B. xiv. p. 318), and my friend Count Berlepsch, to whom I sent the bird before describing it, is of the same opinion.  In the uniform coloration and general structure of plumage this bird agrees most with Scotothorus, but the very weak and small feet remind one of Neopelma." (Hartert 1903) (see aenigma).  The Sapayoa is of limited range and uncertain affinities, long classified with the Pipridae, close to Schiffornis, but now considered to be related to the broadbills Eurylaimidae and Calyptomenidae.

aenigma
L. aenigma, aenigmatis  mystery, riddle  < Gr. αινιγμα ainigma, αινιγματος  ainigmatos  riddle.
● "Collocalia vestita aenigma, subsp. nov.   Type, adult male, U. S. National Museum, No. 250207, Parigi, Celebes, September 10, 1916.  Collected by H. C. Raven (original No. 3056).   Similar to Collocalia vestita vestita from Java but much darker above, the wings and tail more shiny; lighter below, especially on the throat.  ...  These are so much darker above, with the throats so much lighter than the Javan form that they doubtless represent a distinct species.  Stresemann records his Collocalia fuciphaga micans from Celebes but that belongs to the unfeathered-tarsi section of the genus, so that Celebes like Java has two closely related species that can only be told apart with difficulty." (Riley 1918) (subsp. Aerodramus vanikorensis).
● "Elaenia aenigma spec. nova.  Unter dem am Monte Iliniza gesammelten Vögeln fand ich ein Exemplar einer Elaenia-Art, die ich nicht zu bestimmen vermochte und daher an Prof. C. HELLMAYR nach Wien sandte.  Dieser hielt sie zunächst für Elaenia albiceps griseogularis Sclater, gab indes in einem späteren Brief zu: "Die fragliche Elaenia ist mir nach abermaligem Vergleich ein Rätsel.  Sie scheint in der Tat nicht griseogularis zu sein, sondern erinnert in der Färbung der Unterseite an E. parvirostris Pelzeln, auch die Größe ist ähnlich, Ihr Vogel ist jedoch oberseits dunkler und weniger grünlich.  Leider ist der nicht ausgefärbt, worauf die Struktur der Oberschwanzdecken und das fast völlige Fehlen von Weiß an der Wurzel der Haubenfedern hinweisen.  E. chiriquensis brachyptera Berl. ist es bestimmt nicht, ebensowenig E. pallatangae Sclater.  An eine unbekannte Art vermag ich nicht zu glauben."  Wenn ich dieses Einzelstück trotzdem als neue Art beschreibe, so geschieht es in der Hoffnung, damit zu einer raschen Lösung des "Rätsels" anzuregen." (Stresemann 1937) (syn. Elaenia parvirostris).
● "Euscarthmornis aenigma, new species.  ...  In this species, as in E. zosterops, the innermost (first) primary is as short as the outermost (tenth)and the longest secondaries are equal to at least the 5th primary.  It is apparent, therefore, that aenigma belongs in the same genus with zosterops, whether in Idioptilon or Euscarthmus.  For reasons I have given under zosterops, I prefer not to recognize Idioptilon as distinct.  I do not believe, however, that aenigma can be placed in the same species with zosterops.  Until more is known of it, it is best kept specifically intact." (J. T. Zimmer 1940) (syn. Hemitriccus minimus).
● "Typus generis species unica cognita: Sapayoa aenigma sp. nov.  ...  This remarkable new genus, for which I propose the name Sapayoa, is difficult to place in the system.  After a careful comparison, however, I have come to the conclusion, that it is best placed among the Pipridae, not far from the genus Scotothorus  (Heteropelma, Cat. B. xiv. p. 318), and my friend Count Berlepsch, to whom I sent the bird before describing it, is of the same opinion.  In the uniform coloration and general structure of plumage this bird agrees most with Scotothorus, but the very weak and small feet remind one of Neopelma.  The metatarsus may be called ocreate, the scales being so fused as to show hardly any divisions.  About the upper half of the metatarsus is feathered, a very strange character among the Pipridae, though we find it among the Cotingidae in a somewhat different way in Phoenicocercus.  The toes are connected at their base, the outer and middle toe for quite half their length.  ...  The bill is most extraordinary, differing from the bills of all known Pipridae and Cotingidae.  Though laterally seen, it looks somewhat like the bill of Scotothorus, on account of the well developed ridge on the culmen, its great width and strong rictal bristles make it resemble the bills of certain Tyrannidae." (Hartert 1903) (Sapayoa).