Short-tailed Parrotbill

SCI Name:  Neosuthora davidiana
Protonym:  Suthora davidiana Ibis p.172 pl.4 fig.1
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Sylviidae / Neosuthora
Taxonomy Code:  shtpar3
Type Locality:  Kuatun, northwestern Fukien.
Author:  Slater
Publish Year:  1897
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

NEOSUTHORA
(Sylviidae; Ϯ Short-tailed Parrotbill N. davidiana) Gr. νεος neos  new; genus Suthora Hodgson, 1837, parrotbill; "18. GENUS NEOSUTHORA NOV. GEN.   Characters.  Bill very much larger and quite differently shaped, as compared with the members of the genus Suthora. Upper mandible much deeper, culmen less convex, with the mesorhinium much broadened and flattened, and not distinctly curved towards the tip; commissure, as in Suthora and Psittiparus, with scarcely an indication of a slight sigmoid curve; lower mandible of nearly the same shape as in Suthora, but more swollen, deeper and in the apical portion even more abruptly turned upwards. Tip of bill conspicuously blunt and obtuse, even more so than in the species of the extreme Chleuasicus-type.  Wings more rounded than in Suthora, the fourth to seventh primaries being the longest. First primary well developed, more than half as long as the longest remex.  Tail, composed of rather narrow, pointed feathers, much shorter than in Suthora, about three-fourths as long as the wing and, instead of being strongly graduated, but slightly rounded; the outermost rectrix falling short of the other tail-feathers, which are nearly equal, by about the length of the hind toe without claw.  Legs and feet decidedly stronger and more robust than in Suthora. Plumage less copious and not so soft. Sexes alike.  Type of the genus: Suthora davidiana Slater" (Hellmayr 1911); "I also propose the generic name of Neosuthora with N. davidiana (Slater), as type. This genus differs from Suthora in having an extremely short tail, and much deeper bill, and approaches Psittiparus very much in these respects, differing only in size.  ...  NEOSUTHORA, n. gen.  I propose the above generic name with N. d. davidiana (Slater) as type. Differs from Suthora in having an extremely short tail, which is much shorter than wing; also a much thicker bill, which is as deep at the base as it is long from the gape. It is very similar to Psittiparus in structural characteristics, and differs chiefly in size. It will be most interesting to know what the eggs of this genus are like, whether they are spotless as in Suthora, or spotted as in Psittiparus." (Harington 1914).

davidi / davidiana / davidianus / davidii
● Abbé Père Jean Pierre Armand David (1826-1900) French missionary to China 1858-1874, naturalist (subsp. Alcippe morrisonia (ex Alcippe cinerea David, 1871), syn. Anser caerulescens, syn. Calliope pectardens, subsp. Carpodacus pulcherrimus, subsp. Cyanoderma ruficeps, syn. Cygnus cygnus, Garrulax, subsp. Horornis fortipes, Locustella, Neosuthora, Niltava, syn. Phylloscopus armandii, syn. Phylloscopus subaffinis, Poecile, syn. Pucrasia macrolopha xanthospila, Pyrgilauda, subsp. Strix uralensis, syn. Turdus obscurus).
● "Cette sous-espèce est dédiée à Monsieur le Professeur Louis David." (Mourer-Chauviré 1975) (subsp. Bubo bubo).
● Louis Henri André David-Beaulieu (1896-1969) French colonial adminstrator in Indochina, naturalist (Arborophila, subsp. Turnix sylvaticus).
● Pierre-Jean David known as David d’Angers (1788-1856) French sculptor (syn. Phaethornis ruber).
● Dr William David Kerr MacGillivray (1867-1933) Australian physician, naturalist, oologist (syn. Rhipidura rufiventris isura).
● Flight-Lt. Dr David Lakin Harrison (1926-2015) RAF physician, zoologist, taxonomist, palaeontologist (syn. Sitta europaea persica).

SUBSPECIES

Short-tailed Parrotbill (davidiana)
SCI Name: Neosuthora davidiana davidiana
davidi / davidiana / davidianus / davidii
● Abbé Père Jean Pierre Armand David (1826-1900) French missionary to China 1858-1874, naturalist (subsp. Alcippe morrisonia (ex Alcippe cinerea David, 1871), syn. Anser caerulescens, syn. Calliope pectardens, subsp. Carpodacus pulcherrimus, subsp. Cyanoderma ruficeps, syn. Cygnus cygnus, Garrulax, subsp. Horornis fortipes, Locustella, Neosuthora, Niltava, syn. Phylloscopus armandii, syn. Phylloscopus subaffinis, Poecile, syn. Pucrasia macrolopha xanthospila, Pyrgilauda, subsp. Strix uralensis, syn. Turdus obscurus).
● "Cette sous-espèce est dédiée à Monsieur le Professeur Louis David." (Mourer-Chauviré 1975) (subsp. Bubo bubo).
● Louis Henri André David-Beaulieu (1896-1969) French colonial adminstrator in Indochina, naturalist (Arborophila, subsp. Turnix sylvaticus).
● Pierre-Jean David known as David d’Angers (1788-1856) French sculptor (syn. Phaethornis ruber).
● Dr William David Kerr MacGillivray (1867-1933) Australian physician, naturalist, oologist (syn. Rhipidura rufiventris isura).
● Flight-Lt. Dr David Lakin Harrison (1926-2015) RAF physician, zoologist, taxonomist, palaeontologist (syn. Sitta europaea persica).

Short-tailed Parrotbill (tonkinensis)
SCI Name: Neosuthora davidiana tonkinensis
tonkinensis
Tonkin Protectorate, French Indochina / Tong-king or Dong-king, Vietnam.

Short-tailed Parrotbill (thompsoni)
SCI Name: Neosuthora davidiana thompsoni
thompsoni
● Henry Nilus Thompson (1867-1938) British forestry officer in Burma and Nigeria (Cerasophila, subsp. Neosuthora davidiana).
● Dr Louis Clifford Thompson (1877-1955) English collector in South Africa (subsp. Dendroperdix sephaena).
● Prof. Max Clyde Thompson (b. 1936) US biologist, ornithologist, collector (subsp. Erythropitta erythrogaster, Robsonius).
● Edward Herbert Thompson (1857-1935) US archaeologist, diplomat, Consul to Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico (subsp. Megascops guatemalae).
● Hubert Charles Thompson (1869-1953) Australian oologist, photographer (syn. Pterodroma inexpectata).