South Melanesian Cuckooshrike

SCI Name:  Coracina caledonica
Protonym:  Corvus caledonicus Syst.Nat. 1 pt1 p.367
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Campephagidae / Coracina
Taxonomy Code:  melcus1
Type Locality:  New Caledonia.
Author:  Gmelin, JF
Publish Year:  1788
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

CORACINA
(Campephagidae; † White-bellied Cuckooshrike C. papuensis) Gr. κορακινος korakinos  little raven  < dim. κοραξ korax, κορακος korakos  raven  <  κρωζω krōzō  to croak; "102. CORACINE, Coracina.  Corvus, Linn. Gm. Lath.  Bec glabre, ou emplumé, ou cilié à la base, épais, rétréci à la pointe, déprimé, anguleux en dessus, courbé vers le bout, entier ou échancré; mandibule inférieure un peu aplatie en dessous.  4 sections.   Esp. Col-nud. — Choucari. — Choucas chauve, Buff.  Céphaloptère, Geoffroy, Annales du muséum." (Vieillot 1816); "Gen. CORACINA Vieill. 1816. *) Raupendohle.   Graucalus Cuv. 1817. — Coronis Glog. 1827.   ...   *) Als Vieillot die Gattung Caracina [sic] begründete, waren von den 4 Typen derselben bereits 3 für andre Gattungen (Gymnoderus, Gymnocephalus [= Perissocephalus] und Cephalopterus Geoffr) vergeben und haben diese die Priorität.  Es bleibt daher für die Gattung Coracina als Typus nur der Choucari (Corvus papuensis), welcher zugleich Typus der späteren Gattung Graucalus Cuv. ist." (Cabanis 1853); "Coracina Vieillot, 1816 (April), Analyse, p. 37.  Type, by subsequent designation, "Choucari" of Buffon = Corvus papuensis Gmelin (Cabanis, 1851, Mus. Hein., Th. 1, [1850-51][= 1853], p. 62)." (Peters, 1960, IX, p. 168) (see Graucalus and Ceblepyris).
Var. Caracina, Carocina, Corvina.
Synon. Artamides, Coronis, Gazzola, Graucalus, Kinkus, Paragraucalus, Pteropodocys, Ptiladela, Volvocivora.
• (Cotingidae; syn. Cephalopterus † Ornate Umbrellabird C. ornatus) (see above).
• (Cotingidae; syn. Gymnoderus † Bare-necked Fruitcrow G. foetidus) (see above).
• (Cotingidae; syn. Perissocephalus † Capuchinbird P. tricolor) (see above).
• (Cotingidae; syn. Pyroderus † Red-ruffed Fruitcrow P. scutatus) "SUBFAM. CORACINÆ. Fruit Crows.  ...  South America only.   CORACINA, Vieillot. (fig. 237. a, b)  Front and base of the bill protected by short thick-set feathers.   C. scutata.  Pl. Col. 40." (Swainson 1837); "Coracina "Vieillot" Swainson, 1837, Nat. Hist. Classification Birds, II, p. 267 (not of Vieillot, 1816).  Type, by monotypy, C. scutata, i.e. Coracias scutata Shaw, 1792." (JAJ 2021).

coracina / coracinus
L. coracinus  raven-black  < Gr. κορακινος korakinos  raven-black  < κοραξ korax, κορακος korakos  raven  < κρωζω krōzō  to croak.
● ex “Grivert de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 616 (syn. Saltator maximus).

caledonica / caledonicus
New Caledonia, sighted by Captain Cook in 1774, and so named because its forested and mountainous aspect reminded him of Scotland (L. Caledonia  highlands of Scotland).
● ex “New-Caledonian Crow” of Latham 1781 (Coracina).
● ex “Caledonian Night-Heron” of Latham 1785 (Nycticorax).
● ex “Olive Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (Pachycephala).
● Erroneous TL. New Caledonia (= Tasmania); ex “Caledonian Parrot” of Latham 1781 (Platycercus).
● Erroneous TL. New Caledonia (= Buton I., Celebes); ex “Caledonian Crow” of Latham 1801 (syn. Streptocitta albicollis).

SUBSPECIES

South Melanesian Cuckooshrike (thilenii)
SCI Name: Coracina caledonica thilenii
thilenii
Prof. Dr Georg Christian Thilenius (1868-1937) German anthropologist, ethnologist, anatomist, Director of Mus. of Ethnography, Hamburg 1904-1935, co-ordinator of the Südsee-Expedition 1908-1910 (subsp. Coracina caledonica).

South Melanesian Cuckooshrike (seiuncta)
SCI Name: Coracina caledonica seiuncta
seiuncta
L. seiunctus separated, divided, parted < seiungere to separate.

South Melanesian Cuckooshrike (lifuensis)
SCI Name: Coracina caledonica lifuensis
lifuensis
Lifu I., Loyalty Is., New Caledonia.

South Melanesian Cuckooshrike (caledonica)
SCI Name: Coracina caledonica caledonica
caledonica / caledonicus
New Caledonia, sighted by Captain Cook in 1774, and so named because its forested and mountainous aspect reminded him of Scotland (L. Caledonia  highlands of Scotland).
● ex “New-Caledonian Crow” of Latham 1781 (Coracina).
● ex “Caledonian Night-Heron” of Latham 1785 (Nycticorax).
● ex “Olive Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (Pachycephala).
● Erroneous TL. New Caledonia (= Tasmania); ex “Caledonian Parrot” of Latham 1781 (Platycercus).
● Erroneous TL. New Caledonia (= Buton I., Celebes); ex “Caledonian Crow” of Latham 1801 (syn. Streptocitta albicollis).