Talaud Kingfisher

SCI Name:  Todiramphus enigma
Protonym:  Halcyon enigma Novit.Zool. 11 p.199
Taxonomy:  Coraciiformes / Alcedinidae / Todiramphus
Taxonomy Code:  talkin1
Type Locality:  Salibabu [or Lirung] Island, Talaut Islands.
Author:  Hartert, E
Publish Year:  1904
IUCN Status:  Near Threatened

DEFINITIONS

TODIRAMPHUS
(Alcedinidae; Ϯ Chattering Kingfisher T. tutus) Genus Todus Brisson 1760, tody; Gr. ῥαμφος rhamphos  bill; “Ce groupe est remarquable aussi par la forme aplatie du bec qui rappelle celle des Todiers.  ...  L'Alcedo sacra, si mal décrit par les auteurs, formera notre genre Todiramphus, et l'Halcyon sanctus de MM. Horsfield et Vigors demeurera dans le genre Alcedo dont il a tous les caractères.   TODIRAMPHE. Todiramphus.  ...  Les insulaires des îles de la Société les nomment O-tataré. C'etaient, avec le Crabier-Blanc, des oiseaux vénérés dans l'ancienne religion de ces peuples; il était défendu de les tuer sous des peines sévères, et leur dépouille servait d'offrande au grand dieu Oro.   1^re ESPÈCE. TODIRAMPHE SACRÉ. Todiramphus sacer, Less. Tab. XI.  Alcedo tuta, Gm., Sp. 28; Lath., Syn. Sp. 17?  Alcedo sacra, Gm., Sp. 30. Var. A. Lath., Sp. 15. Var. a?  Sacred King's fisher, pl. 27. Latham, Gen. Syn. Var. C. p. 622. p. II?” (Lesson 1827).   
Var. Todirramphus, Todirhamphus.   
Synon. Antisyma, Coporhamphus, Cyanalcyon, Dilazula, Dilazulena, Entomophila, Hyposyma, Lazulena, Leucalcyon, Melanalcyon, Sauropatis, Sauropatoides, Todalcyon.

enigma
L. aenigma, aenigmatis  riddle, mystery  < Gr. αινιγμα ainigma, αινιγματος ainigmatos  riddle.
• "Ninox (Hieracoglaux) connivens enigma, subsp. nov.   Description. — Differs from H. connivens occidentalis Ramsay, in its much smaller size." (Mathews & Neumann 1939) (syn. Ninox connivens).
• "6.  Cercomela scotocerca enigma subsp. nov.  ...  Es wäre noch die Möglichkeit eines individuellen Dimorphismusses zu erörtern, wie er bei Saxicola und verwandten Genera nicht selten vorkommt, so bei Saxicola hispanica (stapazina auct.), bei Saxicola leucopyga und besonders bei Saxicola monticola von S.-Afrika." (Neumann & von Zedlitz und Trützschler 1913) (syn. Oenanthe dubia).
• "In Durban Mus. Novit., vol. x, 14, 1974, pp. 191-206, I demonstrated that the population of the Swift Tern present in the Moçambique Channel region off south-eastern Africa appeared to constitute an undescribed race.  As Moçambique is now a Marxist state, it is highly unlikely that within the forseeable future South African workers will be able to go further into this particularly interesting problem.  Rather than leave the entity indefinitely without a name, I propose  Sterna bergii enigma, subsp. nov." (Clancey 1979) (subsp. Thalasseus bergi).
• "In one place only that we know of— i.e., in the Talaut Islands, north of Celebes—occur two forms, rather large ones and small ones, both alike in colour.  What is the meaning of this?  The difference is very great, and there are evidently no intermediate examples.  ...   Whether this small form on Talaut is a geographical representative of chloris (though both are found on Talaut, one might only breed there, the other be an occasional immigrant), or a perfectly developed species co-existing with typical large chloris, or a local aberration— for it is only known on Talaut, — it will be desirable to have a name for it, and I therefore name it herewith:  Halcyon enigma nom. nov." (Hartert 1904) (Todiramphus).