Vanuatu Whistler

SCI Name:  Pachycephala chlorura
Protonym:  Pachycephala chlorurus Cat.BirdsTrop.Isl.Pac.O. p. 20
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Pachycephalidae / Pachycephala
Taxonomy Code:  necwhi2
Type Locality:  New Hebrides (Erromango, Aneiteum) ; restricted to Erromango by Mayr, 1932, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 531, p. 3.
Author:  Gray, GR
Publish Year:  1860
IUCN Status:  

DEFINITIONS

PACHYCEPHALA
(Pachycephalidae; Ϯ Golden Whistler P. pectoralis) Gr. παχυς pakhus  large, thick; κεφαλη kephalē  head; from the appearance of their large rounded heads the Indomalayan and Australasian whistlers were formerly known as 'thickheads'; "The interval betweeen the present groups and those of the Pari, where we entered on the family [Pipridæ], appears to be filled up by a race of birds peculiar to New Holland, and hitherto uncharacterized, of which the Muscicapa pectoralis, Lath. is the type*. These, uniting many external characters, at least, both of the Berry-Eaters and Flycatchers, exhibit also in general appearance a considerable resemblance to the Pari, and will be found, I conjecture, to be the connecting bond between all these groups.  ...  * Mr. Swainson has lately formed this group into a genus by the name of Pachycephala.  Nov. 1824." (Vigors 1825); "Genus. PACHYCEPHALA*. Swains. MSS.  ... Caput tumidiusculum.  ...  In their general appearance some of the species exhibit a resemblance to the birds of the genus Procnias, Ill., while by the puffed-out appearance of the feathers about the head, we trace an approximation to some of the Linnean Pari.  ...  * παχυς crassus, and κεφαλη caput" (Vigors & Horsfield 1827). 
Var. Pachycephalus. 
Synon. Alisterornis, Gilbertornis, Hylocharis, Hyloterpe, Lewinornis, Malacolestes, Mattingleya, Musciterpe, Muscitrea, Mutevodia, Pachycilodryas, Psaltricephus, Pucherania, Timixos.

chlorura
Gr. χλωρος khlōros green; -ουρος -ouros -tailed < ουρα oura tail.

Chlorura
• (Estrildidae; syn. Erythrura † Tawny-breasted Parrotfinch E. hyperythra) Gr. χλωρος khlōros  green; ουρα oura  tail; "XXVI. Chlorura RCHB.  Grünschwanz.   Schnabel stark, tritt mit zwei Bogen spitz in die Stirn, die Firste bildet von da aus eine fast platte Fläche, an deren Seiten ein vom ganz bedeckten Nasenloch auslaufendes, feines, erhabenes Leistchen (fast wie das von mir bei Padda aufgefundene und zuerst abgebildete), an dessen Innenseite ein längliches, ziemlich flaches Grübchen, Spalte hinten mit der stumpfen Ecke, wie bei Erythrura, aber die eingezogenen Schneiden (bei Erythrura, vgl. Nat. Syst. t. LXXVI., im Bogen tief abwärts geschwungen) gerade! nur die Spitze allein gebogen.  Schwingen 2=3 längste.  Schwanz kurz abgerundet, Mitterlfedern ganz grün, kurz gespitzt, seitliche abgerundet, schwarz, Aussensaum grün.  Lauf innerseits 5 schuppig, aussen gestiefelt, genau so lang als Mittelzehe ohne Nagel.  Kleid nebst Schwanz grün, unten röthelbraun.   ...   97. Ch. hyperythra RCHB.  Röthelbauchiger Grünschwanz." (Reichenbach 1863); "Chlorura Reichenbach, 1862-63, Singvögel, p. 33.  Type, by monotypy, Chlorura hyperythra Reichenbach; preoccupied by Chlorura P. L. Sclater, 1861." (Mayr in Peters, 1968, XIV, p. 361) (see Reichenowia).
• (Passerellidae; syn. Pipilo † Green-tailed Towhee P. chlorurus) Specific name Fringilla chlorura Audubon, 1839; "GREEN-TAILED SPARROW. FRINGILLA CHLORURA  ... wings plain dusky, the outer vanes, as well as the tail-feathers, greenish-yellow" (Audubon 1839); "Chlorura  ... EMBERNAGRA CHLORURA. Fringilla chlorura, Aud. Orn. Biogr. v. p. 336" (P. Sclater 1862); "Chlorura P. L. Sclater, 1862, Cat. Coll. Amer. Birds, p. 117.  Type, by monotypy, Fringilla chlorura Audubon.  Not Chlorurus Swainson, 1839." (Paynter in Peters, 1970, XIII, p. 168).
Var. Chlorurus.

SUBSPECIES

Vanuatu Whistler (intacta)
SCI Name: Pachycephala chlorura intacta
intacta / intactus
L. intactus  untouched, unspoilt  < in-  not; tactus  touched, affected  < tangere  to touch.

Vanuatu Whistler (chlorura)
SCI Name: Pachycephala chlorura chlorura
chlorura
Gr. χλωρος khlōros green; -ουρος -ouros -tailed < ουρα oura tail.

Vanuatu Whistler (cucullata)
SCI Name: Pachycephala chlorura cucullata
cucullata / cucullatus
Late L. cucullatus  hooded, cowled  < L. cucullus  hood.
● ex “Cap-noir” of Audebert & Vieillot 1802 (syn. Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris).
● ex “Hirondelle à tête rousse du Cap de Bonne Espérance” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 723, fig. 2 (Cecropis).
● ex “Moineau de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 181, fig. 1 (Coryphospingus).
● ex “Perruche à chaperon bleu” of Levaillant 1801-1805 (syn. Eos squamata).
● "62. MERGUS.  ...  cucullatus.  1. M. crista globosa utrinque alba, corpore supra fusco, subtus albo.  Anas cristatus. Catesb. car. I. p. 94. t. 94.  Habitat in America." (Linnaeus 1758) (Lophodytes).
● ex “Hooded Flycatcher” of Latham 1801 (Melanodryas).
● ex Loxia coronata of Miller 1776, “Cardinal Dominicain huppé de la Louisiane” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 103, and “Crested Cardinal” of Brown 1776 (syn. Paroaria coronata).
● ex “Pinçon du Sénégal” of Brisson 1760, and “Troupiale du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781 (Ploceus).
● "86. STRUTHIO.  ...  cucullatus.  4. S. pedibus tetradactylis, omnibus unguiculatis.  Gallus gallinaceus peregrinus. Clus. exot. 99. t. 100. Olear. mus. 23. t. 13. f. 5.  Cygnus cucullatus. Nieremb. nat. 231. Raj. av. 37.  Dronte. Bont. jav. 70.  Habitat in India." (Linnaeus 1758) (‡Raphus).
● ex “Gros-bec appelé la Nonnette” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 393, fig. 3 (?syn. Sporophila americana).

Vanuatu Whistler (littayei)
SCI Name: Pachycephala chlorura littayei
littayei
Édouard William Littaye (1833-1917) French civil servant, colonial administrator, Director of the Interior, New Caledonia 1875-1879, pioneer photographer (subsp. Pachycephala pectoralis).