Weebill

SCI Name:  Smicrornis brevirostris
Protonym:  Psilopus brevirostris Syn.BirdsAustr. pt4 pl.61
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Acanthizidae / Smicrornis
Taxonomy Code:  weebil1
Type Locality:  Sydney, New South Wales.
Author:  Gould
Publish Year:  1838
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

SMICRORNIS
(Acanthizidae; Ϯ Weebill S. brevirostris flavescens) Gr. σμικρος smikros  small; ορνις ornis, ορνιθος ornithos  bird; "For a new form, nearly allied to Gerygone, Mr. Gould proposed the generic name of Smicrornis, with the following characters: — Gen. Char.  Rostrum parvulum, et instar grani tritici; fere cylindraceum; a basi incurvatum.  Nares basales oblongæ, et operculo obtectæ; ad basin rostri, pili tenuissimi admodum pauci.  Alæ modice longæ, alula brevissima, primariæ tertia, quarta, et quinta longissimæ, et inter se fere æquales.  Cauda brevis, et quadrata.  Tarsi modici; digiti perbreves; digitus posticus cum intermedio fere coæqualis.  Ungues admodum adunci, et ad hærendum aptati.    SMICRORNIS FLAVESCENS." (Gould 1843); "Smicrornis Gould, 1843, Proc. Zool. Soc. London (1842), p. 133. Type, by monotypy, Smicrornis flavescens Gould." (Mayr in Peters 1986, XI, 442).
Synon. Subsmicrornis.

brevirostre / brevirostris
Mod. L. brevirostris  having a short beak  < L. brevis  short; -rostris  -billed  < rostrum  beak.

SUBSPECIES

Weebill (flavescens)
SCI Name: Smicrornis brevirostris flavescens
flavescens
L. flavescens, flavescentis  golden-yellowish  < flavescere  to become golden  < flavere  to be golden-yellow  < flavus  yellow, golden.
● ex “Yellow-crested Woodpecker” of Brown 1776, and Latham 1782 (Celeus).
● ex “Figuier du Sénégal” and “Figuier à ventre jaune du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 582, figs.1, 3, and de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Citron-bellied Warbler” of Latham 1783 (?syn. Eremomela pusilla).

Weebill (brevirostris)
SCI Name: Smicrornis brevirostris brevirostris
brevirostre / brevirostris
Mod. L. brevirostris  having a short beak  < L. brevis  short; -rostris  -billed  < rostrum  beak.

Weebill (occidentalis)
SCI Name: Smicrornis brevirostris occidentalis
occidentale / occidentalis
L. occidentalis  western  < occidens, occidentis  west  < occidere  to set. This toponym was frequently given to taxa discovered in locations west of previously known populations.
● Cocal, Western Andes, Colombia (Dysithamnus).
● Jamaica; ex “Onocrotalus” or “Pelecanus fuscus” of Sloane 1725, “Pelican of America” of Edwards 1747, and “Pelecanus” of Browne 1756 (Pelecanus).
● TL. Day Dawn, Western Australia; "Westralian Wedgebill" (Mathews 1912) (Psophodes).

Weebill (ochrogaster)
SCI Name: Smicrornis brevirostris ochrogaster
ochrogaster / ochrogastra
Gr. ωχρος ōkhros  pale yellow; ωχρα ōkhra  yellow-ochre; γαστηρ gastēr, γαστρος gastros  belly.