White-headed Mousebird

SCI Name:  Colius leucocephalus
Protonym:  Colius leucocephalus Orn.Centralbl. 4 p.114
Taxonomy:  Coliiformes / Coliidae / Colius
Taxonomy Code:  whhmou1
Type Locality:  Kinakomba, on the Tana River.
Author:  Reichenow
Publish Year:  1879
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

COLIUS
(Coliidae; Ϯ White-backed Mousebird C. colius) Gr. κολοιος koloios  jackdaw; "LES COLIOUS. (COLIUS. Gm.) (2)  ...  (2) Kολοιος, nom grec d'une petite espéce de corneille" (Cuvier 1817); the relevance of this name to the Afrotropical mousebirds is unclear and probably arbitrary (Dowsett 1988, suggested the name is from Gr. κολεος koleos  scabbard or sheath, alluding to the long tails of these birds) (cf. κολιος kolios variant form of κελεος keleos  woodpecker; "GROENSPECHT, in 't Latyn Colius.  Zie deezen Vogel by SEBA, in zyn Thes. I. t. 60. f. 5. ["Avicula Americana Colubritis" = Cyanerpes] & T. II. t. 3. t. 70. f. 8. ["Avicula de Tatac", = ?miscoloured Chlorophanes]" (Moehring 1758)). Early authors placed Colius amongst the Fringillidae, allied to Pyrrhula and Loxia    ("Colios cum Fringillis (Loxiis) conjungi volunt Auctores, et re vera illis satis affines sunt, nec characteres hucusque dati ad distinguendos eos sufficiunt, si vero pedum structura, qualem eam ex Colio Senegalensi descripsi, omnibus Coliis eadem est, genus peculiare satis firmat" (Illiger 1811)). Burchell 1822, thought it close to Corythaix in the Musophagidae, as did Nitzsch 1840 (who considered Opisthocomus to be in the same group). Wallace 1856, from a study of their habits, linked them to the parrots Psittacidae, and Huxley 1867, placed them near the cuckoos in the Coccygomorphæ. Garrod 1876, summarised previous works and, from an anatomical study, considered the Coliidae to be related on the one hand to the woodpeckers Picidae, and on the other to the kingfishers Alcedinidae and hornbills Bucerotidae. Current evidence mirrors Garrod's findings and suggests that the mousebirds are nested within the Coraciimorphae; "Colius. Genus 36.  ...  SECTIO II.  Eæ quæ mandibula donantur superiore adunca.  BINA Avium genera sectionem istam constituunt. Aliæ rostro donantur superne convexo, subtus palniusculo, ut Colius: aliæ vero rostro superne & inferne convexo, ut Pyrrhula.  Le genre du Coliou.  Genus Colii.  ...  LE COLIOU DU CAP DE BONNE ESPÉRANCE  ...  COLIUS CAPITIS BONÆ SPEI" (Brisson 1760); "Colius Brisson, Orn., 1, 1760, p. 36; 3, p. 304. Type, by tautonymy, Loxia colius Linné." (Peters, 1945, V, p. 143). 
Var. Collus.
Synon. Necrornis, Rhabdocolius.

colius
Gr. κολοιος koloios  jackdaw (cf. κολιος kolios  woodpecker) (see Colius); ex “Coliou du Cap de Bonne Espérance” of Brisson 1760 (Colius).

leucocephala / leucocephalos / leucocephalus
Gr. λευκοκεφαλος leukokephalos  white-headed  < λευκος leukos  white;
-κεφαλος -kephalos  -headed  < κεφαλη kephalē  head.
● "44. PSITTACUS.  ...  leucocephalus.  26. P. brachyurus viridis, remigibus cæruleis, fronte alba.  Psittacus leucocephalus. Aldr. ornith. l. 11. c. 8. Raj. av. 31.  Psittacus viridis, fronte alba, collo rubro. Frisch. av. 4. t. 46.  Psittacus viridis, capite albo. Edw. av. 166. t. 166.  Habitat in America.  Corpus magnitudine Cuculi, viride pennis margine nigris. Caput supra & ad latera cæruleum; fronte oculorumque regione alba. Gula tota rubra. Remiges nigræ latere exteriore denudato cæruleæ. Rectrices æquales, virides, basi rubræ, apice flavescentes; at 1. 1. latere exteriore cæruleo; 6. 6. unicolores. Abdomen postice ferrugineum." (Linnaeus 1758) (Amazona).
● ex “White-headed Shrike” of Latham 1781 (syn. Artamella viridis).
● ex "White-headed Curlew" of Latham 1785 (?syn. Bostrychia hagedash).
● ex “Gavilán de Estero cabeza blanca” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 13 (subsp. Busarellus nigricollis).
● ex “Héron de la côte de Coromandel” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 906, “Héron violet” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Violet Heron” of Latham 1785 (syn. Ciconia episcopus).
● ex “Rauhfuss Geyer” and “Gelbbrauner Geyer” of Frisch 1733, “Falco” of Brisson 1760, and “White-headed Falcon” of Latham 1781 (syn. Falco peregrinus).
● ex “White-headed Frigate” of Latham 1785 (syn. Fregata aquila).
● ex “Bald Eagle” of Catesby 1731, and “Aigle à tête blanche” of Brisson 1760 (Haliaeetus).
● ex “Merle Dominiquain de la Chine” of Sonnerat 1782, and “White-headed Thrush” of Latham 1783 (Hypsipetes).
● ex “Gobe-mouche à ventre jaune de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 569, fig. 2 (syn. Myiozetetes cayanensis).
● ex “White Vulture” and “Cinereous Vulture” of Willughhby 1676, “Vultur albus” of Ray 1713, “Vultur leucocephalus” of Brisson 1760, “Vautour de Norwège” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 429, and “Petit Vautour” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (syn. Neophron percnopterus).
● ex “Bald pate” of Ray 1713, “Columba capite albo” of Sloane 1725, and “White-crown’d Pigeon” of Catesby 1731 (Patagioenas).
● ex “Martin-Pêcheur de Java” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 757, “Martin-pêcheur à tête et cou couleur de paille” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “White-headed Kingsfisher” of Latham 1782 (syn. Pelargopsis capensis javana).
● ex “White-headed Finch” of Latham 1787 (syn. Stagonopleura guttata).
● ex “Lindo azul cabeza blanca” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 93 (syn. Stephanophorus diadematus).
● ex “Quatoztli” of Hernandez 1651, and Seba 1734-1745, and “Tangara brasiliensis leucocephala” of Brisson 1760 (unident.).

SUBSPECIES

White-headed Mousebird (leucocephalus)
SCI Name: Colius leucocephalus leucocephalus
leucocephala / leucocephalos / leucocephalus
Gr. λευκοκεφαλος leukokephalos  white-headed  < λευκος leukos  white;
-κεφαλος -kephalos  -headed  < κεφαλη kephalē  head.
● "44. PSITTACUS.  ...  leucocephalus.  26. P. brachyurus viridis, remigibus cæruleis, fronte alba.  Psittacus leucocephalus. Aldr. ornith. l. 11. c. 8. Raj. av. 31.  Psittacus viridis, fronte alba, collo rubro. Frisch. av. 4. t. 46.  Psittacus viridis, capite albo. Edw. av. 166. t. 166.  Habitat in America.  Corpus magnitudine Cuculi, viride pennis margine nigris. Caput supra & ad latera cæruleum; fronte oculorumque regione alba. Gula tota rubra. Remiges nigræ latere exteriore denudato cæruleæ. Rectrices æquales, virides, basi rubræ, apice flavescentes; at 1. 1. latere exteriore cæruleo; 6. 6. unicolores. Abdomen postice ferrugineum." (Linnaeus 1758) (Amazona).
● ex “White-headed Shrike” of Latham 1781 (syn. Artamella viridis).
● ex "White-headed Curlew" of Latham 1785 (?syn. Bostrychia hagedash).
● ex “Gavilán de Estero cabeza blanca” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 13 (subsp. Busarellus nigricollis).
● ex “Héron de la côte de Coromandel” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 906, “Héron violet” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Violet Heron” of Latham 1785 (syn. Ciconia episcopus).
● ex “Rauhfuss Geyer” and “Gelbbrauner Geyer” of Frisch 1733, “Falco” of Brisson 1760, and “White-headed Falcon” of Latham 1781 (syn. Falco peregrinus).
● ex “White-headed Frigate” of Latham 1785 (syn. Fregata aquila).
● ex “Bald Eagle” of Catesby 1731, and “Aigle à tête blanche” of Brisson 1760 (Haliaeetus).
● ex “Merle Dominiquain de la Chine” of Sonnerat 1782, and “White-headed Thrush” of Latham 1783 (Hypsipetes).
● ex “Gobe-mouche à ventre jaune de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 569, fig. 2 (syn. Myiozetetes cayanensis).
● ex “White Vulture” and “Cinereous Vulture” of Willughhby 1676, “Vultur albus” of Ray 1713, “Vultur leucocephalus” of Brisson 1760, “Vautour de Norwège” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 429, and “Petit Vautour” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (syn. Neophron percnopterus).
● ex “Bald pate” of Ray 1713, “Columba capite albo” of Sloane 1725, and “White-crown’d Pigeon” of Catesby 1731 (Patagioenas).
● ex “Martin-Pêcheur de Java” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 757, “Martin-pêcheur à tête et cou couleur de paille” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “White-headed Kingsfisher” of Latham 1782 (syn. Pelargopsis capensis javana).
● ex “White-headed Finch” of Latham 1787 (syn. Stagonopleura guttata).
● ex “Lindo azul cabeza blanca” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 93 (syn. Stephanophorus diadematus).
● ex “Quatoztli” of Hernandez 1651, and Seba 1734-1745, and “Tangara brasiliensis leucocephala” of Brisson 1760 (unident.).

White-headed Mousebird (turneri)
SCI Name: Colius leucocephalus turneri
turneri
● Henry John Allen Turner (1876-1953) British pioneer settler in Kenya 1909-1953, warden and taxidermist (syn. Anthus leucophrys zenkeri, subsp. Colius leucocephalus, Eremomela).
● “Dédiée à M. Turner, naturaliste anglais” (Bourcier 1846) (syn. Leucippus chionogaster hypoleucus).
● Col. Horace Harrison Turner (1867-1930) British Army engineer, surveyor in India 1897-1915, and Mesopotamia 1915-1916 (Björn Bergenholtz in litt.) (syn. Lophura horsfieldii).
● Dr Joseph Turner (d. 1881) English businessman, landowner in Peru (per Beolens et al., 2014; Martin Schneider in litt.) (subsp. Merganetta leucogenis).
● Lucien McShann Turner (1847-1909) US meteorologist, field naturalist, explorer, collector in Peru 1868, Alaska 1874-1881 and Labrador 1883-1884, US Army Signal Service 1881-1886 (subsp. Poecile atricapillus).
● "it was H. W. Turner who discovered, and introduced me to, this bird" (Devas 1953, Bds. British Honduras, 40) (OD per Björn Bergenholtz) (?syn. Vireo pallens).