Yellow-bellied Whistler

SCI Name:  Pachycephala philippinensis
Protonym:  Hyloterpe philippinensis Ann.Mag.Nat.Hist.(4), 10 p.252
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Pachycephalidae / Pachycephala
Taxonomy Code:  yebwhi1
Type Locality:  Luzon.
Author:  Walden
Publish Year:  1872
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

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.

philippinarum / philippinensis
Philippine Is.
● ex “Cacatua minor” of Brisson 1760, “Petit Kakatoës des Philippines” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 191, “Petit Kakatoës à bec couleur de chair” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Red-vented Cockatoo” of Brown 1776, and Latham 1781 (syn. Cacatua haematuropygia).
● Erroneous TL. Luzon (= Cape of Good Hope); ex “Pic vert des Philippines” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 691, “Pic verd de l’isle de Luçon” of Sonnerat 1776, and “Manilla Green Woodpecker” of Latham 1782 (syn. Dendropicos griseocephalus).
● ex “Bucco philippensis” of Brisson 1760, “Barbu des Philippines” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 331, “Barbu à gorge jaune” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Yellow-throated Barbet” of Latham 1782 (syn. Megalaima haemacephala).
● ex “Moucherolle des Philippines” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Philippine Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (unident.).

SUBSPECIES

Yellow-bellied Whistler (fallax)
SCI Name: Pachycephala philippinensis fallax
fallax
L. fallax, fallacis  false, deceptive, deceiving  < fallere  to deceive. Epithet most frequently given to forms originally falsely identified, allocated to the wrong genus, or of uncertain relationships.
● "Differs from falki Hart. (Russian Turkestan) in being somewhat paler and duller on the upper side, the white eyebrow-stripe narrower; the crown of the head uniform fawn-colour; the chest paler and with narrow black bars on the flanks" (Sushkin 1927); "Hellmayr [1929] regards fallax as indistinguishable from pallida" (J. Peters 1934, II, 65, footnote) (subsp. Alectoris chukar).
● "I have two examples of a second species of this genus from Jamaica, which is, I suppose, undescribed. Before I had an opportunity of examining Mr. Osburn's specimens I was inclined to believe the latter were Mr. Gosse's E. cotta; but I now find that they are quite different, - Elainea fallax, as I propose to call it" (P. Sclater 1861) (Elaenia).
● "Io credei che questa specie potesse essere riferita al genere Euthyrhynchus, Schleg., che invece ho verificato essere identico al mio genere Timeliopsis" (Salvadori 1878) (Glycichaera).
● "The short crest of the males of this form furnishes the only certain character to distinguish it from huarandosae of the Chinchipe Valley. In ascertaining this measurement, the length of the occipital feathers should be taken rather than the distance from the exposed base of the culmen to the tip of the crest, since stretching or contraction of the skin of the head in preparation of the specimen will give a totally false conclusion" (J. Zimmer 1945) (subsp. Islerothraupis cristata).
● "This species bears a very close resemblance to Z. melodia, of which it is the western representative" (Baird 1854) (subsp. Melospiza melodia).
● "It was often killed by mistake, as it had a habit of perching motionless in low, thick brush or on the branch of a tall tree, where its plain colors made it difficult to identify. For this reason I think its name appropriate" (McGregor 1904) (subsp. Pachycephala philippinensis).
● "On the whole this bird has the appearance of a miniature Dicrurus, and may have to be placed in a new genus" (Ramsay 1885); "Ramsay had written on the label "Rhipidura (?) fallax (Ramsay) should be put in a new genus". This indicates the difficulty this species presents in classification using external characters" (Longmore 1991) (subsp. Symposiachrus axillaris).

Yellow-bellied Whistler (illex)
SCI Name: Pachycephala philippinensis illex
illex
L. illex, illix or inlex, illicis  alluring, enticing  < inlicere  to entice.

Yellow-bellied Whistler (philippinensis)
SCI Name: Pachycephala philippinensis philippinensis
philippinarum / philippinensis
Philippine Is.
● ex “Cacatua minor” of Brisson 1760, “Petit Kakatoës des Philippines” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 191, “Petit Kakatoës à bec couleur de chair” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Red-vented Cockatoo” of Brown 1776, and Latham 1781 (syn. Cacatua haematuropygia).
● Erroneous TL. Luzon (= Cape of Good Hope); ex “Pic vert des Philippines” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 691, “Pic verd de l’isle de Luçon” of Sonnerat 1776, and “Manilla Green Woodpecker” of Latham 1782 (syn. Dendropicos griseocephalus).
● ex “Bucco philippensis” of Brisson 1760, “Barbu des Philippines” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 331, “Barbu à gorge jaune” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Yellow-throated Barbet” of Latham 1782 (syn. Megalaima haemacephala).
● ex “Moucherolle des Philippines” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Philippine Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (unident.).

Yellow-bellied Whistler (siquijorensis)
SCI Name: Pachycephala philippinensis siquijorensis
siquijorensis
Siquijor I., Philippines.

Yellow-bellied Whistler (apoensis)
SCI Name: Pachycephala philippinensis apoensis
apoensis
Mt. Apo, south-east Mindanao, Philippines.

Yellow-bellied Whistler (basilanica)
SCI Name: Pachycephala philippinensis basilanica
basilanica / basilanicus
Basilan, Philippines.

Yellow-bellied Whistler (boholensis)
SCI Name: Pachycephala philippinensis boholensis
boholensis
Bohol, Philippines.