Beach Kingfisher

SCI Name:  Todiramphus saurophagus
Protonym:  Halcyon saurophaga Proc.Zool.Soc.London Pt11 no.126 p.103
Taxonomy:  Coraciiformes / Alcedinidae / Todiramphus
Taxonomy Code:  beakin2
Type Locality:  New Guinea, type from the northern coast, between Island of Jobi and Cape d Urville.
Author:  Gould
Publish Year:  1843
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

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.

saurophagus
Gr. σαυρος sauros  lizard; -φαγος -phagos  -eating  < φαγειν phagein  to eat.

Saurophagus
(syn. Pitangus Ϯ Great Kiskadee P. sulphuratus) Gr. σαυρος sauros  lizard;
-φαγος -phagos  -eating  < φαγειν phagein  to eat; "The only one which betrays a sufficient departure from its type to justify an opinion of its close relation to Lanius is the common Tyrannus sulphuratus, or Bentivi*, of Brazil  ...  That the Bentivi, however, makes the nearest approach to Lanius of any bird yet discovered, is, we think, sufficiently evident; not only from its greatly-compressed bill, but by feeding upon reptiles, and thus becoming partly carnivorous  ...  *The striking dissimilarity between this bird and the true Tyrants induced us, some years ago, to detach it from that group as a sub-genus, under the name of Pitangus, associating with it the broad-billed Lanius pitangua of Linnæan authors. Much doubt, however, seems to hang over the true affinities of this latter bird; and the above name, thus rendered doubly objectionable, we propose to amend by substituting that of Saurophagus.   ...   8. Genus, SAUROPHAGUS  ...  Type.- Lanius  sulphuratus AUCT." (Swainson 1831).

SUBSPECIES

Beach Kingfisher (Beach)
SCI Name: Todiramphus saurophagus saurophagus
saurophagus
Gr. σαυρος sauros  lizard; -φαγος -phagos  -eating  < φαγειν phagein  to eat.

Beach Kingfisher (Admiralty Is.)
SCI Name: Todiramphus saurophagus admiralitatis
admiralitatis
Admiralty Is., New Guinea / Manus Province, Papua New Guinea.