Biak Whistler

SCI Name:  Pachycephala melanorhyncha
Protonym:  Myiolestes melanorhynchus Sitz.K.Akad.Wiss.Wien 69 (1) p. 494
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Pachycephalidae / Pachycephala
Taxonomy Code:  biawhi1
Type Locality:  Mysore Island.
Author:  Meyer, AB
Publish Year:  1874
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.

melanorhyncha / melanorhynchos / melanorhynchus
Late Med. L. melanorhynchos  black-billed  < Gr. μελας melas, μελανος  melanos  black; ῥυγχος rhunkhos  bill.
● ex “Black-billed Tropic Bird” of Latham 1785 (subsp. Phaethon rubricauda).