Black Spinetail

SCI Name:  Telacanthura melanopygia
Protonym:  Chaetura melanopygia Bull.Am.Mus.Nat.Hist. 34 p.509
Taxonomy:  Caprimulgiformes / Apodidae / Telacanthura
Taxonomy Code:  blaspi1
Type Locality:  Avakubi, Ituri District, Belgian Congo.
Author:  Chapin
Publish Year:  1915
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

TELACANTHURA
(Apodidae; Ϯ Mottled Spine-tail Swift T. ussheri) Gr. τελος telos  accomplished, end; ακανθα akantha  thorn  < ακη akē  point; oura  tail; "The extra-American species are varied in coloration and of peculiar distribution, a peculiar series being developed in West Africa.  At least three different Spine-tailed groups can be discriminated by means of coloration and the colour differences are confirmed by tail characters.  These may be noted as typified by Chætura ussheri Sharpe, Chætura cassini Sclater and Chætura sabini Gray.   The first-named, C. ussheri, has a smoky-brown coloration with a white rump and under tail-coverts and striped throat. The first primary of the wing is longest, the feet are comparatively strong, while the tail is also comparatively long, being more than one-fourth the length of the wing, with the spines long and stiff. For this group I propose the name TELACANTHURA which may be used subgenerically or generically, but I cannot understand how it can be used in the former manner, as there does not seem to be any close relation known.  Type Telacanthura ussheri (Sharpe)." (Mathews 1918) (see Alterapus and Neafrapus).

melanopygia / melanopygius
Gr. μελας melas, μελανος melanos  black; -πυγιος -pugios  -rumped  < πυγη pugē  rump.