Laughing Kookaburra

SCI Name:  Dacelo novaeguineae
Protonym:  Alcedo novae Guineae TabulaAffin.Anim. p.192,note
Taxonomy:  Coraciiformes / Alcedinidae / Dacelo
Taxonomy Code:  laukoo1
Type Locality:  New Guinea, ex Daubenton, PL enlum, pi. 663 = New South Wales apud Mathews.
Author:  Hermann
Publish Year:  1783
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

DACELO
(Alcedinidae; † Laughing Kookaburra D. novaeguineae) Anagram of genus Alcedo Linnaeus, 1758, kingfisher; the Laughing Kookaburra, which, despite its specific epithet, is confined to Australia, is the largest kingfisher in the world; “Nonsense names   ...   To the same class we may refer anagrams of other generic names, as Dacelo  and Cedola of Alcedo   ...   Such verbal trifling as this is in very bad taste, and is especially calculated to bring the science into contempt. It finds no precedent in the Augustan age of Latin, but can be compared only to the puerile quibblings of the middle ages   ...   And it is peculiarly annoying to the etymologist, who after seeking in vain through the vast storehouse of human language for the parentage of such words, discovers at last that he has been pursuing an ignis fatuus.” (Strickland Code 1842); "DACELO.  ALCEDO, Latham, Gmelin.  ...  The birds of this genus inhabit woods at a distance from any water. Their food is unknown.    DACELO GIGANTEA  ...  GIGANTIC DACELO.  ...  Inhabits New Holland, where it is a very common bird. It is known by the appellation of Gigantic, or Great brown Kingsfisher." (Leach 1815); "Dacelo Leach, Zool. Misc., 2, 1815, p. 125. Type, by monotypy, Alcedo gigantea Latham = Alcedo novaeguineae Hermann." (Peters, 1945, V, p. 189).
Var. Dacello, Dacylo.
Synon. Agreutes, Capricia, Choucalcyon, Monachalcyon, Nycticeyx, Paralcyon, Sauromarptis.

novaeguinae / novaeguineae / novaeguineensis
L. novus  new; Mod. L. Guineensis  Guinean  < Guinea  Guinea, West Africa; i.e. New Guinea (first named Nueva Guinea in 1545 by the Spanish explorer Ortíz de Retes, because aborigines in the Mamberano region reminded him of those he had encountered earlier in African Guinea).
● ex “Lori noir de la Nouvelle Guinée” of Sonnerat 1776, and “Black Lory” of Latham 1781 (syn. Chalcopsitta atra).
● ex “Choucas de la Nouvelle Guinée” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 269, and “New-Guinea Crow” of Latham 1781 (syn. Coracina striata).
● Erroneous TL. New Guinea (= New South Wales); ex “Grand Martin-pêcheur de la Nouvelle Guinée” of Sonnerat 1766, “who had received the specimen from Cook’s botanist, Joseph Banks, at Cape Town. Sonnerat had never travelled to either New Guinea or Australia” (Robin 2001) (Dacelo).
● ex “Crabier de la Nouvelle Guinée” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 926, “Crabier noir” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “New Guinea Heron” of Latham 1785 (syn. Egretta sacra).
● ex “Caille de la nouvelle Guinée” of Sonnerat 1776, and “New Guinea Quail” of Latham 1783 (unident.).

SUBSPECIES

Laughing Kookaburra (minor)
SCI Name: Dacelo novaeguineae minor
minor
L. minor  smaller  < comp. parvus  small. “Comparative names ... Specific names expressive of comparative size are also to be avoided, as they may be rendered inaccurate by the after-discovery of additional species. The names ... maximus, minor, minimus, etc. are examples of this objectionable practice” (Strickland Code 1842).
● ex “Short-eared Owl” of Pennant 1761 (syn. Asio flammeus).
● ex “Little Thrush” of Catesby 1731-1743, Edwards 1758-1764, Latham 1783, and Pennant 1785, “Turdus iliacus carolinensis” of Brisson 1760, and “Grivette de l’Amérique” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (syn. Catharus fuscescens).
● ex “Whip-poor-will” of Catesby 1731 (Chordeiles).
● ex “Coucou des palétuviers de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 813, “Petit Vieillard” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Mangrove Cuckow” of Latham 1782 (Coccyzus).
● "54. PICUS.  ...  minor.  12. P. albo nigroque varius vertice rubro, ano albido.  Picus albo nigroque varius, rectricibus tribus lateralibus seminigris. Fn. svec. 83. Hasselqv. iter. 242.  Picus varius tertius. Raj. av. 43.  Picus varius minor. Alb. av. I. p. 20. t. 20.  Habitat in Europa.” (Linnaeus 1758) (Dryobates).
● ex “Fregata minor” of Brisson 1760, “Petite Frégate” of de Buffon 1770-1783, “Man of War Bird” of Edwards 1760, and “Lesser Frigate Pelican” of Latham 1785 (Fregata).
● ex “Petit Indicateur” of Levaillant 1807, pl. 242 (Indicator).
● ex “Pie-grièsche d’Italie” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 32, fig. 1 (Lanius).
● ex “Perruche à ailes noires” of de Buffon 1770-1783, “Petite perruche de l’isle de Luçon, 4ème ésp.” of Sonnerat 1776, and “Luzonian Parrakeet” of Latham 1781 (syn. Loriculus philippensis).
● ex “Apiaster Philippensis minor” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Merops viridis americanus).
● ex “Little Woodcock” of Pennant 1785, and Latham 1785 (Microptera).
● ex “Troupiale de la Caroline” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 606, fig. 1, “Petit Troupiale noir” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Lesser black Oriole” of Latham 1782 (syn. Molothrus ater).
● ex “Lesser Bird of Paradise” of Latham 1783 (Paradisaea).
● ex “Barbican à ventre rose” of Levaillant 1806 (Pogonornis).
● ex “Porphyrio minor” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Porphyrula martinica).
● ex “Colymbus fluviatilis” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Tachybaptus ruficollis).
● ex “Huppe d’Afrique” of Audebert & Vieillot 1800-1802 (syn. Upupa africana).
● ex “Ringvia” of Brünnich 1764, and “Lesser Guillemot” of Pennant 1785 (syn. Uria aalge).

Laughing Kookaburra (novaeguineae)
SCI Name: Dacelo novaeguineae novaeguineae
novaeguinae / novaeguineae / novaeguineensis
L. novus  new; Mod. L. Guineensis  Guinean  < Guinea  Guinea, West Africa; i.e. New Guinea (first named Nueva Guinea in 1545 by the Spanish explorer Ortíz de Retes, because aborigines in the Mamberano region reminded him of those he had encountered earlier in African Guinea).
● ex “Lori noir de la Nouvelle Guinée” of Sonnerat 1776, and “Black Lory” of Latham 1781 (syn. Chalcopsitta atra).
● ex “Choucas de la Nouvelle Guinée” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 269, and “New-Guinea Crow” of Latham 1781 (syn. Coracina striata).
● Erroneous TL. New Guinea (= New South Wales); ex “Grand Martin-pêcheur de la Nouvelle Guinée” of Sonnerat 1766, “who had received the specimen from Cook’s botanist, Joseph Banks, at Cape Town. Sonnerat had never travelled to either New Guinea or Australia” (Robin 2001) (Dacelo).
● ex “Crabier de la Nouvelle Guinée” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 926, “Crabier noir” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “New Guinea Heron” of Latham 1785 (syn. Egretta sacra).
● ex “Caille de la nouvelle Guinée” of Sonnerat 1776, and “New Guinea Quail” of Latham 1783 (unident.).