Morningbird / Pachycephala tenebrosa

Morningbird / Pachycephala tenebrosa

Morningbird

SCI Name:  Pachycephala tenebrosa
Protonym:  Rectes tenebrosus Proc.Zool.Soc.London Pt1 p.6
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Pachycephalidae /
Taxonomy Code:  mornin1
Type Locality:  Pelew Island.
Author:  
Publish Year:  1868
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.

tenebrosa / tenebrosus
L. tenebrosus  dark, gloomy  < tenebrae  darkness.
● ex “Petit Coucou noir de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 505 (Chelidoptera).