Short-tailed Swift

SCI Name:  Chaetura brachyura
Protonym:  Acanthylis brachyura Ann.Mag.Nat.Hist.(1), 18 p.120
Taxonomy:  Caprimulgiformes / Apodidae / Chaetura
Taxonomy Code:  shtswi1
Type Locality:  Tobago.
Author:  Jardine
Publish Year:  1846
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

CHAETURA
(Apodidae; Ϯ Chimney Swift C. pelagica) Gr. χαιτη khaitē  long flowing hair; ουρα oura  tail; "GENUS XLI.—CHÆTURA mihi.  Beak with the lower mandible straight at the tip.  Wings very long.  Tail very short; its feathers subulated and acute at the tip.  HIRUNDO Auctorum.—CYPSELUS, pars. Temm.    Sp. 1. Ch. pelasgia. Hirundo pelasgia. Steph. v. x. 128.—North America.   Sp. 2. Ch. Martinicana. Hirunda acuta. Steph. v. x. 131. pl. 15.—West Indies.   Sp. 3. Ch. pacifica. Hirundo pacifica. Steph. v. x. 132.—New Holland.   Sp. 4. Ch. australis. Hirundo caudacuta. Steph. v. x. 133.—New South Wales.   Sp. 5. Ch. fusca. Hirundo fusca. Steph. v. x. 133.——?   Sp. 6. Ch. collaris.  ...  INHABITS Brazil." (Stephens 1826); "Chætura Stephens, in Shaw's Gen. Zool., 13, pt. 2, 1826, p. 76. Type, by subsequent designation, Chaetura pelasgia Stevens [sic] = Hirundo pelagica Linné. (Swainson, Zool. Illustr. (2), 1, 1829, text to pl. 42.)" (Peters, 1940, IV, p. 235).
Var. Chatura, Chaturae.
Synon. Acanthura, Acanthylis, Pelasgia, Uranteris.

brachyura / brachyuros / brachyurum
Gr. βραχυς brakhus  short; -ουρος -ouros  -tailed  < ουρα oura  tail.
● ex “Olivert” of Levaillant 1803, pl. 125 (Camaroptera).
● ex “Petit Gobe-mouche tacheté de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 831, fig. 2, and de Buffon 1770-1783 (Myrmotherula).
● ex “Pica indica vulgaris” of Ray 1713, “Pica bengalensis” of Albin 1731-1738, “Pica cauda brevi. Short-tail’d Pye” of Edwards 1751, and “Turdus viridis moluccensis” of Brisson 1760 (Pitta).

SUBSPECIES

Short-tailed Swift (Short-tailed)
SCI Name: Chaetura brachyura [brachyura Group]
CHAETURA
(Apodidae; Ϯ Chimney Swift C. pelagica) Gr. χαιτη khaitē  long flowing hair; ουρα oura  tail; "GENUS XLI.—CHÆTURA mihi.  Beak with the lower mandible straight at the tip.  Wings very long.  Tail very short; its feathers subulated and acute at the tip.  HIRUNDO Auctorum.—CYPSELUS, pars. Temm.    Sp. 1. Ch. pelasgia. Hirundo pelasgia. Steph. v. x. 128.—North America.   Sp. 2. Ch. Martinicana. Hirunda acuta. Steph. v. x. 131. pl. 15.—West Indies.   Sp. 3. Ch. pacifica. Hirundo pacifica. Steph. v. x. 132.—New Holland.   Sp. 4. Ch. australis. Hirundo caudacuta. Steph. v. x. 133.—New South Wales.   Sp. 5. Ch. fusca. Hirundo fusca. Steph. v. x. 133.——?   Sp. 6. Ch. collaris.  ...  INHABITS Brazil." (Stephens 1826); "Chætura Stephens, in Shaw's Gen. Zool., 13, pt. 2, 1826, p. 76. Type, by subsequent designation, Chaetura pelasgia Stevens [sic] = Hirundo pelagica Linné. (Swainson, Zool. Illustr. (2), 1, 1829, text to pl. 42.)" (Peters, 1940, IV, p. 235).
Var. Chatura, Chaturae.
Synon. Acanthura, Acanthylis, Pelasgia, Uranteris.

Short-tailed Swift (Tumbes)
SCI Name: Chaetura brachyura ocypetes
ocypetes
Gr. ωκυπετης ōkupetēs  swift-flying, swift-running  < ωκυς ōkus  fleet, swift; πετομαι petomai  to fly, to rush.