Silver-rumped Needletail

SCI Name:  Rhaphidura leucopygialis
Protonym:  Acanthylis leucopygialis J.Asiat.Soc.Bengal 18 p.809
Taxonomy:  Caprimulgiformes / Apodidae / Rhaphidura
Taxonomy Code:  sirnee1
Type Locality:  Penang.
Author:  Blyth
Publish Year:  1849
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

RHAPHIDURA
(Apodidae; Ϯ Silver-rumped Spine-tail Swift R. leucopygialis) Gr. ῥαφις rhaphis, ῥαφιδος rhaphidos  needle  < ῥαπτω rhaptō  to sew; ουρα oura  tail; "Genus RHAPHIDURA, Oates.   406. RHAPHIDURA LEUCOPYGIALIS.  THE SMALL BLACK SPINE-TAIL.   Acanthylis leucopygialis, Bl. J. A. S. B. xviii. p. 809.  Cypselus coracinus, Müll., Schleg. Handl. Dierk. i. pp. 221, 479, Vogels, pl. ii. fig. 14.   ...  The whole plumage glossy bluish black, except the rump and upper tail-coverts, which are greyish white with the shafts black; the tail-coverts reach to the tip of the tail, leaving merely the spines exposed.   ...   R. sylvatica occurs in India; it is of small size, and has the abdomen and under tail-coverts pure white." (Oates 1883); "Rhaphidura, Oates, B. Burm. ii. p. 6 (1883) . . . .Type. C. leucopygialis." (Hartert 1892, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., XVI,  470); "Rhaphidura Oates, Bds. Burma, 2, 1883, p. 6. Type, by monotypy, Acanthylis leucopygialis Blyth." (Peters 1940, IV, 235).
Var. Rhapidura, Raphidura.
Synon. Alterapus.

leucopygia / leucopygialis / leucopygius
Gr. λευκος leukos  white; -πυγιος -pugios  -rumped  < πυγη pugē  rump.