Subspecies Centropus phasianinus melanurus Gould, 1847
- Centropus melanurus Gould, J. 1847. The Birds of Australia. London : J. Gould Vol. 4(29) 104 pls. [published Dec. 1847, publication dated as 1848] [text to pl. 92] [proposed conditionally, but available under ICZN Art. 15; for selection as senior over Centropus macrourus Gould, 1847 (q.v.), see Mathews, G.M. 1927. Systema Avium Australasianarum. A systematic list of the birds of the Australasian region. London : British Ornithologists' Union Pt 1 iv 426 pp. (421)—action of first reviser, ICZN Art. 24(b); lectotypification effected under ICZN Art. 74(a)].
Type data:
Lectotype ANSP 20168 ♂ adult (Verreaux cat. no. 1485), King Sound, north WA (as North-Western Australia).
Paralectotype(s) ANSP 20169 ♂ adult (Verreaux cat. no. 1483); ANSP 20170 ♀ adult (Verreaux cat. no. 1484); ANSP 20170 ♀ adult (Verreaux cat. no.1484)
Comment: for identification of type material, see Meyer de Schauensee, R. 1957. On some avian types, principally Gould's, in the collection of the Academy. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 109: 123–246.Subsequent designation references:
Stone, W. in Stone, W. & Mathews, G.M. 1913. A list of the species of Australian birds described by John Gould, with the location of the type-specimens. Austral Avian Records 1: 129-180 [Date published 28 Feb 1913].Type locality references:
Mees, G.F. 1961. An annotated catalogue of a collection of bird-skins from West Pilbara, Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 44: 97-143 [112] (cf. Stone, W. in Stone, W. & Mathews, G.M. 1913. A list of the species of Australian birds described by John Gould, with the location of the type-specimens. Austral Avian Records 1: 129–180 [153]). - Centropus affinis Gould, J. in Grey, G. 1841. Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in north-west and western Australia, during the years 1837, 38 and 39 under the Authority of Her Majesty's Government. London : T. & W. Boone Vol. 2 vii 482 pp. (Appendix D, pp. 415-421). [publication date] [418] [nom. nud., junior homonym of Centropus affinis Horsfield, 1821 (=C. bengalensis javanensis (Dumont, 1818)), see Mathews, G.M. 1925. The Birds of Australia. Supplements 4 & 5. Bibliography of the Birds of Australia Pts 1 & 2. London : H.F. & G. Witherby viii 149 pp. (62)].
Type data:
Syntype(s). - Centropus macrourus Gould, J. 1847. The Birds of Australia. London : J. Gould Vol. 4(29) 104 pls. [published Dec. 1847, publication dated as 1848] [text to pl. 92] [proposed conditionally, but available under ICZN Art. 15; although treated as the senior synonym for this subspecies by Peters, J.L. 1940. Check-list of Birds of the World. Cambridge : Harvard University Press Vol. 4 xii 291 pp. and Condon, H.T. 1975. Checklist of the Birds of Australia Pt 1 Non-passerines. Melbourne : Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union xx 311 pp., Centropus macrourus Gould, 1847 is junior to C. melanurus Gould, 1847 (q.v.) by the action of the first reviser: Mathews, G.M. 1927. Systema Avium Australasianarum. A systematic list of the birds of the Australasian region. London : British Ornithologists' Union Pt 1 iv 426 pp. (421), see ICZN Art. 24(b); lectotypification effected under ICZN Art. 74(a); for identification of type material, see Meyer de Schauensee, R. 1957. On some avian types, principally Gould's, in the collection of the Academy. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 109: 123–246; former syntypes, identified by their red irides, are figured on pl. 92 of protologue, cf. accompanying text].
Type data:
Lectotype ANSP 20167 ♂ adult (Verreaux cat. no. 1479), Port Essington, NT.
Paralectotype(s) ANSP 20164 ♂ adult (Verreaux cat. no. 1478); ANSP 20165 adult (Verreaux cat. no. 1476); ANSP 20166 ♀ adult (Verreaux cat. no. 1477); ANSP 20165 adult (Verreaux cat. no. 1476); ANSP 20166 ♀ adult (Verreaux cat. no. 1477).Subsequent designation references:
Stone, W. in Stone, W. & Mathews, G.M. 1913. A list of the species of Australian birds described by John Gould, with the location of the type-specimens. Austral Avian Records 1: 129-180 [Date published 28 Feb 1913]. - Polophilus phasianinus keatsi Ashby, E. 1915. Notes on Polophilus phasianinus melanurus Gld. (North-western Coucal). South Australian Ornithologist 2: 72 [72] [as Keatsi; proposed conditionally, but available under ICZN Art. 15; although Ashby's collection was lost by fire, see Condon, H.T. 1941. Obituary and bibliography of Edwin Ashby. Emu 40: 409–413, there is nevertheless a specimen in SAMA that agrees in all labelled details with the individual described by Ashby (S.A. Parker, pers. comm.) and which is probably the holotype—it was not cited by Condon, H.T. 1976. Vertebrate type-specimens in the South Australian Museum IV. Birds. Records of the South Australian Museum 17: 189–193].
Type data:
Holotype SAMA B19482 ♂, Port Keats, NT. - Polophilus phasianinus yorki Mathews, G.M. 1916. List of additions of new sub-species to, and changes in, my "List of the Birds of Australia". Austral Avian Records 3(3): 53-68 [Date published 4 Apr 1916] [58] [holotype indicated but not specified in original description; accordingly, all specimens in the G.M. Mathews collection in AMNH taken from Cape York before 1916 are syntypes, as identified by Greenway, J.C. 1978. Type specimens of birds in the American Museum of Natural History. Pt 2. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 161: 1–306: one bears the green Mathews type label and is selected here as lectotype].
Type data:
Lectotype AMNH 628415 ♀ (G.M. Mathews' coll. no. unspecified), Peak Point, Cape York, QLD (as Cape York, Queensland).
Paralectotype(s) AMNH 628409 unsexed (no. unspecified, G.M. Mathews' coll.); AMNH 628411–628414 ♂ (nos unspecified, G.M. Mathews' coll.); AMNH 628418 juv. (no. unspecified, G.M. Mathews' coll.); AMNH 628419 ♂? (no. unspecified, G.M. Mathews' coll.), AMNH 628420–628428 ♀* nos unspecified (G.M. Mathews' coll.); AMNH 628410 ♂? (G.M. Mathews' coll. no. unspecified); AMNH 628411–628414 ♂ (G.M. Mathews' coll. nos unspecified); AMNH 628418 juv. (G.M. Mathews' coll. nos unspecified); AMNH 628419 ♂? (G.M. Mathews' coll. nos unspecified); AMNH 628420–628428 ♀ (G.M. Mathews' coll. nos unspecified).Subsequent designation references:
Mason, I.J. in Schodde, R. & Mason, I.J. 1997. Aves (Columbidae to Coraciidae). In, Houston, W.W.K. & Wells, A. (eds). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing, Australia Vol. 37.2 xiii 440 pp. [262].Type locality references:
Mason, I.J. in Schodde, R. & Mason, I.J. 1997. Aves (Columbidae to Coraciidae). In, Houston, W.W.K. & Wells, A. (eds). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing, Australia Vol. 37.2 xiii 440 pp. [262] (by lectotypification, cf. Greenway, J.C. 1978. Type specimens of birds in the American Museum of Natural History. Pt 2. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 161: 1–306). - Polophilus phasianinus melvillensis Mathews, G.M. 1919. The Birds of Australia. London : Witherby & Co. Vol. 7 pt 5 pp. 385-499 + xii pls 363-370 Appendixes A & B. [Date published 12 June 1919: publication dated as from preface, 12 June 1919 given in Appendix B] [391] [pt 5; one specimen indicated as holotype in original description, specified by sex and date (Nov. 3, 1911), cf. Greenway, J.C. 1978. Type specimens of birds in the American Museum of Natural History. Pt 2. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 161: 1–306 who identifies this specimen and another female with unspecified date of collection as syntypes].
Type data:
Holotype AMNH 628390 ♀ (G.M. Mathews' coll. no. unspecified), Melville Is., NT. - Polophilus phasianinus highami Mathews, G.M. 1922. In Proceedings of meeting of British Ornithologists' Club, October 11, 1922. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 43: 13-14 [Date published 31 Oct 1922] [13].
Type data:
Holotype whereabouts unknown, Glenflorrie, Ashburton River, mid-west WA
Comment: type material not cited as in AMNH (G.M. Mathews' collection) by Greenway, J.C. 1978. Type specimens of birds in the American Museum of Natural History. Pt 2. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 161: 1–306, nor in BMNH by Warren, R.L.M. 1966. Type-specimens of Birds in the British Museum (Natural History). Vol. 1 Non-Passerines. London : British Museum ix 320 pp.
Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy
- Mason, I.J., McKean, J.L. & Dudzinski, M.L. 1984. Geographical variation in the Pheasant Coucal Centropus phasianinus (Latham) and a description of a new subspecies from Timor. The Emu 84: 1-15 [6-9]
Distribution
States
Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia
Extra Distribution Information
Coastal to near inland N Australia, west to Kimberley Division and Dampier Land as far south-west as Anna Plains, WA, and perhaps linked on coast with outlier in NW Pilbara between Cape Keraudren, Roebourne, Ashburton River, and upper De Grey River—east across N Australia to Cape York Peninsula and NE QLD as far south-east as N Burdekin River drainage—and south inland to Edgar Ranges, Christmas Creek and upper Ord River, WA, the central Victoria River drainage and northern rim of the Barkly Tableland, NT, and to the plains at the east head of the Gulf of Carpentaria, QLD, as far south as the upper Nicholson, Gregory, Leichhardt, Cloncurry, Flinders and Norman Rivers—also offshore islands: Buccaneer and Bonaparte Archipelagos, Melville-Bathurst Ils, Groote Eylandt, Sir Edward Pellew group, Wellesley Ils, south-west (mainland) islands in Torres Strait north to Moa, and islands off E QLD coast (Dunk, Hinchinbrook, Palm and Magnetic). Intergrades with nominotypical
IBRA
NT, Qld, WA: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Arnhem (CA), Carnarvon (CAR), Central Kimberley (CK), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Desert Uplands (DEU), Dampierland (DL), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Gascoyne (GAS), Gulf Fall and Uplands (GFU), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Gulf Coastal (GUC), Gulf Plains (GUP), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), Murchison (MUR), Northern Kimberley (NK), NSW North Coast (NNC), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Pine Creek (PCK), Pilbara (PIL), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Wet Tropics (WT), Yalgoo (YAL)
Original AFD Distribution Data
Australian Region
- Australia
- Northern Territory: N Gulf, N coastal
- Queensland: N Gulf, NE coastal
- Western Australia: N coastal, NW coastal
Ecological Descriptors
Arboreal, arthropod-feeder, diurnal, low open woodland, low woodland, open forest, open heath, open scrub, predator, sedentary, swamp, tall open shrubland, terrestrial, territorial, volant, woodland.
Extra Ecological Information
Territorial (during breeding), randomly dispersed, seasonal breeder, sexually dimorphic (size), solitary or in pairs and family groups, walks and runs among and under rank grass sward, spends little time in trees, flies clumsily, feeds mainly on invertebrates and small vertebrates captured on ground, non-parasitic, builds a rough platform or domed nest in base of tall grass tussocks, both sexes incubate and rear young over austral summer.
General References
Mason, I.J., McKean, J.L. & Dudzinski, M.L. 1984. Geographical variation in the Pheasant Coucal Centropus phasianinus (Latham) and a description of a new subspecies from Timor. The Emu 84: 1-15 (nidification, distribution, taxonomy)
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08-Oct-2015 | MODIFIED |