Taxonomic Decision for Subspecies Arrangement

• Schodde, R. 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. [73] (based on van Oort, E.D. 1911. An undescribed form of Microglossus aterrimus. Notes from the Leyden Museum 33: 239–240 and Mees, G.F. 1957. Over het belang van Temminck's "Discours préliminaire" voor de zoologische nomenclatuur. Zoologische Mededelingen (Leiden) 35: 205–227, with the following variation: the intermediate-sized population on Cape York Peninsula is recognised here as a fourth subspecies)

Distribution

States

Queensland

IBRA

Qld: Cape York Peninsula (CYP)

Other Regions

Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater

Details of nominate subspecies, not present in Australia

Psittacus aterrimus Gmelin, J.F. 1788. Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Linné, editio decima tertia, aucta, reformata. Regnum Animalium. Leipzig (Lipsiae) : G.E. Beer Pt 1 pp. 1–500 [For publication date Duncan, F.M. 1937. On the dates of publication of the Society's 'Proceedings', 1859–1926. With an appendix containing the dates of publication of 'Proceedings', 1830–1858, compiled by the late F.H. Waterhouse, and of the 'Transactions', 1833–1869, by the late Henry Peavot, originally published in P.Z.S. 1893, 1913. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 107: 71–84] [330] [not preoccupied by Psittacus niger crist. Pennant, 1781, a junior primary homonym of Psittacus niger Linnaeus, 1758 (=Coracopsis niger (Linnaeus, 1758)) cf. Mathews, G.M. 1916. The Birds of Australia. London : Witherby & Co. Vol. 6 pt 1. pp. 1–104 pls 275–282 [publication dated as 1916–1917, 22 Nov. 1916] (82); based on the Great Black Cockatoo from the East Indies in Edwards, G. 1764. Gleanings of Natural History, exhibiting figures of Quadrupeds, Birds, Insects, Plants, & c. Most of which have not, till now, been either Figured or Described.. London : G. Edwards Pt III pp. vii 221-347 pls 311-362 (229, pl. 316), on Le Kakatoës noir in Buffon, G.L. 1783. Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. Paris : l'Imprimerie Royale Vol. VII xii 435 pp. 142 pls (79), and on the Black Cockatoo in Latham, J. 1781. A General Synopsis of Birds. London : B. White Vol. 1 Pt 1 vi 416 pp. I–XVI pls (260); Le Kakatoës noir of Buffon is based in turn wholly on the Great Black Cockatoo of Edwards, but the Black Cockatoo of Latham is a mix of both the Great Black Cockatoo of Edwards and black cockatoos recorded on the east Australian coast by Sydney Parkinson on James Cook's first voyage (=Calyptorhynchus banksii (Latham, 1790)), see Mathews, G.M. 1916. The Birds of Australia. London : Witherby & Co. Vol. 6 pt 1. pp. 1–104 pls 275–282 [publication dated as 1916–1917, 22 Nov. 1916] (81-82); although pl. 316 in Edwards, G. 1764. Gleanings of Natural History, exhibiting figures of Quadrupeds, Birds, Insects, Plants, & c. Most of which have not, till now, been either Figured or Described.. London : G. Edwards Pt III pp. vii 221-347 pls 311-362 is treated by convention as representing the type of aterrimus Gmelin, 1788, no lectotypification appears to have been effected under ICZN Art. 74 to prevent confusion with Calyptorhynchus banksii (Latham, 1790) cf. Mees, G.F. 1957. Over het belang van Temminck's "Discours préliminaire" voor de zoologische nomenclatuur. Zoologische Mededelingen (Leiden) 35: 205–227, accordingly this procedural point is implemented here; for identity of lectotype, see Mees, G.F. 1957. Over het belang van Temminck's "Discours préliminaire" voor de zoologische nomenclatuur. Zoologische Mededelingen (Leiden) 35: 205–227 cf. conventionally accepted designation of northern Australia as type locality by van Oort, E.D. 1911. An undescribed form of Microglossus aterrimus. Notes from the Leyden Museum 33: 239–240, Mayr, E. 1937. Birds collected during the Whitney South Sea Expedition. XXXVI Notes on New Guinea Birds. III. American Museum Novitates 947: 1–11 and Condon, H.T. 1975. Checklist of the Birds of Australia Pt 1 Non-passerines. Melbourne : Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union xx 311 pp.].

Type data: lectotype whereabouts unknown (no. unspecified, figured on pl. 316 in Mathews, G.M. 1911. On some necessary alterations in the nomenclature of birds. Pt II. Novitates Zoologicae 18: 1–22 [For publication date Mathews, G.M. 1913. New generic names, with some notes on others. Austral Avian Records 2: 55–62]), paralectotype(s) (= type of Psittacus banksii Latham, 1790 (q.v.)).
Subsequent designation: Schodde, R. 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. [73].
Type locality: Aru Islands (as Nova Hollandia), see Mees, G.F. 1957. Over het belang van Temminck's "Discours préliminaire" voor de zoologische nomenclatuur. Zoologische Mededelingen (Leiden) 35: 205–227.

General References

Condon, H.T. 1975. Checklist of the Birds of Australia. Part 1 Non-Passerines. Melbourne : Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union xx 311 pp. (subspecific arrangement)

Forshaw, J.M. 1978. Parrots of the World. 2nd (revised) Edn. Illustrated by W.T. Cooper. Melbourne : Lansdowne Edns 616 pp. 158 pls. (presenting alternative taxonomic arrangement)

Mayr, E. 1937. Birds collected during the Whitney South Sea Expedition. XXXVI Notes on New Guinea Birds. III. American Museum Novitates 947: 1-11 (subspecific arrangement)

Mees, G.F. 1982. Birds from the lowlands of southern New Guinea (Merauke and Koembe). Zoologische Verhandelingen (Leiden) 191: 1-188 4 pls (presenting alternative taxonomic arrangement)

Ogilvie-Grant, W.R. 1915. Report on the birds collected by the British Ornithologists' Union Expedition and the Wollaston Expedition in Dutch New Guinea. Ibis 2(Jubilee Suppl.): xx 1-329 (subspecific arrangement)

Peters, J.L. 1937. Check-list of Birds of the World. Cambridge : Harvard University Press Vol. 3 xiii 311 pp. (subspecific arrangement)

Rothschild, W. & Hartert, E. 1913. List of the collection of birds made by Albert S. Meek in the lower ranges of the Snow Mountains on the Eilanden River, and on Mt. Goliath during the years 1910 and 1911. Novitates Zoologicae 20: 473-527 (subspecific arrangement)

Salvadori, T. 1891. Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum. Catalogue of the Psittaci, or Parrots. London : British Museum Vol. 20 xvii 658 pp. XVIII pls. (subspecific arrangement and specific limits)

Wolters, H.E. 1975. Die Vogelarten der Erde. Eine systematische Liste mit Verbreitungsangaben sowie deutschen und englischen Namen. Hamburg : Paul Parey Lief. 1, 1-80 pp. (presenting alternative taxonomic arrangement)

History of changes

• Solenoglossus aterrimus macgillivrayi Mathews, G.M. 1912. A Reference-List to the Birds of Australia. Novitates Zoologicae 18: 171-455 [Date published 31 Jan 1912] [261].

  Type data:

   Holotype AMNH 619323 ♂ (G.M. Mathews' coll. no. 971), Cape York, N QLD
  Comment: for identification of holotype, see 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.

  Type locality references:

  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.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

N coastal and subcoastal Cape York Peninsula, south to Archer-Holroyd Rivers on west coast and Princess Charlotte Bay (Stewart River) on east, straggling rarely to mainland, SW islands in Torres Strait—also adjacent S New Guinea(?).

IBRA

Qld: Cape York Peninsula (CYP)

Other Regions

Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater

Ecological Descriptors

Arboreal, closed forest, diurnal, granivore, gregarious, open forest, sedentary, tall forest, volant, woodland.

Extra Ecological Information

Seasonal breeder, sexually dimorphic (bill), in eucalypt forests and woodlands and fringing gallery rainforests, roosts in loose groups, feeds arboreally on nuts husked from woody fruits, flies above forest canopy with regular cacatuine wing-beats with little gliding, nests in large hollows lined with wood chips, clutch of one, both parents incubate and feed grey-downed chick.

General References

D'Ombrain, E.A. 1933. Notes on the Great Black Palm Cockatoo. The Emu 33: 114-121 (plumages, grooming, feeding, voice, breeding)

Forshaw, J.M. 1964. Some field observations on the Great Palm Cockatoo. The Emu 63: 327-331 (habitat, roosting, flight, voice, feeding)

Holyoak, D.T. 1972. Adaptive significance of bill shape in the Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus). Aviculture Magazine 78: 99-100 (method of feeding)

Muller, K.A. 1975. Propagation of the Palm Cockatoo Probosciger aterrimus at Taronga Zoo. International Zoo Yearbook 15: 108-111 (nidification)

Wood, G.A. 1984. Tool use by the Palm Cockatoo Probosciger aterrimus during display. Corella 8: 94-95 (behaviour)

Wood, G.A. 1988. Further field observations of the Palm Cockatoo Probosciger aterrimus in the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. Corella 12: 48-52 (behaviour, ecology)

History of changes