Alcedo australasia Vieillot

Jansen, Justin J. F. J., 2017, Rene Mauge's ornithological collections from Kupang Bay, West-Timor, Indonesia, August-November 1801, with special regard to type-specimens, Zoosystematics and Evolution 93 (2), pp. 467-492 : 473

Alcedo australasia Vieillot

Alcedo australasia Vieillot, 1818, Nouv. Dict. Nat. éd. 19: 419 (no locality; the specific epithet suggests Australasia).

Todiramphus australasia Now: Todiramphus australasia (Vieillot, 1818). See Pucheran 1853: 389-390 and Hellmayr 1914: 68. - Now.

Type materials.

HOLOTYPE: MNHN A.C. 3488, adult, near Kupang Bay, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, West-Timor (10°11'0"S; 123°35'0"E), between 22 August and 13 November 1801, by René Maugé.

Tag: Halcyon Australasia / Exp. Baudin Timor (Vieill.) / M. Maugé (no 139) other side: Cat. des. gal. 184 (3488).

Comments.

The type description by Vieillot provides no details as to how many specimens were involved and from which collection they were examined. This specimen was the sole representative of the species up to the early 1900's (MNHN Laboratory, ZMO-GalOis 2). The type locality is erroneous (Australasia), and therefore corrected and restricted to: West-Timor, near Kupang Bay (article 76a.2.A (ICZN 1999)). Vieillot named this species Todiramphus australasia or ‘southern’ ( Jobling 2017).