Taraba Major Bird

English Name:  Great Antshrike
Latin Name:  Taraba major
Protonym:  Thamnophilus major Nouv.Dict.Hist.Nat. 3 p.313
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Thamnophilidae / Taraba
Taxonomy Code:  greant1
Type Locality:  Paraguay.
Author:  Vieillot
Publish Year:  1816
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

TARABA
(Thamnophilidae; Ϯ Great Antshrike T. major) Anagram of genus Batara Lesson, 1830, antshrike; "VIII.^e Sous-genre TARABA; Taraba.   Bec fort, comprimé, presque droit, très-crochu, fortement denté, à arête convexe, à bords dilatés, entiers et garnis d'un rebord coupantet luisant; mandibule inférieure renflée en dessous; ailes courtes, concaves, à troisième rémige la plus longue.  Queue ample, presque égale ou un peu fourchue; tarses courts, faibles.  Observ. Tous les oiseaux de ce genre forment une tribu très-naturelle, que les auteurs ont nommée BATARA, Tamnophilus, en y adjoignant quelques espèces très-différentes. Tous ces oiseaux sont de l'Amérique chaude.   1.º Tamnophilus magnus, Wied; le grand Batara, Azara, t. III, p. 419.  Du Brésil.   2.º Tamnophilus albiventer, Spix, pl. 32. Du Brésil.   3.º Lanius lunulatus. De Cayenne (M. Poiteau). (Atlas, pl. 45, fig. 2.)   4.º Lanius lineatus, Leach  ...  5.º Lanius maculatus, Gal. de Paris.   6.º Lanius rubiginosus, Lath.  ...  7.º Turdus cirrhatus, Gm.  ...  Femelle (Lanius canadensis, Gm.   ...   8.º Lanius melas, Cuv.  ...  9.º Lanius alveolus, Cuv.   ...   10.º Lanius punctatus, Shaw; le Tachet, Levaill., Afriq., pl. 76. Du Brésil.   11.º Lanius cæsius, Cuv.   ...   12.º Turdus rufifrons, Gm.   ...   13.º Lanius unirufus, Gal. de Paris.   ...   14.º Lanius vestitus, Cuv.; Tamnophilus lineatus, Spix   ...   15.º Lanius doliatus, Gm.   ...   16.º Lanius arcuatus. Brésil. (Delalande.)" (Lesson 1830); "Taraba Lesson, Traité d'Orn., livr. 5, between Sept. 1830 and Feb. 1831, p. 375. Type, by subsequent designation, Tamnophilus magnus Wied = Thamnophilus major Vieillot (Sherborn, Index Anim., 1931, p. 6382)." (Peters 1951, VII, 157).
Var. Tabara.
Synon. Diallactes.

taraba
Tupí name Tarabe for an Amazon parrot.
● ex “Tarabe” of Willughby 1676, and Ray 1713, “Psittacus brasiliensis erythrocephalus” of Brisson 1760, and “Tarabé” or “Amazone à tête rouge” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (?syn. Amazona vinacea).

major
L. maior, maioris  greater, larger  < comp. magnus  great, large, powerful.
● ex “Poule d’eau de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 352; “Even if [Statius Müller, 1776] ...should some day be repudiated by ornithologists on account of his carelessness and his apparent colour-blindness, then the proper name of the species would be Aramides major (Boddaert), founded on Daubenton’s plate” (Sharpe 1894) (syn. Aramides cajanea).
● ex “Grand Corbeau” of Levaillant 1800, pl. 51 (unident.;?Corvus sp.).
● ex “Crotophagus major” of Brisson 1760, “Grand bout de Petun” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 102, fig. 1, “Ani des palétuviers” of Salerne 1767, and “Greater Ani” of Latham 1781 (Crotophaga).
● 54. PICUS.  ...  major.  10. P. albo nigroque varius, ano occipiteque rubro.  Picus albo nigroque varius, rectricibus tribus lateralibus utrinque albescentibus. Fn. svec. 81.  Picus varius major. Ges. av. 708. Aldr. ornith. l. 12. c. 32. Will. orn. 94. t. 21. Raj. av. 43. Alb. av. I. p. 19. t. 19. Frisch. av. . . t. 36. f. 1.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Dendrocopos).
● ex “Grande Egrette d’Amérique” of d’Aubenton, 1765-1781, pl. 925 (syn. Egretta garzetta).
● ex “Scolopax media” of Frisch 1733-1763, “Great Snipe” of Pennant 1768, and Latham 1785 (syn. Gallinago media).
● ex “Grand Indicateur, mâle” of Levaillant 1807, pl. 241, fig. 1 (syn. Indicator indicator).
● ex “Pie-grièche Blanchot” of Levaillant 1810, pl. 285 (syn. Malaconotus blanchoti).
● ex “An other sort of Loggerhead” of Sloane 1707-1725, “Sitta” or “Picus cinereus major, rostro curvo” of Ray 1713, “Grand Sittelle à bec crochu” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Great Nuthatch” of Latham 1781 (?syn. Myiarchus validus).
● ex “Parus major” of Gessner 1555, Belon 1555, Aldrovandus 1599, and Willughby 1676, “Fringillago”, “Great Titmouse” or “Ox Eye” of Ray 1713, and Albin 1731, and “Parus capite nigro, temporibus albis, nucha luteis” of Linnaeus 1746 (Parus).
● ex “Grèbe de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 404, fig. 1, and “Grand Grèbe” of de Buffon 1770-1785 (Podiceps).
● ex “Barbican des côtes de Barbarie” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 602 (syn. Pogonornis dubius).
● ex “Grande Quiscale” of Vieillot 1819 (Quiscalus).
● ex “Tangara des grands bois de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 205 (syn. Saltator maximus).
● ex “Batara mayor” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 211 (Taraba).
● ex “Macucagua” of Marcgrave 1648, Willughby 1676, and Ray 1713, “Perdix brasiliensis” of Brisson 1760, and “Magoua” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (Tinamus).
● ex “Trepadore grande” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 241 (Xiphocolaptes).

SUBSPECIES

Great Antshrike (melanocrissus)
Latin Name: Taraba major melanocrissus
melanocrissa / melanocrissus
L. melas, melanos  black  < Gr. μελας melas, μελανος melanos  black; Mod. L. crissum  vent  < L. crissare  to copulate.

Great Antshrike (obscurus)
Latin Name: Taraba major obscurus
obscurum / obscurus
L. obscurus  dark, dusky.
● ex “Hook-billed Green Creeper” of Latham 1782 (Akialoa).
● ex “Dusky-crowned Humming-bird” of Latham 1782 (syn. Clytolaema rubricauda).
● ex “Dusky Tody” of Latham 1782, and Pennant 1785 (syn. Contopus virens).
● ex “Pic verd de l’isle de Luçon” of Sonnerat 1776 (syn. Dendropicos griseocephalus).
● ex “Dusky Falcon” of Pennant 1787 (syn. Falco columbarius).
● ex “Dusky Grosbeak” (= ☼) of Pennant, 1784 (syn. Hedymeles ludovicianus).
● ex “Obscure Fly-catcher” of Latham 1823 (syn. Hemipus hirundinaceus).
● "44. PSITTACUS.  ...  obscurus.  3. P. macrourus niger, genis nudis, vertice cinereo-nigrescente vario, cauda cinerea. Hasselq. iter. 236.  Habitat in Africa?" (Linnaeus 1758) (unident.: ?‡syn. Mascarinus mascarin).
● ex “White-rumped Woodpecker” of Latham 1782 (syn. Melanerpes erythrocephalus).
● ex “Tolocatzenatl” of Ray 1713, “Sturnus novae Hispaniae” of Brisson 1760, “Tolcana” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Brown-headed Stare” of Latham 1783 (subsp. Molothrus ater).
● ex “Dusky Rail” of Latham 1785 (syn. Pennula sandwichensis).
● ex “Dusky Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (Phaeornis).
● ex “Black and White Dobchick” of Edwards 1747, “Colymbus minor” of Brisson 1760, “Petit Grèbe” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 942, and “Dusky Grebe” of Pennant 1785, and of Latham 1785 (syn. Podiceps auritus cornutus).
● ex “Dusky Plover” of Latham 1781 (cf. Dusky Bay, New Zealand) (Pluviorhynchus).
● ex “Dusky Petrel” of Latham 1785 (syn. Puffinus assimilis).
● ex “Indian Raven” of Willughby 1676, and “Wreathed Hornbill” of Latham 1781 (syn. Rhyticeros plicatus).
● ex “Dark Thrush” of Latham 1783 (Turdus).
● "This specimen, like many from the Anthony collection, is badly soiled, a condition which may have led Anthony to name a dark race" (Browning 1979) (syn. Vireo huttoni).
● "44. PSITTACUS.   ...   obscurus.  3. P. macrourus niger, genis nudis, vertice cinereo-nigrescente vario, cauda cinerea. Hasselq. iter. 236.  Habitat in Africa ?" (Linnaeus 1758); "Linnæus identified his Psittacus obscurus with P. mascarinus, Briss.  ...  but the evidence is against this identification" (Salvadori 1891) (unident.; nom. dub.). 

Great Antshrike (transandeanus)
Latin Name: Taraba major transandeanus
transandeanus
L. trans across, beyond; Mod. L. Andeanus of the Andes.

Great Antshrike (granadensis)
Latin Name: Taraba major granadensis
granadense / granadensis
New Granada, a former republic of South America variously incorporating Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador.  The name of Granada, the last bastion of the emirs of al-Andalus, was taken to the New World by the conquistadores (cf. New Spain, the original designation of Mexico).  In early ornithology “New Granada” and “Bogotá” were used to designate species of unknown provenance presumed to be from the Spanish Main (i.e. the Spanish-held Mainland), the hinterland of north-western tropical America.

Great Antshrike (semifasciatus)
Latin Name: Taraba major semifasciatus
semifasciata / semifasciatus
L. semi-  small, half-  < semis, semissis  half  < as, assis  whole; Late L. fasciatus  banded  < L. fascia  band.

Great Antshrike (duidae)
Latin Name: Taraba major duidae
duidae
Cerro Duida, Amazonas, Venezuela.

Great Antshrike (melanurus)
Latin Name: Taraba major melanurus
melanurum / melanurus
Gr. μελανουρος melanouros  with a black tail  < μελας melas, μελανος melanos  black; -ουρος -ouros  -tailed  < ουρα oura  tail.
● ex “Mbatuitui zancúdo” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 393 (subsp. Himantopus himantopus).
● ex “Black-tailed Parrakeet” (= ♂) of Lear 1831 (syn. Polytelis anthopeplus).

Great Antshrike (borbae)
Latin Name: Taraba major borbae
borbae
Borba, Rio Madeira, Brazil.

Great Antshrike (stagurus)
Latin Name: Taraba major stagurus
stagurus
Gr. σταγων stagōn, σταγονος stagonos  drop, spot; -ουρος -ouros  -tailed  < ουρα oura  tail.

Great Antshrike (major)
Latin Name: Taraba major major
major
L. maior, maioris  greater, larger  < comp. magnus  great, large, powerful.
● ex “Poule d’eau de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 352; “Even if [Statius Müller, 1776] ...should some day be repudiated by ornithologists on account of his carelessness and his apparent colour-blindness, then the proper name of the species would be Aramides major (Boddaert), founded on Daubenton’s plate” (Sharpe 1894) (syn. Aramides cajanea).
● ex “Grand Corbeau” of Levaillant 1800, pl. 51 (unident.;?Corvus sp.).
● ex “Crotophagus major” of Brisson 1760, “Grand bout de Petun” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 102, fig. 1, “Ani des palétuviers” of Salerne 1767, and “Greater Ani” of Latham 1781 (Crotophaga).
● 54. PICUS.  ...  major.  10. P. albo nigroque varius, ano occipiteque rubro.  Picus albo nigroque varius, rectricibus tribus lateralibus utrinque albescentibus. Fn. svec. 81.  Picus varius major. Ges. av. 708. Aldr. ornith. l. 12. c. 32. Will. orn. 94. t. 21. Raj. av. 43. Alb. av. I. p. 19. t. 19. Frisch. av. . . t. 36. f. 1.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Dendrocopos).
● ex “Grande Egrette d’Amérique” of d’Aubenton, 1765-1781, pl. 925 (syn. Egretta garzetta).
● ex “Scolopax media” of Frisch 1733-1763, “Great Snipe” of Pennant 1768, and Latham 1785 (syn. Gallinago media).
● ex “Grand Indicateur, mâle” of Levaillant 1807, pl. 241, fig. 1 (syn. Indicator indicator).
● ex “Pie-grièche Blanchot” of Levaillant 1810, pl. 285 (syn. Malaconotus blanchoti).
● ex “An other sort of Loggerhead” of Sloane 1707-1725, “Sitta” or “Picus cinereus major, rostro curvo” of Ray 1713, “Grand Sittelle à bec crochu” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Great Nuthatch” of Latham 1781 (?syn. Myiarchus validus).
● ex “Parus major” of Gessner 1555, Belon 1555, Aldrovandus 1599, and Willughby 1676, “Fringillago”, “Great Titmouse” or “Ox Eye” of Ray 1713, and Albin 1731, and “Parus capite nigro, temporibus albis, nucha luteis” of Linnaeus 1746 (Parus).
● ex “Grèbe de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 404, fig. 1, and “Grand Grèbe” of de Buffon 1770-1785 (Podiceps).
● ex “Barbican des côtes de Barbarie” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 602 (syn. Pogonornis dubius).
● ex “Grande Quiscale” of Vieillot 1819 (Quiscalus).
● ex “Tangara des grands bois de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 205 (syn. Saltator maximus).
● ex “Batara mayor” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 211 (Taraba).
● ex “Macucagua” of Marcgrave 1648, Willughby 1676, and Ray 1713, “Perdix brasiliensis” of Brisson 1760, and “Magoua” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (Tinamus).
● ex “Trepadore grande” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 241 (Xiphocolaptes).