Calicalicus madagascariensis (Linnaeus, 1766)

Classification and Endemism

The red-tailed vanga, with the scientific name Calicalicus madagascariensis, is a bird species that belongs to the Vangidae family. This species is endemic to Madagascar.

Natural Habitats

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Brisson's 1760 Description

In 1760, French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the red-tailed vanga in his work Ornithologie, based on a specimen collected from Madagascar. For this species, Brisson used the French name La petite pie-griesche de Madagascar and the Latin name Lanius Madagascariensis minor.

Status of Brisson's Names

Even though Brisson created these Latin names, they do not follow the rules of the binomial system, and are not recognized by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.

Linnaeus's 1766 Publication

In 1766, Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus published the twelfth updated edition of his Systema Naturae. In this edition, he added 240 species that had previously been described by Brisson, and the red-tailed vanga was one of these added species.

Valid Binomial Naming

Linnaeus wrote a brief description of the species, coined the valid binomial name Lanius madagascariensis, and cited Brisson's earlier work.

Genus Placement

This species is currently placed in the genus Calicalicus, which was introduced by French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1854.

Taxonomic Status

Calicalicus madagascariensis is a monotypic species.