What is "totanus"

Totanus ( Bechstein, 1803) is a generic name previously applied to various waders or shorebirds, now subsumed within Tringa. Created by Bechstein, it derives from the species name for the common redshank, described by Linnaeus in 1758 as Scolopax totanus, from “totano”, the Italian name for the bird.

Birds once placed in the genus include:

• Common redshank (Totanus totanus), now Tringa totanus
• Greater yellowlegs (Totanus melanoleucus), now Tringa melanoleuca
• Lesser yellowlegs (Totanus flavipes), now Tringa flavipes
• Willet (Totanus semipalmatus), now Tringa semipalmata