The Key to Scientific Names
- Gymnoscops
(Strigidae; syn. Otus † Seychelles Scops Owl O. insularis) Gr. γυμνος gumnos bare, naked; genus Scops Brünnich, 1772, owl; "It differs, however, from all other Owls of the Scops group: — (1) by the fact that its ear-tufts, if any, are only rudimentary; and (2) by its tarsi wholly unfeathered, excepting a narrow line for about a quarter of an inch down the front of the tarsus, while the back of the joint is entirely bare. And I venture to think that these differences entitle it at least to subgeneric, if not generic, rank. ... I venture to propose for this bird the name of Gymnoscops insularis, nov. gen. et spec. GYMNOSCOPS, nov. genus. Ear-tufts rudimentary; tarsi and feet unfeathered. GYMNOSCOPS INSULARIS, nov. spec. Ex insulis Seychellarum." (Tristram 1880); "Gymnoscops Tristram, Ibis, 1880, p. 458. Type, by monotypy, Gymnoscops insularis Tristram." (Peters, 1940, IV, p. 86).
- Heteroscops
(Strigidae; syn. Otus † Mountain Scops Owl O. spilocephalus luciae) Gr. ἑτερος heteros different, another; genus Scops Brünnich, 1772, owl; "HETEROSCOPS, gen. n. Genus simile generi 'Scops' dicto, sed fasciis auricularibus absentibus, et facie crinibus tenuibus ornata distinguendum. Typus sit 22. HETEROSCOPS LUCIÆ. Scops luciæ, Sharpe, Ibis, 1888, p. 478." (Sharpe 1889); "Heteroscops Sharpe, 1889, Ibis, p. 77. Type, by original designation, Scops luciae Sharpe, 1888." (JAJ 2021).
- MEGASCOPS
(Strigidae; † Eastern Screech Owl M. asio) Gr. μεγας megas, μεγαλη megalē great; genus Scops Brünnich, 1772, owl; the Eastern Screech Owl and its New World congeners were formerly placed in the genus Scops (= Otus); "I. Gen. Scops, Sav. (1809). ... c) Subg. Megascops, Kp. 5) Sc. indica, Gmel. S. N. p. 289., lempiji et rufescens, Horsf., noctula Reinw. col. 99. As. 6) Sc. atricapilla, Natt. pl. col. 145. S.-Am. 7) Sc. brasiliana Gm. p. 389., choliba Vieill., crucigera Spix., decussata Licht. S.-Am. 8) Sc. asio L. S. N. p. 132., naevia Gm. N.-Am. 9) Sc. albopunctata G. Gray, Brit. Mus.? S.-Am." (Kaup 1848); "Megascops Kaup, 1848, Isis von Oken, (Heft X), col. 769. Type, by subsequent designation (G. Gray, 1855, Cat. Genera Subgenera Birds, p. 9), Strix asio Linn. Sharpe, 1875, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., II, p. 44, fixation of Scops lempiji as type is erroneous." (JAJ 2020).
Var. Megacops.
Synon. Asio, Athene, Pseudociccaba.- Mesoscops
(Strigidae; syn. Megascops † Whiskered Screech Owl M. trichopsis) Gr. μεσος mesos middle, intermediate; genus Megascops Kaup, 1848, owl (cf. genus Scops Brünnich, 1772, owl); the Whiskered Screech Owl was formerly included in Otus (AT; see Manuscript-names).
- Microscops
(Strigidae; syn. Aegolius † Northern Saw-whet Owl A. acadicus) Gr. μικρος mikros small; σκωψ skōps, σκωπος skōpos little eared owl; "Cryptoglaux Richm. ... Microscops subgen nov. ... (subgen. Microscops Buturl.). . . acadica (Gm.)" (Buturlin 1910) (OD per Björn Bergenholtz); "Microscops Buturlin, 1910, Nasha Okhota, 4, pp. 10, 13. Type, by monotypy, Strix acadica Gmelin, 1788." (JAJ 2021).
- Pseudoscops
(Strigidae; syn. Asio Ϯ Jamaican Owl A. grammicus) Gr. ψευδος pseudos false; σκωψ skōps, σκωπος skōpos scops owl; "II. Gen. Otus, Cuv. (1799-1800). a) Subg. Pseudoscops, Kp. (Ephialtes Gosse et Gr.) 1) O. grammicus Goss., E. grammicus Goss. B. of Jamaica p. 19." (Kaup 1848); "Subgenus. Pseudoscops. Mit kurzen Flügeln. 1ste Schwinge so lang wie die 10te. 1ste bis 4te Schwinge schwach ausgeschnitten. Schnabel gross und vorgestreckt, Zehen nackt und geschuppt. Otus grammicus, Kp., Ephialtes, Gosse., Otus siguapa, Orb." (Kaup 1851); "Pseudoscops Kaup, Isis von Oken, 1848, col. 769. Type, by monotypy, Ephialtes grammicus Gosse." (Peters, 1940, IV, p. 171).
- PSILOSCOPS
(Strigidae; † Flammulated Owl P. flammeolus) Gr. ψιλος psilos bare, smooth; genus Scops Brünnich, 1772, owl; "In my judgment, a large number of the subgenera now standing in the Check-List require to be restored or advanced to full generic rank, and some additional subgenera need to be recognized. I submit the following cases to the judgment of the committee: ... Subgenus Psiloscops nob. Type Scops flammeola Kaup." (Coues 1899); "PSILOSCOPS Coues, 1899 M — Scops flammeola Kaup, 1852; type by original designation" (Dickinsin and Remsen (eds.), H. & M. Complete Checklist, 4th ed., 2013, 1 (Non-passerines), p. 269). Although all other New World screech owls have been transferred to Megascops, the Flammulated Owl, considered closer to Otus, has been given its own genus.
- scops
L. scops, scopes small owl < Gr. σκωψ skōps, σκωπος skōpos little eared owl; "42. STRIX. ... Scops. 5. S. capite auriculato penna solitaria. Scops. Aldr. ornith. l. 8. c. 4. Raj. av. 25. Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Otus).
- Scops
● (Gruidae; syn. Anthropoides † Demoiselle Crane A. virgo) Gr. σκοπος skopos watcher, guardian < σκοπεω skopeō to spy out; "84. SCOPS. Demoiselle de Numidie. PERR. Mem. d. Anim. 156 sqq. fig. opt. Virgo Numidiae. Allgem. Hist. der Reis. t. 3. t. 13. f. 3. fig. superficiar." (Moehring, 1752, Avium Genera, p. 73 (pre-Linnaean)); "SCOPS, Mœhr. (1752). Anthropoïdes, Vieill. (1816). Ardea, L. Grus, Briss. Tetrapteryx, Thunb. (179?). S. Virgo, (L.) G. R. Gray. Pl. enl. 241" (G. Gray 1841); "Scops "Moehr." G. Gray, 1841, List Genera Birds, 2nd ed., p. 86. Type, by original designation, S. virgo (L.), i.e. Ardea virgo Linnaeus, 1758." (JAJ 2021).
● (Strigidae; syn. Otus † Eurasian Scops Owl O. scops) Gr. σκωψ skōps, σκωπος skōpos little eared owl; "LES CHOUETTES, ULULÆ. ... 14. SCOPS. Bec épais, très-incliné; cire à peine convexe sur les côtés; narines très-petites, ovales: oreilles médiocres, dépourvues d'opercules: ongles simples . . .yeux surmontés d'aigrettes mobiles. ... 23. SCOPS Ephialtes. Le Petit Duc. ... SYNONYM. Anciens. 1. Σκωψ. HOMER. Odyss. lib. v. ... Scops. PLIN. Hist. Nat. lib. x. ... Natural. 1. Strix Scops. LINN. Syst. natur. edit. 12, tom. I. ... Arabes. BOUM des Égyptiens" (de Savigny 1809); "Scops de Savigny, 1809, Description de l'Égypte, Hist. Nat., I (1), pp. 69, 107. Type, by tautonymy, Scops ephialtes de Savigny, 1809 = Strix scops Linnaeus, 1758." (JAJ 2021).
Var. Scoops.
● (Scopidae; syn. Scopus † Hamerkop S. umbretta) Undoubtedly a lapsus for Scopus; "GRALLÆ ... Rostrum validum compressum, Caput longitudine superans ... Apice aduncum, Facies plumis tecta . . .SCOPS" (Brünnich 1772).