Key to Scientific Names

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UPPERCASE: current genus Uppercase first letter: generic synonym ● and ● See: generic homonyms lowercase: species and subspecies ●: early names, variants, misspellings ‡: extinct †: type species Gr.: ancient Greek L.: Latin <: derived from syn: synonym of /: separates historical and modern geographic names ex: based on TL: type locality OD: original diagnosis (genus) or original description (species)

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The Key to Scientific Names

Edited by James A. Jobling

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Archifalco: (Falconidae; syn. Falco Ϯ Peregrine Falcon F. peregrinus) Gr. αρχος arkhos leader, chief < αρχω arkhō to rule; Late L. falco, falconis falcon < L. flectere to curve; "Neuer Name für die Gattung: Wanderfalke. ... Wenn nicht, so schlage ich hiermit für die Gattung der Wanderfalken im Umfang der "Natürlichen Gruppe" 1 Hartert's (Vög. pal. F. II. p. 1042), die sich mit meiner Gattung vollkommen deckt, und deren Kennzeichen (gedrungener, kräftiger Bau, infolge des kürzeren Schwanzes weniger schlank als die Jagdfalken und Verwandte, gedrungener als die kleineren Formen, stärker, sowie groß und starkfüßiger als die Rüttel- nnd [sic] Abendfalken) als Gattungsmerkmale im Allgemeinen gelten können, den neuen Namen Archifalco vor, um damit (analog zu dem leider nicht mehr anwendbaren schönen Namen Archibuteo Brehm 1828 = Triorchis Kaup. 1826) anzudeuten, daß die Vögel dieser Gruppe die edelsten, vornehmsten und markantesten Vertreter des Falkentyps, die eigentlichen "Erzfalken" sind. Es wären demnach für das palaearktische Gebiet folgende Gattungen zu unterscheiden: 1. Archifalco Bttchr. 1927 mit A. peregrinus (Tunst.) etc." (von Boetticher 1927) (OD per Björn Bergenholtz); "Archifalco Boetticher, Anz. Orn. Ges. Bayern, No. 11, p. 112, 1927—type, by orig. desig., Falco peregrinus Tunstall." (Hellmayr and Conover, 1949, Cat. Birds Americas, Pt. I (4), p. 294).
Dendofalco (See: Dendrofalco) Dendrofalco: (Falconidae; syn. Falco † Eurasian Hobby F. subbuteo) Gr. δενδρον dendron tree; Late L. falco, falconis falcon < L. flectere to curve; "LE HOBREAU. ... DENDRO-FALCO ... Il fait son nid dans les arbres" (Brisson 1760); based on Dendro-Falcus", "Dendro-Falco" and "Falco arborarius" of Gessner 1555 and various other older authors; "l'Hypotriorchis finalemente, di cui sarebbe tipo il subbuteo in compagnia degli altri Falchetti arborei ... Che se il detto Hypotriorchis, meglio Dendrofalco, Briss., fosse un genere, converrìa fondarne anche un altro per il Lithofalco ossia Aesalon" (Bonaparte 1840); "DENDROFALCO, Ray. Hypotriorchis, Boie. Æsalon et Lanirius, Briss. D. subbuteo, (L.) n., Pl. enl. 432." (G. Gray 1840); "Dendrofalco Gray, List Genera Birds, 1st ed. p. 3, April 1840. Type (by original designation): Falco subbuteo Linné." (Mathews, 1927, Syst. Av. Austral., I, p. 262).
Var. Dendofalco.
dendrofalco: Gr. δενδρον dendron tree; Late L. falco, falconis falcon < L. flectere to curve.
Eufalco: (Falconidae; syn. Falco † Peregrine Falcon F. peregrinus) Gr. ευ eu fine; Late L. falco, falconis falcon < L. flectere to curve; "2. FALCO Linné ... Sect. 1. Eufalco (Faucons). ... sacer Brisson. ... barbarus L. ... lanarius Schlegel. ... communis Gmelin." (Acloque 1900); "Eufalco Aclocque, Faune de France, 1, 1900, p. 113. Type, by subsequent designation, Falco communis Gmelin = Falco peregrinus Tunstall. (Richmond, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 53, 1917, p. 589.)" (Peters, 1931, I, p. 287).
falco: Late L. falco, falconis falcon < L. flectere to curve; the “Sekretär” of Gravenhorst 1817 (syn. Sagittarius serpentarius).
FALCO: (Falconidae; † Eurasian Hobby F. subbuteo) Late L. falco, falconis falcon < L. flectere to curve (alluding to the curved talons) (cf. Late Gr. φαλκων phalkōn, φαλκωνος phalkōnos falcon). "41. FALCO. Rostrum aduncum, basi cera instructum. Caput pennis arcte tectum. Lingua bifida. ... Aquilæ dictæ fuere Falcones majores, pedibus hirsutis. ... Falconaria avs ad aucupium & venatum instruendi Falcones transiit in Scientiam; inter auctores plurimos eminet d'Esparon Falconaria. Francs. 1617. quart." (Linnaeus 1758). This genus is the second diagnosed in avian nomenclature (the first being Vultur). "Falco Linné, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 88. Type, by subsequent designation, Falco subbuteo Linné. (A. O. U. Committee, 1886.)" (Peters, 1931, I, 284); "Falco Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., 1, p. 88, 1758—type, by subs. desig. (Brit. Orn. Un-Comm., List of British Birds, p. 149, 1915),²Falco Subbuteo Linnaeus. ... ²The A. O. U. Committee (1886), though generally credited with designating the genotype, unfortunately failed to do so, but merely determined Falco subbuteo as type by employing the inadmissable method of elimination." (Hellmay & Conover, 1949, Cat. Birds Americas, Pt. I (4), p. 293); "Falco Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, p. 88. Type, by subsequent designation (G. R. Gray, 1840, List Gen. Birds, p. 3), "F. peregrinus L." = Falco peregrinus Tunstall." (Amadon in Peters, 1979, I, 2nd ed., p. 400); "FALCO Linnaeus, 1758 M - Falco subbuteo Linnaeus, 1758; type by subsequent designation (A.O.U., 1886, Check List, 2nd ed., p. 193)." (Dickinson and Remsen (eds.), H. & M. Complete Checklist, 4th ed., 2013, 1 (Non-passerines), p. 349). Linnaeus's Falco comprised twenty-six species (F. Melanætus, F. Chrysaëtus, F. fulvus, F. canadensis, F. rusticolus, F. barbarus, F. cærulescens, F. Albicilla, F. Pygargus, F. Milvus, F. forficatus, F. gentilis, F. Subbuteo, F. Buteo, F. Tinnunculus, F. sufflator, F. cachinnans, F. sparverius, F. columbarius, F. Lanarius, F. Haliætus, F. Gyrfalco, F. apivorus, F. æruginosus, F. palumbarius, F. Nisus).
Var. Talco.
Synon. Aegypius, Aesalon, Archifalco, Astur, Asturaetus, Cataractes, Cenchris, Cerchneis, Chiquera, Confusiana, Cuvieria, Dendrofalco, Dissodectes, Dorcadothera, Erythropus, Eufalco, Euhierax, Falcolus, Falcula, Gennadas, Gennaia, Gyrfalco, Harpa, Harpe, Hierax, Hierofalco, Hypotriorchis, Ieracidea, Lanarius, Lithofalco, Megacerchneis, Neofalco, Nesierax, Notofalco, Palifalco, Pannychistes, Planofalco, Plioaetus, Pnigohierax, Poecilornis, Pontotriorchis, Rhynchodon, Rhynchofalco, Tichornis, Tinnunculus, Tolmerus, Turumtia.
Falcobaenus (See: PHALCOBOENUS) PHALCOBOENUS: (Falconidae; Ϯ Mountain Caracara P. megalopterus) Late Gr. φαλκων phalkōn, φαλκωνος phalkōnos falcon; Gr. βαινω bainō to walk; "Like other caracaras it is almost fowl-like as it trips about the ground in search of food; it both scratches like a chicken and stamps to disturb insects like a Secretary Bird ... It would be difficult to imagine a raptorial bird with less falcon-like habits" (Brown & Amadon 1968); "[plate] PHALCOBŒNUS montanus Nob." (d'Orbigny 1834); "Sous-famille: Caracarides ... {Phalcobènes ... Si un animal mort au milieu de la campagne attire les caracarides, on verra le polyborus vulgaris, le chimachima, le chimango et le phalcobœnus montanus prendre part au festin, les trois premiers chacun dans les plaines, et le dernier sur les montagnes. ... PHALCOBÈNE ¹, Phalcobœnus, Nob. ... Nous formons ce genre, afin d'y placer une espèce qui fait le passage des vulturidées aux falconidées et aux carácarás ordinaires, dont elle diffère, cependant, par des tarses réticulés et par des doigts proportionnellement bien plus longs. Cette espèce ne se perche jamais sur les arbres; ses pieds, analogues à ceux des cathartes, ne peuvent servir que très-imparfaitement à saisir une proie quelconque. ... PHALCOBÈNE MONTAGNARD, Phalcobœnus montanus, Nob. Oiseaux, pl. II, fig. 1, 2. ... Les Indiens Aymaras et Quichuas des Andes nomment cet oiseau, quand il est adulte, allcamari, et suamari, quand il est jeune. Les Espagnols le nomment dominico (dominicain), à cause des couleurs noire et blanche de son plumage. ... ¹De φαλκων, faucon, et de βαινω, je marche: Faucon marcheur." (d'Orbigny 1835); "Phalcobœnus d'Orbigny, Voy. Am. Mérid., livr. 2, 1834, Ois., pl. 2. Type, by monotypy, Phalcobœnus montanus d'Orbigny = Aquila megaloptera Meyen." (Peters, 1931, I, p. 279).
Var. Phalcobaenus, Phacoboenus, Phacobaenus, Phalcobenus, Phascobaenus, Falcobaenus, Falcoboenus.
Synon. Aetotriorchis, Helotriorchis, Oronertus, Senex.
falcoides: Genus Falco Linnaeus, 1758, falcon; Gr. -οιδης oidēs resembling; "Der meines Zwergadlers steht zwischen einem Adler- und Falkenschnabel mitten inne, so daß ich den Vogel darnach Anfangs Aquila falcoides nennen wollte; denn der Schnabel ist kurz gleich von der Wurzel an etwas, vor der Wachshaut im Halbkreise gebogen." (Brehm 1822) (?syn. Hieraaetus pennatus).
Falcolus: (Falconidae; syn. Falco † Peregrine Falcon F. peregrinus) Dim. < genus Falco Linnaeus, 1758, falcon; "SUBGEN. 2. Falcolus. Spec. 13. Falco lanarius Linn. Spec. 14. —— peregrinus Briss." (Brandt in de Tchihatcheff 1845); "Falcolus Brandt in de Tchihatcheff, 1845, Voyage Scientifique dans l'Altaï Oriental, II, sect. III, p. 439. Type, by monotypy, Falco lanarius Linnaeus, 1758 (nom. dub.) = Falco peregrinus Tunstall, 1771." (JAJ 2021).
falconariorum: Mod. L. falconariorum of falconers < Med. L. falconarius falconer < Late L. falco, falconis falcon < L. flectere to curve.
● ex “Emerillon” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 468, and “Esmerillon des Fauconniers” of de Buffon 1770-1786 (syn. Falco columbarius).
falconarius: Late L. falco, falconis falcon < L. flectere to curve; L. -arius pertaining to (cf. Med. L. falconarius falconer); alluding to the identical specific names of the Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus and the Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus (syn. Panurus biarmicus).
falconensis: Falcón State, Venezuela.
falconeri: Dr Hugh Falconer (1808-1865) Scottish geologist, botanist, palaeontologist, in India 1830-1842, 1847-1855 (‡Cygnus).
gyrfalco: Old French Gerfaucon Gyr Falcon < Old Norse Geirfalki excellent falcon, great falcon (“Gyrfalco = the Falcon that soars in circles: from gẏrāre = to wheel round, and falco. ... This is the name used in the former edition of the List. Hartert and the A. O. U. Check-List use Falco rusticolus, described three pages previously in the 10^th edition of Linnaeus, but this description, which has no reference, is, in the opinion of the Committee, indeterminable and should be rejected.” (BOU 1915)); "41. FALCO. ... Gyrfalco. 22. F. cera cærulea, pedibus luteis, corpore fusco: subtus fasciis cinereis, caudæ lateribus albis. Faun. svec. 62. Gyrfalco. Will. ornith. 44? Rai. av. 13.? Habitat in Europa; Columbis infestus." (Linnaeus 1758) (syn. Falco rusticolus).
Gyrfalco: (Falconidae; syn. Falco † Gyr Falcon F. rusticolus) Old French Gerfaucon Gyr Falcon < Old Norse Geirfalki great falcon (specific name Falco gyrfalco Linnaeus, 1766 (= syn. Falco rusticolus)); "GEN. VII. GYRFALCO. (Hierofalco of Cuvier.) JER-FALCON. - Notch of the bill obsolete. Tarsi reticulated. 14. G. candicans. - Plumage white, with dusky lines or spots. Gyrfalco, Will. Orn. 44. ... Feeds on birds, darting down upon them like an arrow" (Fleming 1828); "Gyrfalco Fleming, 1828, History British Animals, p. 50 Alternative name for Hierofalco Cuvier, 1816." (JAJ 2021).
hierofalco: Gr. ἱερος hieros sacred; Late L. falco, falconis falcon < L. flectere to curve (cf. genus Hierofalco Cuvier, 1816, falcon) (syn. Falco rusticolus).
Hierofalco: (Falconidae; syn. Falco † Gyr Falcon F. rusticolus) Gr. ἱερος hieros sacred (cf. ἱεραξ hierax, ἱερακος hierakos hawk); Late L. falco, falconis falcon < L. flectere to curve. In ancient Egypt the religious cult of Horus, the sky god, was devoted to the worship of birds of prey, especially falcons. The mummified remains of at least thirty different species of vultures, hawks, eagles and falcons have been found in tombs, but not those of the Gyr Falcon!; "LES GERFAULTS. (HIEROFALCO. Cuv.) (3). ... On n'en connait bien qu'une espèce. Le Gerfault. (Falco candicans, F. cinereus et F. sacer, Gm.) Buff., enl. 210, 456, 462, et Hist des Ois., I, pl. xiv. Edw., 53. ... (3) Hierax, hiero-falco, faucon sacré, sacre, tous noms tenant à l'ancienne vénération des Égyptiens pour certains oiseaux de proie. Gerfault est corrompu d'hiero-falco." (Cuvier 1816); "Hierofalco Cuvier, Règne Anim., 1, 1817, (1816), p. 312. Type, by monotypy, Falco candicans Gmelin. [= morph of Falco rusticolus]" (Peters, 1931, I, p. 284).
Var. Jerafalco.
KAUPIFALCO: (Accipitridae; Ϯ Lizard Buzzard K. monogrammicus) Portmanteau of surname Kaup (after Dr Johann Jacob Kaup (1803-1873) German zoologist, systematist) and genus Falco Linnaeus, 1758, falcon; "e. Buteoneæ. ... 30. KAUPIFALCO, Bp. — 87. monogrammicus, Temm." (Bonaparte 1854); "Kaupifalco Bonaparte, Rev. et Mag. Zoöl. (2), 6, 1854, p. 533. Type, by monotypy, Falco monogrammicus Temminck." (Peters, 1931, I, p. 243).
Synon. Asturinula.
lithofalco: Gr. λιθος lithos stone; genus Falco Linnaeus, 1758, falcon (syn. Falco columbarius).
Lithofalco: (Falconidae; syn. Falco † Merlin F. columbarius) Gr. λιθος lithos stone; genus Falco Linnaeus, 1758, falcon (cf. specific name Falco lithofalco J. Gmelin, 1788 (= syn. Falco columbarius)); "Der Blau-Falke. Falco (Lithofalco) aesalon. ... Nahrung. Er fängt Finken, Ammer, Zeisige und alle andern kleinen Vögel auf dem freien Felde, theils im Fluge, theils auch sitzend. Fortpflanzung. Er nistet in seinem Sommer-Aufenthalt in Felsenritzen" (Hahn 1835); "Lithofalco Hahn, 1835, Fauna Boica, II, pl. 14, fig. b, and text. Type, by monotypy, Falco aesalon Tunstall, 1771 = Falco columbarius Linnaeus, 1758." (JAJ 2021).
Neofalco: (Falconidae; syn. Falco † Bat Falcon F. rufigularis) Gr. νεος neos new; genus Falco Linnaeus, 1758, falcon; "Subgenus Neofalco RIDGW. ¹) ... ¹New subgenus: type, Falco albigularis DAUD." (Ridgway 1887); "Neofalco Ridgway, Man. N. Amer. Bds., p. 248, 1887—type, by orig. desig., Falco albigularis auct. [= Falco rufigularis Daudin]" (Hellmayr and Conover, 1949, Cat. Birds Americas, Pt. I (4), p. 294).
Notofalco: (Falconidae; syn. Falco † Black Falcon F. subniger) Gr. νοτος notos south; genus Falco Linnaeus, 1758, falcon; "NOTOFALCO, gen. nov. Differs from Rhynchodon Nitzsch in its much longer wings, longer tail, and weaker feet. Type, Falco subniger Gray." (Mathews 1913); "Notofalco Mathews, Austral Av. Rec. vol. ii. p. 56, Oct. 23rd, 1913. Type (by original designation): Falco subniger Gray." (Mathews, 1927, Syst. Av. Austral., I, p. 264).
Palifalco: (Falconidae; syn. Falco † Grey Falcon F. hypoleucos) L. pallidus pallid, pale < pallere to be pale; genus Falco Linnaeus, 1758, falcon (cf. Late L. falco, falconis falcon < L. flectere to curve); "Sub-genus: Palifalco nov. Type: Falco hypoleucos Gould. ... Falco (Palifalco) hypoleucos (Gould). Grey Falcon. ... NOTE: Palifalco differs from falco s. str. in proportions as follows: The bill is larger, the wing longer, the tail shorter, and the legs notably longer, while the colour is distinctive." (Mathews 1946); "Palifalco Mathews, 1946, Working List of Australian Birds, p. 51. Type, by original designation, Falco hypoleucos Gould, 1841." (JAJ 2021).
Parasifalco: (Falconidae; syn. Milvago † Yellow-headed Caracara M. chimachima) L. parasitus parasite < Gr. παρασιτος parasitos parasite; Late L. falco, falconis falcon < L. falx, falcis sickle < flectere to curve. "14. Milvago, Spix (Parasifalco, Less.)" (Lesson 1836); "Parasifalco Lesson, 1836, Complément des Oeuvres de Buffon, VII, p. 38. New name for Milvago von Spix, 1824, perhaps considered barbarous because of its construction, but Lesson is scarce one to cast stones!" (JAJ 2021).
Var. Parisifalco.
Planofalco: (Falconidae; syn. Falco † Prairie Falcon F. mexicanus) L. planum level ground, plains; Late L. falco, falconis falcon < L. flectere to curve; "This area, in northwestern Texas, includes the dry, level or rolling stretches of the Great Plains ... Planofalco mexicanus * (R) ... *Planofalco, gen. nov.; type, and only species, Falco mexicanus Schlegel" (Oberholser 1925) (OD per Björn Bergenholtz); "The Prairie Falcon which is commonly included in Falco, and therefore considered congeneric with the Gyrfalcon, is generically distinct. As there seemed to be no name available for it, the writer has proposed Planofalco, from planum, a plain (or prairie), and falco, a hawk" (Oberholser 1974); "Planofalco Oberholser, 1925, American Midland Naturalist, IX, p. 601. Type, by original designation, Falco mexicanus Schlegel, 1851." (JAJ 2021).
Rhynchofalco: (Falconidae; syn. Falco † Aplomado Falcon F. femoralis) Gr. ῥυγχος rhunkhos bill; Late L. falco, falconis falcon < L. flectere to curve; "Falco (Rhynchofalco ¹) femoralis Temm. ... ¹Rhynchofalco Nobis. Similar to Hypotriorchis, but frontal scutellæ of the tarsus and toes large, well-defined, and scarcely interrupted in the region of the digito-tarsal joint. Two outer primaries with inner webs cut. Bill very strong, the cere more elongated than in Hypotriorchis and allied subgenera, its length on top being about one-third the chord of the culmen. Type, Falco femoralis Temminck." (Ridgway 1873); "Rhynchofalco Ridgway, 1873, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., XVI, p. 46. Type, by original designation, Falco femoralis Temminck, 1822.” (JAJ 2022).
Zonifalco: (Falconidae; syn. Falco † Banded Kestrel F. zoniventris) Gr. ζωνη zōnē band, girdle; genus Falco Linnaeus, 1758, falcon (AT; see Manuscript-names).

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