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THE SCIENTIFIC NOMENCLATURE OF Birds IN THE UPPER MIDWEST
By James Sandrock, Jean C. Prior UNIVERSITY OF IOWA PRESS
Copyright © 2014 University of Iowa Press
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-60938-225-4
CHAPTER 1
The Birds
A
ACANTHIS: A latinized form of Greek akanthis, Aristotle's word for "a kind of finch." FINCH FAMILY.
flammea: A Latin word for "flame-colored" that refers to the reddish tint on the forehead and breast, which may vary with age and season from pink to bright red.
COMMON NAME: Common Redpoll, a bird that can be seen regularly within its northern range
OTHER NAMES: little redpoll, mealy redpoll
hornemanni: The latinized form of "Hornemann's." This species was named for Jens Wilken Hornemann (1770–1841), a Danish botanist and author of Flora Danica, by his friend Carl Peter Holböll (1795–1856), a Danish explorer and administrator of Greenland, where the type specimen was collected.
COMMON NAME: Hoary Redpoll for the pale gray to white undertail coverts and rump; a "frosty" A. flammea
OTHER NAMES: arctic redpoll, Greenland redpoll, Hornemann's redpoll
ACCIPITER: This Latin word for "hawk" is derived from accipere = to take possession of, to grasp. The similar Greek word okypteros (from okys = swift + pteron = wing), i.e., "swift wing," is the general term for a bird of prey. Thus, "capturer" is an apt translation for this bird, which takes and kills prey with its talons. The more poetic translation "swift wing" would account for speed in the pursuit and quick disposal of prey. HAWK FAMILY.
cooperii: A latinized form of "Cooper's." This species was named for William Cooper (1798–1864), an American zoologist, bird collector, and a friend of Charles Lucien Jules Laurent Bonaparte (1803–1857), who described and named this species.
COMMON NAME: Cooper's Hawk
OTHER NAMES: striker, big blue darter, quail hawk
gentilis: Latin for "belonging to the same family or clan [gens]." By the mid-fourteenth century, the word had come to mean "of noble rank, superior, distinguished." Here, "noble" is an allusion to the size, appearance, flight, and courage of this audacious raptor, which was one of the birds so classified by medieval falconers.
COMMON NAME: Northern Goshawk for its general range in the United States and Canada; gos = goose, the reputed prey
OTHER NAMES: goose hawk, blue hen-hawk, blue darter, partridge hawk
striatus: Postclassical Latin for "streaked, lined" from stria = a furrow, line. "Streaked" refers to the vertical streaks of the underparts and the barred tail.
COMMON NAME: Sharp-shinned Hawk for the thin tarsus exposed below the short feathers on the upper leg
OTHER NAMES: little blue darter, bullet hawk, sharpie
ACTITIS: The Greek word aktites = dweller on the coast (akte). "Shore habitué" describes the habitat. SANDPIPER FAMILY.
macularius: A postclassical Latin adjective from macula = spot, blot. "Marked with spots, speckled" refers to the small dark dotting on the white underparts.
COMMON NAME: Spotted Sandpiper
OTHER NAMES: teeter-tail, tip-up, sand lark
AECHMOPHORUS: From Greek aichmophoros = carrying a spear (aichme). "Spear bearer" alludes to the long, sharp shape of the bill. GREBE FAMILY.
clarkii: A latinized word for "Clark's." John Henry Clark (ca. 1830–ca. 1885) was a member of the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey (1851–1855) and other expeditions during which he collected many specimens for the Smithsonian Institution.
COMMON NAME: Clark's Grebe
OTHER NAMES: None found
occidentalis: The Latin word for "westerly, western" denotes the general range of this bird in the United States and Canada.
COMMON NAME: Western Grebe
OTHER NAMES: swan-necked grebe, western dabchick
AEGOLIUS: Greek aigolios = a small owl (Aristotle); Latin aegolios = a kind of screech owl (Pliny). In Greek myth, Aigolios was one of Zeus's nurses, who was transformed into a "bird of omen"—perhaps an owl? OWL FAMILY.
acadicus: A latinized form of "Acadian" designates the region of the type specimen taken in Acadia, i.e., Nova Scotia.
COMMON NAME: Northern Saw-whet Owl for the breeding range and for the call during breeding season, which, it is said, resembles the sound of a saw being sharpened
OTHER NAMES: saw-filer, whetsaw, white-fronted owl
funereus: The Latin word for "of a funeral, funereal" captures the call, a regular, mournful sound like that of a death knell.
COMMON NAME: Boreal Owl for its range in northern forests
OTHER NAMES: arctic saw-whet owl, tooting owl, little owl
AERONAUTES: From Greek aer, aeros (genitive) = air, atmosphere + nautes = seaman, sailor. "Sailor of the air" alludes to this bird's exceptional flying skills. Birds of this genus, possibly the fastest of North American birds, fly higher and faster and glide longer than other swifts. SWIFT FAMILY.
saxatalis: The Latin adjective for "dwelling among rocks" describes a bird that occupies cliffs and steep canyons during the summer months.
COMMON NAME: White-throated Swift for the white throat and underparts
OTHER NAME: rock swift
AGELAIUS: From Greek agelaios = belonging to a herd, gregarious. "Social" aptly describes the behavior of assembling in large, shifting flocks. BLACKBIRD FAMILY.
phoeniceus: The Latin word for "purple-red" (Greek phoinikeos) highlights the bright red "epaulets" on the wings of the adult male.
COMMON NAME: Red-winged Blackbird
OTHER NAMES: marsh blackbird, red-shouldered blackbird
AIX: The Greek word for "goat," but this word is used by Aristotle for an unidentified waterbird: suggestions include plover, snipe, teal, grebe, and —owl! DUCK FAMILY.
sponsa: Latin word for "bride, betrothed" (from spondere = to promise, pledge). This adjective, although feminine, applies to the lovely "bridal" plumage of the adult breeding male.
COMMON NAME: Wood Duck for the preferred habitat of this bird, which nests in tree cavities
OTHER NAMES: woody, squealer, the bride
AMMODRAMUS: From Greek ammos = sand, a sandy place + dramein = to run. "Sand runner" pertains to the shy behavior of birds in this genus, which run rather than fly when disturbed in their grassland habitat. SPARROW FAMILY.
bairdii: A latinized form of "Baird's." This bird was named for Spencer F. Baird.
COMMON NAME: Baird's Sparrow
OTHER NAMES: None found
henslowii: A latinized form of "Henslow's." John Stevens Henslow (1796–1861) was a British clergyman, naturalist, and professor at Cambridge University and taught Charles Darwin, whom he recommended for the position of naturalist on the HMS Beagle.
COMMON NAME: Henslow's Sparrow
OTHER NAME: Henslow's bunting
leconteii: This bird was named by John James Audubon for John Lawrence Le Conte (1825–1883), an American physician and entomologist.
COMMON NAME: Le Conte's Sparrow
OTHER NAME: Le Conte's bunting
nelsoni: A latinized form of "Nelson's." Edward William Nelson (1885–1934) was founding president of the aou and chief of the US Biological Survey.
COMMON NAME: Nelson's Sparrow
OTHER NAMES: Nelson's sharp-tailed sparrow, Nelson's finch
savannarum: A latinized form (genitive plural) of Spanish zavana = an open, treeless plain, i.e., savanna. "Of the plains" perfectly describes this bird's grassland habitat.
COMMON NAME: Grasshopper Sparrow for its insectlike, high-pitched, buzzing song
OTHER NAMES: grass dodger, quail sparrow
ANAS: Latin for "a duck." DUCK FAMILY.
acuta: This Latin word for "sharp, pointed" describes the long, spiked tail.
COMMON NAME: Northern Pintail for the breeding range in the United States and Canada and for the prominent, tapering tail feathers
OTHER NAMES: sprig, spike-tail, sprit-tail
americana: A latinized form of "American," which distinguishes this bird from the Eurasian species (A. penelope).
COMMON NAME: American Wigeon
OTHER NAMES: baldpate, blue-billed wigeon, green-headed wigeon
clypeata: The Latin word for "armed with a shield [clipeus]" alludes to the shape of the bill.
COMMON NAME: Northern Shoveler for the general breeding range in the northern (and western) United States and Canada and for the shape and use of the bill
OTHER NAMES: spoonbill, scooper, mud duck
crecca: This specific term was applied very early to this bird by Linnaeus in his Fauna Suecica (1746). It is apparently a latinized form of the characteristic utterance of the male, perhaps crek or crüc. Similar onomatopoetic names for the Green-winged Teal are the Swedish kricka, Danish krikand, and German Krickente, all of which seem to confirm the etymology as echoic. It is difficult to exclude Greek krex and Latin crex; both are rail-like birds named for their raspy sounds.
COMMON NAME: Green-winged Teal for the prominent green speculum, especially visible in flight
OTHER NAMES: redhead teal, mud teal, winter teal
cyanoptera: From Greek kyaneos = (dark) blue + pteron = feather, wing. "Blue wing" refers to the prominent blue patches on the forewings.
COMMON NAME: Cinnamon Teal for the general color of the plumage
OTHER NAMES: red-breasted teal, red teal
discors: Latin for "discordant, inharmonious," which apparently alludes to the utterances made when taking flight. The calls of this bird, however, are not unpleasing.
COMMON NAME: Blue-winged Teal for the sky-blue wing patches on the forewings, most visible in flight
OTHER NAMES: white-faced teal, summer teal, fall duck
fulvigula: From Latin fulvus = dark, tawny + gula = throat. "Tawny throat" describes the light brown color of the neck.
COMMON NAME: Mottled Duck for the variegated plumage
OTHER NAMES: black mallard, dusky duck
penelope: From the Greek penelops = a kind of duck. According to Elliott Coues, Linnaeus used the Greek word for "duck" when naming this species and not the name of Odysseus's faithful wife, Penelope. In Greek myth, Penelope's parents cast her into the sea, where she was fed and saved by ducks (penelopes), hence her name.
COMMON NAME: Eurasian Wigeon, which distinguishes this species from its American counterpart (A. americana)
OTHER NAMES: European wigeon, whistler, whewer
platyrhynchos: From Greek platys = flat, wide + rhynchos = bill, beak, nose. "Broad-billed" describes the large beak.
COMMON NAME: Mallard, derived from Old French and Old English malard = drake; anglicized to "mallard"
OTHER NAMES: common wild duck, curly-tail, green-head
querquedula: Latin for "a kind of duck" is an onomatopoetic name. "Little quacker" applies to the call.
COMMON NAME: Garganey. Another onomatopoetic name from the root garg, which suggests the throat sounds of Greek gargarizein = to gargle; Middle French gargouiller = to gurgle; Italian garganello = throat. Garganello is also an Italian dialect name for this duck.
OTHER NAME: Garganey teal
rubripes: From Latin ruber = red + pes = foot. "Red-footed" refers to the reddish-orange feet and legs.
COMMON NAME: American Black Duck for its range and dark brown plumage
OTHER NAMES: dusky mallard, red-legged duck, blackjack
strepera: A coined adjective from Latin strepere = to make a noise, clatter, or clang. "Noisy" expresses the loud call.
COMMON NAME: Gadwall. The etymology is uncertain, but the word has been in use since the 1600s.
OTHER NAMES: gray duck, creek duck, bleating duck
ANHINGA: The Tupi (Brazil) name for this bird. This and many other Tupi words for natural phenomena are found in Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (1648; see Platalea ajaja). ANHINGA FAMILY.
anhinga: A tautonym.
COMMON NAME: Anhinga
OTHER NAMES: water turkey, snake bird, darter
ANSER: The Latin word for "goose." GOOSE FAMILY.
albifrons: From Latin albus = white + frons = forehead, brow, front. "White front" refers to the white forehead of the adult.
COMMON NAME: Greater White-fronted Goose, which is larger than the Eurasian Lesser White-fronted Goose (A. erythropus)
OTHER NAMES: specklebelly, laughing goose, yellow-legged goose
ANTHUS: Latin for "a small grassland bird" (Pliny) and Greek anthos = a small, beautifully colored bird (Aristotle). In Greek myth, Anthos was killed by horses. Zeus, out of pity, changed him into a bird. SPARROW FAMILY.
rubescens: A form of Latin rubescere = to become red, i.e., slightly red. "Reddish" refers to the buffy breast, especially of the Upper Midwest group.
COMMON NAME: American Pipit to distinguish this species from its Eurasian counterparts
OTHER NAMES: water pipit, wagtail, brown lark
spragueii: A latinized form of "Sprague's." This bird was named for Isaac Sprague (1811–1895), an American botanical and ornithological illustrator who was a member of Audubon's last expedition in 1843 to the Upper Missouri.
COMMON NAME: Sprague's Pipit
OTHER NAME: prairie skylark
ANTROSTOMUS: From Greek antron = cave, cavern (Latin antrum) + stoma = mouth. "Cavernous mouth" alludes to the large, gaping mouth of birds in this genus. NIGHTJAR FAMILY.
carolinensis: A coined Latin adjective for "Carolina" + suffix -ensis = of or from a place. "Of the Carolinas" identifies the region where the type specimen was collected.
COMMON NAME: Chuck-will's-widow for an imitation of the call
OTHER NAMES: the great bat, chick-a-willa, mosquito hawk
vociferus: From Latin vox, vocis (genitive) = voice + ferre = to carry, bear. "Noisy, loud, clamorous" verifies the loud, persistent call.
COMMON NAME: Eastern Whip-poor-will for its range and an onomatopoetic rendering of its call
OTHER NAMES: cave-mouth, mimic
APHELOCOMA: From Greek apheles = smooth, level, plain + kome (Latin coma) = the hair of the head. "Smooth hair" refers to the lack of a crest. JAY FAMILY.
californica: A latinized adjective meaning "of or from California," which designates the locality of the type specimen taken at Monterey.
COMMON NAME: Western Scrub-Jay for the general range and habitat
OTHER NAMES: long-tailed jay, California jay
AQUILA: Latin word for "eagle." HAWK FAMILY.
chrysaetos: From Greek chryseos = golden, gold-colored + aetos = eagle. "Golden eagle" highlights the gold-tinged nape of the adult.
COMMON NAME: Golden Eagle
OTHER NAMES: mountain eagle, brown eagle, war eagle
ARCHILOCHUS: One of several hummingbird genera named by Heinrich Gottlieb Reichenbach (1793–1879), a German botanist and ornithologist, who wished to commemorate classical Greek figures. Archilochus was an innovative, radical Greek soldier-poet who lived ca. 700 B.C. HUMMINGBIRD FAMILY.
alexandri: Latin for "Alexandre's." This bird was named in 1846 for M. M. Alexandre, a French physician. According to one source, he collected the type specimen in the Sierra Madre of western Mexico. Little information exists about Alexandre and his collecting activities.
COMMON NAME: Black-chinned Hummingbird for the distinct dark band across the chin and above the iridescent violet lower throat of the adult male
OTHER NAMES: black-chin, black-chinned hummer
colubris: A latinized form of colibri, an Arawak/Taíno (Carib bean) word for "little magic one, spirit one," i.e., a hummingbird.
COMMON NAME: Ruby-throated Hummingbird for the iridescent ruby-red gorget
OTHER NAMES: hummer, ruby-throat
ARDEA: The Latin word for "heron." HERON FAMILY.
alba: Latin for "white," which describes the plumage color of this wading bird.
COMMON NAME: Great Egret for the largest egret in the United States
OTHER NAMES: American egret, plume bird, long white
herodias: From Greek erodios = heron. Both the Latin genus and Greek species names mean "heron"—a classically named bird.
COMMON NAME: Great Blue Heron for this bluish heron, the largest in the United States and Canada
OTHER NAMES: blue crane, big cranky
ARENARIA: The Latin word for "sandy" refers to the shoreline habitat. SANDPIPER FAMILY.
interpres: Latin for "agent, messenger." The allusion, apparently, is to the alarm call, warning other birds of impending danger.
COMMON NAME: Ruddy Turnstone for the reddish-brown on the back and wings and for the habit of flipping small stones and other flotsam while searching for food
OTHER NAMES: calico jacket, checkered snipe, chuckatuck
(Continues...)
Excerpted from THE SCIENTIFIC NOMENCLATURE OF Birds IN THE UPPER MIDWEST by James Sandrock, Jean C. Prior. Copyright © 2014 University of Iowa Press. Excerpted by permission of UNIVERSITY OF IOWA PRESS.
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