Abyssinian Owl

SCI Name:  Asio abyssinicus
Protonym:  Otus abyssinicus Rev.Zool. 6 p.321
Taxonomy:  Strigiformes / Strigidae / Asio
Taxonomy Code:  aleowl1
Type Locality:  Abyssinia.
Author:  Guérin-Méneville
Publish Year:  1843
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

ASIO
(Strigidae; † Long-eared Owl A. otus) "Asio. Genus 11.  ...  Moyen Duc  ...  ASIO  ...  On le trouve le plus souvent sur les montagnes & les endroits élèves" (Brisson 1760): based on "Asio" and "Otus" of Gessner 1555, and many other references; "Asio Brisson, Orn., 1, 1760, p. 28.  Type, by tautonymy, Asio Brisson = Strix otus Linné." (Peters, 1940, IV, p. 167).
Var. Azio.
Synon. Ascalaphus, Brachyotus, Nisuella, Noctua, Nyctalops, Phasmaptynx, Rhinoptynx, Rhinostrix.
• (Strigidae; syn. Bubo † Great Eagle Owl B. bubo) "ASIO, Antiq.  Horned Owls.  Head large, furnished with a double crest or egrets.  Ears and facial disk moderate, and the latter not always perfect.  Ears without an operculum.  Bill short, with the upper mandible sometimes festooned. (fig. 198.)    A. bubo. Pl. Enl. 435.    Virginiana. Wils. vi. pl. 50. 1." (Swainson 1837); "Asio Swainson 1837, Nat. Hist. Classification Birds, II, p. 217.  Type, by subsequent designation (G. Gray, 1855, Cat. Genera Subgenera Birds Brit. Mus., p. 9), Strix bubo." (JAJ 2020).
• (Strigidae; syn. Megascops † Eastern Screech Owl M. asio) "123. MEGASCOPS, Kaup, 1849.  (Strix asio, Linn.)   ...   123 = Asio, Schl. & Pr. B. 1853." (G. Gray, 1855, Cat. Genera Subgenera Birds Brit. Mus., pp. 9, 135 (Appendix)).  I have yet to locate the reference to Schlegel and Bonaparte, 1853.

asio
L. asio, asionis or axio, axionis  type of eared owl.
● "Otus Asio, ♂.  Small Horn-Owl.  ...  Otus Asio, ♀.  Small Horn-Owl." (Leach 1816 (ed. Salvin 1882)) (syn. Asio otus).
● "42. STRIX.  ...  Asio.  3. S. capite aurito, corpore supra ferrugineo subtus cinereo, alis punctis quinque albis.  Noctua aurita minor. Catesb. car. 1. p. 7. t. 7.  Habitat in America." (Linnaeus 1758) (Megascops).
● "GENUS XXXI.—SCOPS, Savigny.  ...  Sp. 1. Sc. Asio.  Strix Scops. Shaw, v. vii. p. 233.—Strix Carniolica. Shaw, v. vii. p. 231.—Strix pulchella. Shaw, v. vii. p. 239.—England and Europe." (Stephens in Shaw 1825) (syn. Otus scops).

abyssinaica / abyssinica / abyssinicus / abyssinus
Mod. L. Abyssinicus Abyssinian, of Abyssinia or Ethiopia (Arabic name Habaš for the area < Geez, the classical language of Ethiopia, used Habaśā for the peoples of the region). In ornithology ‘Abyssinian’ is often still used, since it covers both Eritrea and Ethiopia and cannot be confused with ‘Ethiopian’, a former term for the Afrotropical zoögeographical region.
● ex “Grand Calao d’Abyssinie” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 779, “Calao d’Abyssinie” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Abyssinian Hornbill” of Latham 1781 (Bucorvus).
● ex “Rollier d’Abyssinie” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 626, and “Abyssinian Roller” of Latham 1781 (Coracias).
● ex "Gros bec d'Abyssinie" of de Buffon 1770-1786, and "Abyssinian Grosbeak" of Latham 1783 (subsp. Ploceus cucullatus).
● ex “Waalia Pigeon” of Bruce 1790 (syn. Treron waalia).
● ex “Merle brun d’Abissinie” of Brisson 1760, and “Abyssinian Thrush” of Latham 1783 (Turdus).
● See: habessinicus

SUBSPECIES

Abyssinian Owl (abyssinicus)
SCI Name: Asio abyssinicus abyssinicus
abyssinaica / abyssinica / abyssinicus / abyssinus
Mod. L. Abyssinicus Abyssinian, of Abyssinia or Ethiopia (Arabic name Habaš for the area < Geez, the classical language of Ethiopia, used Habaśā for the peoples of the region). In ornithology ‘Abyssinian’ is often still used, since it covers both Eritrea and Ethiopia and cannot be confused with ‘Ethiopian’, a former term for the Afrotropical zoögeographical region.
● ex “Grand Calao d’Abyssinie” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 779, “Calao d’Abyssinie” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Abyssinian Hornbill” of Latham 1781 (Bucorvus).
● ex “Rollier d’Abyssinie” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 626, and “Abyssinian Roller” of Latham 1781 (Coracias).
● ex "Gros bec d'Abyssinie" of de Buffon 1770-1786, and "Abyssinian Grosbeak" of Latham 1783 (subsp. Ploceus cucullatus).
● ex “Waalia Pigeon” of Bruce 1790 (syn. Treron waalia).
● ex “Merle brun d’Abissinie” of Brisson 1760, and “Abyssinian Thrush” of Latham 1783 (Turdus).
● See: habessinicus

Abyssinian Owl (graueri)
SCI Name: Asio abyssinicus graueri
graueri
Rudolf Grauer (1871-1927) Austrian ornithologist, collector in tropical Africa 1904-1911 (subsp. Asio abyssinicus, Bradypterus, Ceblepyris, subsp. Chlorophoneus multicolor, subsp. Cinnyris stuhlmanni, subsp. Crithagra striolata, subsp. Dyaphorophyia ansorgei, syn. Estrilda atricapilla kandti, subsp. Euschistospiza cinereovinacea, subsp. Geokichla camaronensis, syn. Otus senegalensis, subsp. Phyllastrephus flavostriatus, syn. Ploceus cucullatus, syn. Polyboroides typus, subsp. Prinia subflava, Pseudocalyptomena, subsp. Turdus pelios).