Afghan Snowfinch

SCI Name:  Montifringilla theresae
Protonym:  Montifringilla theresae Bull.Br.Orn.Club 58 p.10
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Passeridae / Montifringilla
Taxonomy Code:  afgsno1
Type Locality:  Shibar Pass, northern Afghanistan.
Author:  Meinertzhagen, R
Publish Year:  1937
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

MONTIFRINGILLA
(Passeridae; Ϯ White-winged Snowfinch M. nivalis) L. mons, montis  mountain; fringilla  finch; "II. G. Bergfink. Montifringilla, Brehm.   1. Der Schneebergfink, M. nivalis Br.   2. Der Eisbergfink, M. glacialis Br." (Brehm 1828); "Die Bergfinken sind unter den Finken, was die Sporner unter den Ammern sind; allein sie leben auf den höchsten Bergen über dem Holzwuchse, neben, unter und über dem ewigen Eise und Felsen und auf dem Boden, fast immer in Gesellschaft  ...  Der Schneebergfink. Montifringilla nivalis, Br. (Fr. nivalis, Linn. N.W.V. Th. Taf. 117, 1, 2.)" (Brehm 1831); "Montifringilla Brehm, 1828, Isis von Oken, col. 1277. Type, by subsequent designation, Montifringilla nivalis Brehm = Fringilla nivalis Linnaeus (Gray, 1840, List Gen. Birds, p. 46)." (Greenway in Peters 1962, XV, 26).   
Var. Motifringilla, Mantifringilla.   
Synon. Chionospina, Eurhinospiza, Geospiza, Oreospiza, Orites, Plectrofringilla.

montifringilla
Mod. L. montifringilla (Turner 1544)  mountain finch, brambling  < L. mons, montis  mountain; fringilla  finch.
● "98. FRINGILLA.  ...  Montifringilla.  3. F. alarum basi subtus flavissima. Fn. svec. 198. t. 2. f. 198.  Montifringilla s. Fringilla montana. Jonst. av. 99. t. 38. Will. orn. 187. t. 45. f. 5. Raj. av. 88. Alb. av. 3. p. 60. t. 64. Frisch. av.  . t. 3. f. 2. 3. Olin. av. 32. Aldr. orn. l. 18. c. 7.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Fringilla).

theresae
● Dr Theresa Rachel Clay (1911-1995) British parasitologist, authority on bird-lice, collector (syn. Alauda arvensis, syn. Anthus pratensis whistleri, syn. Bucanetes githaginea zedlitzi, syn. Coccothraustes coccothraustes buvryi, syn. Crithagra albogularis sordahlae, syn. Emberiza sahari, subsp. Galerida theklae, syn. Garrulus glandarius minor, subsp. Lanius excubitor, subsp. Melierax metabates, syn. Oenanthe moesta, subsp. Onychognathus tenuirostris, syn. Ptyonoprogne rupestris, Pyrgilauda, syn. Saxicola rubicola hibernans, syn. Scleroptila psilolaema elgonensis, subsp. Scotocerca saharae, syn. Spizocorys sclateri, syn. Sylvia nana, syn. Turdoides caudatus salvadorii, syn. Turdus viscivorus deichleri).
● Therese Charlotte Maria Anna Princess of Bavaria (1850–1925) German zoologist, anthropologist, explorer, daughter of Luitpold Prince-Regent of Bavaria (subsp. Hapalopsittaca amazonina).
● Probably after the Maria Theresa thaler or dollar, a silver-bullion coin much in demand in Africa and the Middle East (named after Maria Theresa Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary (1717-1780; reigned 1740-1780)); "Scents and hair-oil were also very much sought after by the people of Bornu, a fact which, I think, revealed a trace of their Eastern origin. They did not care at all for beads, preferring the Maria Theresa dollar, which they beat and made into silver ornaments" (Alexander 1907) (Mark Brown and Martin Schneider in litt.)) (syn. Indicator maculatus stictithorax).
● Teresa Cristina Maria Princess of the Two Sicilies and Empress Consort of Brazil (1822-1889; reigned 1843-1889) renowned for her generosity, patience and support of Brazilian culture (Joek Roex in litt.) (subsp. Hylophylax naevius).
● Therese "Resi" Reiser née Höfner (1860-1953) wife of Austrian ornithologist Dr Otmar Reiser (Martin Schneider in litt.) (syn. Ramphastos vitellinus ariel).