African Marsh-Harrier

SCI Name:  Circus ranivorus
Protonym:  Falco ranivorus TraitedOrn.[Daudin] 2 p.170
Taxonomy:  Accipitriformes / Accipitridae / Circus
Taxonomy Code:  afmhar1
Type Locality:  South Africa.
Author:  Daudin
Publish Year:  1800
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

CIRCUS
(Accipitridae; Ϯ Western Marsh Harrier C. aeruginosus) Gr. κιρκος kirkos  partly mythical hawk, named for its circling flight  < κιρκος kirkos  circle, mentioned by many classical authors and later identified with the Hen Harrier (cf. κιρκη kirkē  bird referred to by Aelianus, different to κιρκος kirkos but not otherwise identified); "BUSARD. Circus.  { Le bec courbé dès la base; la tête plate en dessus, et garnie de plumes; la base du bec recouverte d'une cire; les ailes très-longues; la première penne de l'aile, très-courte; le tarse long et grêle." (de Lacépède 1799); "Circus Lacépède, Tabl. Ois., 1799, p. 4. Type, by subsequent designation, Falco aeruginosus Linné. (Lesson, Man. d'Orn., 1, 1828, p. 105.)" (Peters, 1931, I, p. 264).
Var. Cercus.
Synon. Eucircus, Glaucopteryx, Melanocircus, Polyborus, Pseudocircus, Pterocircus, Pygargus, Spilocircus, Spizacircus, Strigiceps.

circus
Gr. κιρκος kirkos  partly mythical hawk, named for its circling flight  < κιρκος kirkos  circle (syn. Circus aeruginosus).

ranivora / ranivorus
Mod. L. ranivorus  frog-eating  < L. rana  frog; -vorus  -eating  < vorare  to devour.
● ex “Grenouillard” of Levaillant 1798, pl. 23 < French grenouille  frog (Circus).