American Goldfinch

SCI Name:  Spinus tristis
Protonym:  Fringilla tristis Syst.Nat.ed.10 p.181
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Fringillidae / Spinus
Taxonomy Code:  amegfi
Type Locality:  northern America ; restricted to South Carohna by Amer. Ornith. Union, 1931, Check-list North Amer. Birds, ed. 4, p. 326.
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1758
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

SPINUS
(Fringillidae; Ϯ Eurasian Siskin S. spinus) Gr. σπινος spinos  unidentified bird mentioned by Aristophanes, Dionysius, Hesychius, and others, usually treated as a type of finch  < σπιζω spizō  to  chirp (cf. specific names Fringilla Spinus J. Gmelin, 1789, and Emberiza Spinus von Schrank, 1798); "SYS, in 't Latyn Spinus.  Hy is by LINNÆUS. Syst. Nat. [ed. 9, 1756] gesl. 80. oder de Vinken gebracht" (Moehring 1758); "LV. Gattung. Zeisig. Spinus.  ...  Die Zeisige sind sehr zierliche muntere Vögelchen.  ...  Ihre Nahrung besteht in kleinen Saamen. Sie nisten auf Bäume.  Vier Arten.  146. Distel-Zeisig. Spinus carduelis.  ...  147. Lein-Zeisig. Spinus Linaria.  ...  148. Citronen-Fink. Spinus Citrinella.  ...  149. Erlen-Zeisig. Spinus viridis.  ...  Fringilla Spinus. Gmel. Linn. S. I. p. 194. n. 25." (Koch 1816); "Spinus Koch, 1816, Syst. Baierischen Zool., Säug. Vögel, 1, p. 232. Type, by tautonymy, Fringilla spinus Linnaeus." (Howell & Paynter in Peters 1968, XIV, 234).
Synon. Acanthilis, Acanthis, Astragalinus, Chrysomitris, Loximitris, Melanomitris, Pseudomitris, Pyrrhomitris, Sporagra.
• (Emberizidae; syn. Emberiza † Corn Bunting E. calandra) "SPINUS Mœhr. (1752). Cynchramus, (Antiq.) Bonap. (1838).  Miliaria ^b, Brehm. (1831).  Emberiza, L.    S. miliarius, (L.) G. R. Gray.  Pl. enl. 233.  M. europæa, Swains.   ...   ^b Employed in Botany." (G. Gray 1841); "Spinus "Moehr." G. Gray, 1841, List Genera Birds, 2nd ed., p. 61 (not of Koch, 1816).  Type, by original designation, S. miliarius (L.), i.e. Emberiza miliaria Linnaeus, 1766 = Emberiza calandra Linnaues, 1758." (JAJ 2021).     

spinus
Gr. σπινος spinos  unidentified bird mentioned by Aristophanes, Dionysius, Hesychius, and others, usually treated as a type of finch  < σπιζω spizō  to chirp.
● "98. FRINGILLA.  ...  Spinus.  19. F. remigibus medio luteis: primis quatuor immaculatis, rectricibus basi flavis apice nigris. Fn. svec. 203.  Acanthus avicula. Gesn. av. I.  Spinus s. Ligurinus. Aldr. orn. l. 18. c. 4. Will. orn. 192. t. 46. Raj. av. 91. n. 1. Alb. av. 3. p. 71. t. 76. Frisch. av. 2. t. 11. f. 1. 2. Olin. av. 15.  Habitat in Europæ juniperetis.” (Linnaeus 1758) (Spinus).

tristis
L. tristis  sad, gloomy.
● ex “Merle des Philippines” of Brisson 1760 (Acridotheres).
● ex “Merle à cul jaune du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 317 (syn. Pycnonotus nigricans).
● "98. FRINGILLA.  ...  tristis.  14. F. flava, fronte nigra, alis fuscis.  Carduelis americana. Catesb. car. I. p. 43. t. 43.  Habitat in America septentrionali." (Linnaeus 1758) (Spinus).

SUBSPECIES

American Goldfinch (jewetti)
SCI Name: Spinus tristis jewetti
jewetti
Stanley Gordon Jewett (1885-1955) US ornithologist, with Fish & Wildlife Service 1916-1949 (syn. Catharus guttatus slevini, subsp. Spinus tristis).

American Goldfinch (pallidus)
SCI Name: Spinus tristis pallidus
pallidum / pallidus
L. pallidus  pallid, pale, wan, sallow  < pallere  to be pale.
● ex “Pale Thrush” of Latham 1783 (Turdus).

American Goldfinch (salicamans)
SCI Name: Spinus tristis salicamans
salicamans
L. salix, salicis  willow tree; amans, amantis  loving, lover  < amare  to love.

American Goldfinch (tristis)
SCI Name: Spinus tristis tristis
tristis
L. tristis  sad, gloomy.
● ex “Merle des Philippines” of Brisson 1760 (Acridotheres).
● ex “Merle à cul jaune du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 317 (syn. Pycnonotus nigricans).
● "98. FRINGILLA.  ...  tristis.  14. F. flava, fronte nigra, alis fuscis.  Carduelis americana. Catesb. car. I. p. 43. t. 43.  Habitat in America septentrionali." (Linnaeus 1758) (Spinus).