Azure-winged Magpie

SCI Name:  Cyanopica cyanus
Protonym:  Corvus cyanus ReiseVersch.Provin.Russ.Reichs 3 p.694
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Corvidae / Cyanopica
Taxonomy Code:  azwmag2
Type Locality:  Dauria.
Author:  Pallas
Publish Year:  1776
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

CYANOPICA
(Corvidae; Ϯ Asian Azure-winged Magpie C. cyanus) L. cyanos  lapis lazuli  < Gr. κυανος kuanos  dark-blue; pica  magpie; "Intermediate between Garrulus and Pica, we come now to my Cyanopica, a genus of Blue Magpies about which some English journalists have chattered like pied (or rather paid) Magpies! I subjoin here the phrases of its three species, that of Vaillant, Pallas, and Capt. Cook, now Widrington (so closely allied as to be taken for three races of but one species), to show they are really distinct, although the characters hitherto assigned to them by the most clever and accurate naturalists may have proved inconstant and fallacious.   1. CYANOPICA MELANOCEPHALA, Bp.  ...  Hab. in China.   2. CYANOPICA CYANEA, Bp.  ...  Hab. in Asia orientali, Daouria, Japan.   3. CYANOPICA COOKI, Bp.  ...  Hab. in Eur. mer. Hispania." (Bonaparte 1850 (P.Z.S.)); "*822. Cyanopica, Bp. (Pica, p. Gr. - Garrulus, p. Auct.)  Eur. m. Afr. s. As. 3.   1?CORVUS CYANEUS, Lath. Vieill. nec Pall. (Pica melanocephalos, Wagl. - Cyanopolius vaillantii, Bp. in litt. Cyanopica melanocephala, Bp.) Levaill. Afr. t. 58. ex China.   ...  2.  CORVUS cyaneus, Pall. (Pica cyanea, Wagl. Schleg. Cyanopolius pallasi, Bp. in litt. - Cyanopica cyanea vel pallasi, Bp.) Faun. Japon. t. 42. ex Asia orientali nec occidentali.   ...   3. PICA CYANEA, Cook, nec Pall.(Pie bleue d'Europe, Cyanopica europaea, Schleg. - Cyanopolius cooki, Bp. Br. Ass. Birmingh. 1849. - Cyanopica cooki, Bp.) Gould, Eur. t. 217. - Susemihl, Vög. Eur. II. t. 5. ad. et jun. ex Hispania, Afr. s." (Bonaparte 1850 (Conspectus)); "Cyanopica Bonaparte, 1850, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 85. Type, by subsequent designation (Gray, 1855, Cat. Gen. Subgen. Birds, p. 64), Corvus cyanus Pallas." (Vaurie in Peters, 1962, XV, p. 244).
Synon. Cyanopolius, Dolometis.

cyanus
Gr. κυανος kuanos dark-blue.
● Gr. κυανος kuanos unknown bird, formerly identified with the Blue Rock Thrush or the Wallcreeper; ex “Cyanus” of Gessner 1555, Belon 1555, Aldrovandus 1599-1603, and Ray 1713, “Passer solitarius congener” of Willughby 1676, “Merula solitaria” of Edwards 1743-1751, and Brisson 1760, and Turdus solitarius Linnaeus, 1758 (syn. Monticola solitarius).

SUBSPECIES

Azure-winged Magpie (Azure-winged)
SCI Name: Cyanopica cyanus [cyanus Group]
CYANOPICA
(Corvidae; Ϯ Asian Azure-winged Magpie C. cyanus) L. cyanos  lapis lazuli  < Gr. κυανος kuanos  dark-blue; pica  magpie; "Intermediate between Garrulus and Pica, we come now to my Cyanopica, a genus of Blue Magpies about which some English journalists have chattered like pied (or rather paid) Magpies! I subjoin here the phrases of its three species, that of Vaillant, Pallas, and Capt. Cook, now Widrington (so closely allied as to be taken for three races of but one species), to show they are really distinct, although the characters hitherto assigned to them by the most clever and accurate naturalists may have proved inconstant and fallacious.   1. CYANOPICA MELANOCEPHALA, Bp.  ...  Hab. in China.   2. CYANOPICA CYANEA, Bp.  ...  Hab. in Asia orientali, Daouria, Japan.   3. CYANOPICA COOKI, Bp.  ...  Hab. in Eur. mer. Hispania." (Bonaparte 1850 (P.Z.S.)); "*822. Cyanopica, Bp. (Pica, p. Gr. - Garrulus, p. Auct.)  Eur. m. Afr. s. As. 3.   1?CORVUS CYANEUS, Lath. Vieill. nec Pall. (Pica melanocephalos, Wagl. - Cyanopolius vaillantii, Bp. in litt. Cyanopica melanocephala, Bp.) Levaill. Afr. t. 58. ex China.   ...  2.  CORVUS cyaneus, Pall. (Pica cyanea, Wagl. Schleg. Cyanopolius pallasi, Bp. in litt. - Cyanopica cyanea vel pallasi, Bp.) Faun. Japon. t. 42. ex Asia orientali nec occidentali.   ...   3. PICA CYANEA, Cook, nec Pall.(Pie bleue d'Europe, Cyanopica europaea, Schleg. - Cyanopolius cooki, Bp. Br. Ass. Birmingh. 1849. - Cyanopica cooki, Bp.) Gould, Eur. t. 217. - Susemihl, Vög. Eur. II. t. 5. ad. et jun. ex Hispania, Afr. s." (Bonaparte 1850 (Conspectus)); "Cyanopica Bonaparte, 1850, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 85. Type, by subsequent designation (Gray, 1855, Cat. Gen. Subgen. Birds, p. 64), Corvus cyanus Pallas." (Vaurie in Peters, 1962, XV, p. 244).
Synon. Cyanopolius, Dolometis.

Azure-winged Magpie (Japanese)
SCI Name: Cyanopica cyanus japonica
japanensis / japanicus / japensis / japonensis / japonica / japonicum / japonicus
Japan (Mod. English names (early examples including Giapan) were derived from a Portuguese corruption of Malay Jepang and Chinese Zeppen, themselves local renderings of Nippon). The French equivalent is Japon.
● ex “Japonese Eagle” of Latham 1781 (subsp. Falco peregrinus).
● ex “Grue du Japon” of Brisson 1760 (Grus).
● Erroneous TL Japan (= New Guinea); ex “Psittacus erythrochlorus macrourus” of Aldrovandus 12599, and “Psittaca japonica” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Charmosyna papou).