Black Harrier

SCI Name:  Circus maurus
Protonym:  Falco maurus Pl.Col. livr.78 pl.461
Taxonomy:  Accipitriformes / Accipitridae / Circus
Taxonomy Code:  blahar1
Type Locality:  Cape of Good Hope.
Author:  Temminck
Publish Year:  1828
IUCN Status:  Endangered

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).

maurus
L. Maurus  Moorish, African (i.e. black, dark).
● ex “Coucal Nègre” of Levaillant 1807, pl. 222 (?syn. Centropus menbeki, ?syn. Centropus bernsteini).