Blue Mockingbird

SCI Name:  Melanotis caerulescens
Protonym:  Orpheus caerulescens Philos.Mag.n.s. n.s., 1 p.369
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Mimidae / Melanotis
Taxonomy Code:  blumoc
Type Locality:  Mexico .
Author:  Swainson
Publish Year:  1827
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

MELANOTIS
(Mimidae; Ϯ Blue Mockingbird M. caerulescens) Specific name Turdus melanotis Temminck, 1830 (< Gr. μελας melas, μελανος melanos  black; -ωτις -ōtis  -eared  < ους ous, ωτος ōtos  ear); "573. Melanotis, Bp. (Mimus, p. Boie. - Orpheus, p. Sw. - Turdus, p. Gr.)   Mexico.  1.  TURDUS melanotis, Temm. nec Gould. (Orpheus caerulescens, Sw. - Melanotis caerulescens, Bp.) Pl. col. 498.  ex Mexico." (Bonaparte 1850); "Melanotis Bonaparte, 1850, Consp. Gen. Av., 1, p. 276. Type, by monotypy, Turdus melanotis Temminck = Orpheus caerulescens Swainson." (Davis & Miller in Peters 1960, IX, 441).

melanotis
Gr. μελας melas, μελανος melanos  black; -ωτις -ōtis  -eared  < ους ous, ωτος ōtos  ear.

caerulescens
Unattested L. caerulescens, caerulescentis  bluish (neither caerulescere nor caerulescens have been found in Classical Latin, but their existence may be inferred from caeruleus  azure-blue, by the example, amongst others, of rufus  red, ruddy, giving rufescere  to become reddish, and rufescens  reddish).
● "61. ANAS.  ...  cærulescens.  10. A. grisea, subtus alba, tectricibus alarum dorsoque postico cærulescentibus.  Anser canadensis, alis cæruleis. Edw. av. 152. t. 152.  Habitat in Canada." (Linnaeus 1758) (Anser).
● "43. LANIUS.  ...  cærulescens.  8. L. cauda forficata, corpore nigro cærulescente, abdomine albo.  Lanius cauda forcipata. Edv. av. 96. t. 56.  Habitat in Benghala." (Linnaeus 1758) (Dicrurus).
● ex “Héron bleuâtre de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, “Crabier bleu à cou brun” of de Buffon 1770-1785, and “Blue Heron” of Latham 1785 (syn. Egretta caerulea).
● ex “Blue Roller” of Latham 1785 (syn. Eurystomus glaucurus).
● "41. FALCO.  ...  cærulescens.  7. F. cera palpebris pedibus subtusque luteus, dorso nigro-cærulescente, temporibus linea alba inclusis.  Accipiter minimus benghalensis. Edv. av. 108. t. 108.  Habitat in Asia." (Linnaeus 1758). This epithet is the thirteenth name in avian nomenclature. (Microhierax).
● ex "Oiseau bleu" of Dubois 1671, and "Gros oiseau" of Brown 1724 (‡Porphyrio).
● ex “Blue-necked Rail” of Latham 1785 (Rallus).
● ex "Fauvette bleuâtre de S. Domingue" of de Buffon 1770-1783, and "Blue-grey Warbler" of Latham 1783 (Setophaga).
● ex “Batara negro y aplomado” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 213 (Thamnophilus).
● ex “Caerulean Creeper” of Latham 1801 (syn. Zosterops lateralis).

SUBSPECIES

Blue Mockingbird (longirostris)
SCI Name: Melanotis caerulescens longirostris
longirostris
L. longus  long; -rostris  -billed  < rostrum  beak. Var. Longirostra.
● ex “Long-billed Thrush” of Latham 1783 (‡Acrocephalus).
● ex “Manchot de la Nouvelle Guinée” of Sonnerat 1776 (syn. Aptenodytes patagonicus).
● ex “Troupiale” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 532 (syn. Icterus icterus).
● ex “Grimpar Nasican” of Levaillant 1807 (Nasica).
● ex “Râle à long bec de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 849, and “Long-billed Rail” of Latham 1785 (Rallus).

Blue Mockingbird (caerulescens)
SCI Name: Melanotis caerulescens caerulescens
caerulescens
Unattested L. caerulescens, caerulescentis  bluish (neither caerulescere nor caerulescens have been found in Classical Latin, but their existence may be inferred from caeruleus  azure-blue, by the example, amongst others, of rufus  red, ruddy, giving rufescere  to become reddish, and rufescens  reddish).
● "61. ANAS.  ...  cærulescens.  10. A. grisea, subtus alba, tectricibus alarum dorsoque postico cærulescentibus.  Anser canadensis, alis cæruleis. Edw. av. 152. t. 152.  Habitat in Canada." (Linnaeus 1758) (Anser).
● "43. LANIUS.  ...  cærulescens.  8. L. cauda forficata, corpore nigro cærulescente, abdomine albo.  Lanius cauda forcipata. Edv. av. 96. t. 56.  Habitat in Benghala." (Linnaeus 1758) (Dicrurus).
● ex “Héron bleuâtre de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, “Crabier bleu à cou brun” of de Buffon 1770-1785, and “Blue Heron” of Latham 1785 (syn. Egretta caerulea).
● ex “Blue Roller” of Latham 1785 (syn. Eurystomus glaucurus).
● "41. FALCO.  ...  cærulescens.  7. F. cera palpebris pedibus subtusque luteus, dorso nigro-cærulescente, temporibus linea alba inclusis.  Accipiter minimus benghalensis. Edv. av. 108. t. 108.  Habitat in Asia." (Linnaeus 1758). This epithet is the thirteenth name in avian nomenclature. (Microhierax).
● ex "Oiseau bleu" of Dubois 1671, and "Gros oiseau" of Brown 1724 (‡Porphyrio).
● ex “Blue-necked Rail” of Latham 1785 (Rallus).
● ex "Fauvette bleuâtre de S. Domingue" of de Buffon 1770-1783, and "Blue-grey Warbler" of Latham 1783 (Setophaga).
● ex “Batara negro y aplomado” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 213 (Thamnophilus).
● ex “Caerulean Creeper” of Latham 1801 (syn. Zosterops lateralis).