Dull-colored Grassquit

SCI Name:  Asemospiza obscura
Protonym:  Emberiza obscura Mag.Zool. 7 cl.2 p.81
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Thraupidae / Asemospiza
Taxonomy Code:  ducgra2
Type Locality:  Chiquitos, Bolivia.
Author:  d''Orbigny & Lafresnaye
Publish Year:  1837
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

ASEMOSPIZA
(Thraupidae; † Sooty Grassquit A. fuliginosa) Gr. ασημος asēmos  without distinguishing marks  < negative prefix α- a- ; σημα sēma, σηματος sēmatos  mark, sign; σπιζα spiza  finch  < σπιζω  spizō  to chirp; "7. Asemospiza, new genus (Fig. 2)   Type species. Fringilla fuliginosa Wied, 1831, currently recognized as Tiaris fuliginosus.  Included species. Asemospiza fuliginosa (Wied, 1831) and A. obscura (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837), the latter currently recognized as T. obscurus.   ...  Etymology. Asemospiza is formed from the Greek ασημος, "unmarked," in reference to the unstreaked drab plumage of the two component species, and Greek σπιζα, the chaffinch Fringilla coelebs, commonly used in ornithology in the coining of names of finch-like birds.  Its gender is feminine, in accord with Greek grammar." (Burns et al. 2016) (OD per Richard Klim); "Asemospiza Burns, Unitt and Mason, 2016, Zootaxa, 4088 (3), p. 334.  Type by original designation, Fringilla fuliginosa zu Wied, 1830." (JAJ 2020).

obscura
L. obscurus  dark, dusky, covered, obscure.
● ex “Dusky Duck” of Pennant 1785, and Latham 1785 (syn. Anas rubripes).
● ex “Brown Tern” of Pennant 1768, and Latham 1785 (syn. Chlidonias niger).
● ex “Yacúhú” of de Azara 1802-1805, No. 335: “Yacús  ...  Asi llaman los Güaranís á tres páxaros  ...  á otro llamado Mitú” (Penelope).
● ex “Dusky Petrel” of Latham 1785 (?syn. Pterodroma alba; unident.).

SUBSPECIES

Dull-colored Grassquit (haplochroma)
SCI Name: Asemospiza obscura haplochroma
haplochroma
Gr. ἁπλοος haploos  plain; χρωμα khrōma, χρωματος khrōmatos  colour  < χρωζω khrōzō  to stain.

Dull-colored Grassquit (pauper)
SCI Name: Asemospiza obscura pauper
pauper / paupera
L. pauper, pauperis  poor, meagre (e.g. plain, dull).

Dull-colored Grassquit (obscura)
SCI Name: Asemospiza obscura obscura
obscura
L. obscurus  dark, dusky, covered, obscure.
● ex “Dusky Duck” of Pennant 1785, and Latham 1785 (syn. Anas rubripes).
● ex “Brown Tern” of Pennant 1768, and Latham 1785 (syn. Chlidonias niger).
● ex “Yacúhú” of de Azara 1802-1805, No. 335: “Yacús  ...  Asi llaman los Güaranís á tres páxaros  ...  á otro llamado Mitú” (Penelope).
● ex “Dusky Petrel” of Latham 1785 (?syn. Pterodroma alba; unident.).

Dull-colored Grassquit (pacifica)
SCI Name: Asemospiza obscura pacifica
pacifica
L. pacificus  peaceful  < pax, pacis  peace; facere  to make. The Pacific Ocean was so-named by the Portuguese explorer Fernão de Magalhães or Magellan in 1520, contrasting its calm waters with the stormy seas of Cape Horn  The toponym refers to islands in the Pacific Ocean as well as localities on Pacific Ocean coasts.
● New Caledonia; ex “Pacific Shrike” of Latham 1781 (syn. Aplonis striata).
● New South Wales, Australia; ex “Pacific Heron” of Latham 1785 (Ardea).
● Pacific Ocean; ex “Pacific Petrel” of Latham 1785; "Inhabits Euopoa, and other islands of the Pacific Ocean." (Ardenna).
● Erroneous TL. Friendly Is. (= Hawaii); ex “Great Hook-billed Creeper” of Latham 1782 (‡Drepanis).
● Tonga Is.; ex “Ferruginous-vented Pigeon” of Latham 1783 (Ducula).
● Erroneous TL. Friendly Isles, Pacific Ocean (= Jamaica) (syn. Geotrygon versicolor).
● Botany Bay, New Holland; ex “Pacific Paroquet (var.)” of Phillip 1789 (syn. Glossopsitta concinna).
● Tahiti; ex “Pacific Rail” of Latham 1785 (Hypotaenidia).
● Pacific Islands; ex “Pacific Thrush” of Latham 1783 (syn. Lalage maculosa).