Dunnock

SCI Name:  Prunella modularis
Protonym:  Motacilla modularis Syst.Nat.ed.10 p.184
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Prunellidae / Prunella
Taxonomy Code:  dunnoc1
Type Locality:  'Habitat in Europa'' [= Sweden, ex Faun. Svec, 1746, p. 89; vide Hartert, 1910, Vog. pal. Fauna, p. 772].
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1758
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

PRUNELLA
(Prunellidae; Ϯ Dunnock P. modularis) German Braunelle  Dunnock  < dim. braun  brown (cf. Med. L. burneta  hedge-sparrow), from the rufous-brown upperparts of the familiar and homely Dunnock; "Braunelle.  ...  Herr Hallen hat ihm mit Recht den Namen des braunen Fliegenstechers gegeben" (Günther 1772); "MOUCHET, Prunella, Gessner.  Motacilla, Linn. Gm.  Sylvia, Lath.  Bec fin, droit, subulé, aigu, à bords courbés en dedans; mandibules égales; la supérieure un peu inclinée et entaillée à la pointe. — Ailes courtes, à penne bâtarde; la première remige plus courte que la cinquième; la troisième la plus longue.  Esp. Fauvette de haie, Buff." (Vieillot 1816); "Prunella Vieillot, 1816, Analyse, p. 43. Type, by monotypy, "Fauvette de haie" Buffon = Motacilla modularis Linnaeus." (Ripley in Peters 1964, X, 3).
Synon. Accentor, Aprunella, Braunella, Laiscopus, Rhododendroeca, Spermolegus, Tharrhaleus.

modularis
L. modularis  modulating, singing, rhythmic  < modulari  to sing.
● ex “Curruca cantu lusciniae” of Frisch, 1734, and Klein 1750, and “Motacilla supra griseo-fusca, tectricibus alarum apice albis, pectore caerulescente-cinereo” of Linnaeus 1746 (Prunella).

SUBSPECIES

Dunnock (hebridium)
SCI Name: Prunella modularis hebridium
hebridalis / hebridensis / hebridicus / hebridium
Inner and Outer Hebrides, an archipelago off the western coast of Scotland.

Dunnock (occidentalis)
SCI Name: Prunella modularis occidentalis
occidentale / occidentalis
L. occidentalis  western  < occidens, occidentis  west  < occidere  to set. This toponym was frequently given to taxa discovered in locations west of previously known populations.
● Cocal, Western Andes, Colombia (Dysithamnus).
● Jamaica; ex “Onocrotalus” or “Pelecanus fuscus” of Sloane 1725, “Pelican of America” of Edwards 1747, and “Pelecanus” of Browne 1756 (Pelecanus).
● TL. Day Dawn, Western Australia; "Westralian Wedgebill" (Mathews 1912) (Psophodes).

Dunnock (modularis)
SCI Name: Prunella modularis modularis
modularis
L. modularis  modulating, singing, rhythmic  < modulari  to sing.
● ex “Curruca cantu lusciniae” of Frisch, 1734, and Klein 1750, and “Motacilla supra griseo-fusca, tectricibus alarum apice albis, pectore caerulescente-cinereo” of Linnaeus 1746 (Prunella).

Dunnock (mabbotti)
SCI Name: Prunella modularis mabbotti
mabbotti
Marine Douglas Clifford Mabbott (1893-1918; killed in action on September 15th) US Army, ornithologist (subsp. Prunella modularis).

Dunnock (meinertzhageni)
SCI Name: Prunella modularis meinertzhageni
meinertzhageni
Col. Richard Meinertzhagen (1878-1967) British Army, ornithologist, collector (syn. Anthus petrosus, syn. Certhia familiaris brittanica, syn. Chersomanes albofasciata garrula, syn. Melanocorypha bimaculata rufescens, syn. Nannus troglodytes, syn. Parus bokharensis, subsp. Prunella modularis, subsp. Smithornis capensis, syn. Tchagra senegalus cucullatus).

Dunnock (fuscata)
SCI Name: Prunella modularis fuscata
fuscata
L. fuscatus dark < fuscare to darken < fuscus dark, black.
● ex “Figuier brun du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 584, fig. 1, and “Dusky Warbler” of Latham 1783 (syn. Schoenicola brevirostris).

Dunnock (euxina)
SCI Name: Prunella modularis euxina
euxina
Gr. Ευξεινος Euxeinos or Ποντος Ευξενος Pontos Euxenos Black Sea, Euxine (cf. Gr. ευξεινος euxeinos hospitable).

Dunnock (obscura)
SCI Name: Prunella modularis 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.).