Fish Crow

SCI Name:  Corvus ossifragus
Protonym:  Corvus ossifragus Am.Orn. 5 p.27 pl.37 fig.2
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Corvidae / Corvus
Taxonomy Code:  fiscro
Type Locality:  Great Egg-Harbor [= Beasley''s Point, New Jersey].
Author:  Wilson, A
Publish Year:  1812
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

CORVUS
(Corvidae; Ϯ Common Raven C. corax) L. corvus  raven. In fable the Raven was originally white but, despite its supposed gift of prophecy, was turned into a black bird for its treachery. The Common or Northern Raven is the largest species of passerine bird; "48. CORVUS.  Rostrum convexum, cultratum, basi pennis setaceis tectum.  Lingua cartilaginea bifida." (Linnaeus 1758); "Corvus Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, p. 105. Type, by tautonymy, "Corvus", i.e. Corvus corax Linnaeus." (Blake & Vaurie in Peters, 1962, XV, p. 261).  This is the ninth diagnosed genus in avian taxonomy.  Linnaeus's Corvus comprised twelve species (C. Corax, C. Corone, C. frugilegus, C. Cornix, C. Monedula, C. benghalensis, C. glandarius, C. cristatus, C. Caryocatactes, C. Pica, C. paradisi, C. infaustus).     
Var. Cervus, Coruus.   
Synon. Amblycorax, Anomalocorax, Archicorax, Coloeus, Corax, Corone, Corvultur, Frugilegus, Gymnocorax, Gymnocorvus, Heterocorax, Macrocorax, Microcorax, Monedula, Nesocorax, Palaeocorax, Physocorax, Pterocorax, Rhinocorax, Sitocorax, Trypanocorax.

corvus
L. corvus raven.
● From a local name Caa Maa crow gull, for the Black-legged Kittiwake in the Shetlands (syn. Rissa tridactyla).

ossifraga / ossifragus
L. ossifraga  bone-breaker, the fish eagle  < os, ossis  bone; frangere  to break.
● "FISH CROW.   CORVUS OSSIFRAGUS.  ...  Their manner of flying was also unlike the others, as they frequently sailed about, without flapping their wings, something in the manner of the Raven; and I soon perceived that their food, and their mode of procuring it, were also both different; their favourite haunts being about the banks of the river, along which they usually sailed, dextrously snatching up, with their claws, dead fish or other garbage that floated on the surface.  ...  The fishermen along these rivers also inform me, that they have particularly remarked this Crow, by his croaking voice, and his fondness for fish; almost always hovering about their fishing places to glean up the refuse." (A. Wilson 1812) (Corvus).
● "PHENE Ossifraga.   Le Vautour barbu."(de Savigny 1809): based on Θηνη and Ossifraga of the Greek and Latin authors, and Beinbrecker of Aldrovandus 1599-1603 (syn. Gypaetus barbatus).
● "258. Procellaria ossifraga F.  ...  Hispani Americae australis hanc Procellariam appellant Quebranta huessos i.e. Ossifragam ideoque idem nomen adoptavi in latino sermone.  Corpus magnitudine Diomedeam chrysostomam aliquanto excedit." (Forster 1844) (syn. Macronectes giganteus).