Gray Gull

SCI Name:  Leucophaeus modestus
Protonym:  Larus modestus Arch.Naturgesch. 9 p.389
Taxonomy:  Charadriiformes / Laridae / Leucophaeus
Taxonomy Code:  grygul
Type Locality:  Shores of the Pacific Ocean = Lurin, south of Lima, Peru.
Author:  von Tschudi
Publish Year:  1843
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

leucophaeus
Gr. λευκοφαιος leukophaios  whitish-grey, ash-coloured.
● ex “Drongri” of Levaillant 1805, pl. 170 (Dicrurus).

Leucophaeus
(syn. Larus Ϯ Dolphin Gull L. scoresbii) Gr. λευκοφαιος leukophaios  whitish-grey, ash-coloured  < λευκος leukos  white; φαιος phaios  dusky (cf. λευκοφαης leukophaēs  gleaming white); "XII. Leucophaeus Bp.  Schmuckmöven.  Gefieder dunkel, gegen den Schwanz hin lichter werdend.  Schnabel und Füsse dick und stark.  Schwimmhäute stark ausgeschnitten.   62) haematorhynchus King.   Süd-America." (Bruch 1853); "212. Leucophaeus, Bp. 1852.  (Leucophaius. - Larus, part., Gr.)  Rostrum robustissimum: pedes validi; membrana interdigitali profunde excisa; halluce brevissimo, ungue obtuso.  Alae elongatae; remigibus nigris: cauda aequalis.  Color obscurus, caudam versus dilutior.  Analogiam cum PROCELLARIIDIS et cum LAREO genere BLASIPA praebet.    Am. m. occ.  3.    1. LARUS scoresbii, Trail. (haematorhynchus, King.   ...   *2. LARUS fuliginosus, Gould.  (Adelarus neptunus, Bp. in litt. adult - Ad. belcheri, p. Bruch. - Ad. fuliginosus, Bp. 1854. - Leucophaes fuliginosus, Bp.)   ...   3. LARUS belcheri, Vig. 1829." (Bonaparte 1857); "Leucophaeus (Bonaparte MS.) Bruch, Journ. Orn., 1, p. 108, 1853—type, by monotypy, Larus haematorhynchus King = Larus scoresbii Traill." (Hellmayr & Conover 1948, XIII, 251).   Var. Leucophaius, Leucophoeus.

modesta / modestum / modestus
L. modestus  plain, modest, unassuming  < modus  measure, standard.