Gray-headed Kite

SCI Name:  Leptodon cayanensis
Protonym:  Falco cayanensis IndexOrn. 1 p.28
Taxonomy:  Accipitriformes / Accipitridae / Leptodon
Taxonomy Code:  grhkit1
Type Locality:  Cayenne.
Author:  Latham
Publish Year:  1790
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

LEPTODON
(Accipitridae; Ϯ Grey-headed Kite L. cayanensis) Gr. λεπτος leptos  fine, slender; οδων odōn, οδοντος odontos  tooth; "Leptodon n.g. (F. cayanensis et palliatus Auct. A Recent. sub genere Cymindi, nimis diverso, enumerati ¹))  ...  ¹) Char. Rostrum compressum lateribus planis; longit, dimidii capitis, sutura tota æqve arcuata, dente ante medium parvo. - Nares membrana tectæ, antice rima transversa apertæ, (in Cymindi rima infera, longitudinalis).  Pedes spongioso-incrassati, reticulati, digitis subtus planis" (Sundevall 1836); "Leptodon¹ Sundevall, Vetensk.-Akad. Handl. for 1835, p. 114, 1836—type, by monotypy, "Falco cayanensis et palliatus auct."   ...   ¹ It has been claimed that Leptodon was previously used by Rafinesque for some genus of mollusks, but such is not the case.  Rafinesque (Ann. Gén. Sci. Phys., 5, p. 295, Sept., 1820) created for the species Unio leptodon the subgenus Leptodea, which, of course, does not prevent the further use of Sundevall's term for the Cayenne Kite.  It appears that nobody except Sherborn (Ind. Anim., sect. sec., p. 3500), who gives the correct spelling of Rafinesque's name, ever consulted the original reference.  Authors evidently relied on Scudder (Nomencl. Zool., Supplem. List, p. 185, 1882), in whose work the name is misquoted as "Leptodon."" (Hellmayr & Conover 1949, XIII, 22).
Synon. Cymindis, Micraetus, Odontriorchis.

cayana / cayanensis / cayanna / cayanus
Cayenne or French Guiana. In early ornithology “Cayenne” was often used of species of uncertain provenance presumed to be from Amazonia.
● ex “Gros-bec de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Caryothraustes canadensis).
● ex “Cotinga de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Cotinga).
● ex “Grimpereau verd de Cayenne” (♂= ♀) of Brisson 1760 (syn. Cyanerpes caeruleus).
● ex “Grimpereau verd de Cayenne” (=♀) of Brisson 1760 (syn. Cyanerpes cyaneus).
● ex “Geay de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Cyanocorax).
● ex “Blue Manakin” of Edwards 1751, and “Pipit bleu de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Dacnis).
● ex “Tangara noir de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Euphonia cayennensis).
● ex “Têtema de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 821 (syn. Formicarius colma).
● Erroneous TL. St Thomas (= Cayenne); ex “Carouge de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760, and “Yellow-wing’d Pye” of Edwards 1764 (Icterus).
● ex “Petit autour de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 473, and “Cayenne Falcon” of Latham 1781 (Leptodon).
● ex “Gobe-mouche de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Myiozetetes).
● ex “Bihoreau de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 899, and de Buffon 1770-1786 (syn. Nyctanassa violacea).
● ex “Coucou de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Piaya).
● Erroneous TL. Cayenne (= ?Chile); ex “Grèbe de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 404, fig. 1, and “Grand Grèbe” of de Buffon 1770-1785 (syn. Podiceps major).
● ex “Râle de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 368 (syn. Rufirallus viridis).
● ex “Coq-de-Roche” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 39 (syn. Rupicola rupicola).
● ex “Griverd de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 616, “Grivert” or “Rolle de Cayenne” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Cayenne Roller” of Latham 1781 (?syn. Saltator maximus).
● ex "Tangara verd de Cayenne" of Brisson 1760 (Tangara).
● ex “Cayenna Tern” of Latham 1785 (syn. Thalasseus maximus).
● ex “Pie-griesche grise de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Tityra).
● ex “Pie-griêche tachetée de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 377 (syn. Tityra cayana).
● ex "Pluvier armé de Cayenne" of d'Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 833, and de Buffon 1770-1785 (Vanellus).

SUBSPECIES

Gray-headed Kite (cayanensis)
SCI Name: Leptodon cayanensis cayanensis
cayana / cayanensis / cayanna / cayanus
Cayenne or French Guiana. In early ornithology “Cayenne” was often used of species of uncertain provenance presumed to be from Amazonia.
● ex “Gros-bec de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Caryothraustes canadensis).
● ex “Cotinga de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Cotinga).
● ex “Grimpereau verd de Cayenne” (♂= ♀) of Brisson 1760 (syn. Cyanerpes caeruleus).
● ex “Grimpereau verd de Cayenne” (=♀) of Brisson 1760 (syn. Cyanerpes cyaneus).
● ex “Geay de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Cyanocorax).
● ex “Blue Manakin” of Edwards 1751, and “Pipit bleu de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Dacnis).
● ex “Tangara noir de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Euphonia cayennensis).
● ex “Têtema de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 821 (syn. Formicarius colma).
● Erroneous TL. St Thomas (= Cayenne); ex “Carouge de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760, and “Yellow-wing’d Pye” of Edwards 1764 (Icterus).
● ex “Petit autour de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 473, and “Cayenne Falcon” of Latham 1781 (Leptodon).
● ex “Gobe-mouche de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Myiozetetes).
● ex “Bihoreau de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 899, and de Buffon 1770-1786 (syn. Nyctanassa violacea).
● ex “Coucou de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Piaya).
● Erroneous TL. Cayenne (= ?Chile); ex “Grèbe de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 404, fig. 1, and “Grand Grèbe” of de Buffon 1770-1785 (syn. Podiceps major).
● ex “Râle de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 368 (syn. Rufirallus viridis).
● ex “Coq-de-Roche” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 39 (syn. Rupicola rupicola).
● ex “Griverd de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 616, “Grivert” or “Rolle de Cayenne” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Cayenne Roller” of Latham 1781 (?syn. Saltator maximus).
● ex "Tangara verd de Cayenne" of Brisson 1760 (Tangara).
● ex “Cayenna Tern” of Latham 1785 (syn. Thalasseus maximus).
● ex “Pie-griesche grise de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Tityra).
● ex “Pie-griêche tachetée de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 377 (syn. Tityra cayana).
● ex "Pluvier armé de Cayenne" of d'Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 833, and de Buffon 1770-1785 (Vanellus).

Gray-headed Kite (monachus)
SCI Name: Leptodon cayanensis monachus
monachus
Late L. monachus monk (e.g. hooded, black-capped) < Gr. μοναχος monakhos monk < μονος monos solitary < μοναχοω monakhoō to make single.
● ex “Crested or Coped Black Vulture. Vultur cristatus niger” of Edwards 1760, and “Vultur arabicus” of Brisson 1760 (Aegypius).
● the "Coucoua capucin" of Lesson 1830: "plumage ferrugineux" (syn. Coccycua minuta).
● ex “Perruche à poitrine grise” of d’Aubenton 17765-1781, pl. 768, “Perruche-Souris” of de Buffon 1770-1785, and “Grey-breasted Parrakeet” of Latham 1781 (Myiopsitta).