Gray Heron

SCI Name:  Ardea cinerea
Protonym:  Ardea cinerea Syst.Nat.ed.10 p.143
Taxonomy:  Pelecaniformes / Ardeidae / Ardea
Taxonomy Code:  graher1
Type Locality:  Europe; restricted to Sweden by Hartert, 1920, Vdgel Pal. Fauna, p. 1229.
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1758
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

ARDEA
(Ardeidae; Ϯ Grey Heron A. cinerea) L. ardea  heron. In Roman myth. the town of Ardea, capital of the Rutuli, was razed to the ground, and from the ashes rose a pale, lean bird, shaking the cinders from its wings and uttering mournful cries; "76. ARDEA.  Rostrum rectum, acutum, longum, subcompressum, sulco e naribus, versus apicem exaratum.  Pedes tetradactyli." (Linnaeus 1758); "Ardea Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, p. 141. Type, by subsequent designation (G. R. Gray, 1840, List Gen. Birds, p. 60), Ardea cinerea Linnaeus." (Payne in Peters, 1979, I, ed. 2, p. 195). Linnaeus's Ardea comprised nineteen species (A. pavonina, A. Virgo, A. canadensis, A. Grus, A. americana, A. Antigone, A. Ciconia, A. nigra, A. Nycticorax, A. cinerea, A. Herodias, A. violacea, A. cærulea, A. striata, A. virescens, A. stellaris, A. alba, A. Ibis, A. æquinoctialis).
Var. Ardaea, Ardeae, Ardua.   
Synon. Afrardea, Ardeomega, Audubonia, Casmerodius, Erodius, Herodias, Megerodius, Mesophoyx, Myola, Phoyx, Pyrrherodia, Tonophoyx, Typhon.

cinerea
L. cinereus  ash-grey, ash-coloured  < cinis, cineris  ashes.
● ex “Cinereous Creeper” of Latham 1781 (??syn. Anthobaphes violacea).
● "76. ARDEA.  ...  cinerea.  10. A. occipite crista pendula, dorso cærulescente, subtus albida, pectore maculis oblongis nigris.  Ardea crista dependente. Fn. svec. 133.  Ardea cinerea major. Aldr. orn. l. 20. c. 9. Gesn. av. 212. Jonst. av. 151. t. 50. Will. orn. 203. t. 49. Raj. av. 98. Mars. danub. 5. p. 8. t. 2. Alb. av. 1. p. 64. t. 67. & 3. p. . . t. 78.  Habitat in Europa; nidificant in arboribus plures simul." (Linnaeus 1758) (Ardea).
● ex “Cendrille” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Cinereous Lark” of Latham 1783 (Calandrella).
● ex “Tractrac” of Levaillant 1806, pl. 184, fig. 1 (syn. Cercomela tractrac).
● ex “Grand Gobe-mouche cendré de Madagascar” of Brisson 1760 (Coracina).
● ex “Cinereous Coot” of Latham 1785 (syn. Fulica americana).
● ex “Crested Gallinule” of Latham 1785 (Gallicrex).
● ex “Cotinga Cendré” of Levaillant 1801 (syn. Lipaugus vociferans).
● ex “Cinereous Finch” of Latham 1783, and Pennant 1785 (syn. Melospiza insignis).
● (Tunstall 1771) ex “Hoche-queue” or “Bergeronette jaune” of Brisson 1760, and “Gray Water Wagtail” of Pennant 1766 (Motacilla).
● (J. Gmelin 1789) ex “Motacilla cinerea” of Brisson 1760, “Bergeronnette grise” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 674, fig. 1, and de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Cinereous Wagtail” of Latham 1783 (syn. Motacilla cinerea).
● ex “Hirondelle du Pérou” of Brisson 1760, “Petite Hirondelle noire à ventre cendré” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Ash-bellied Swallow” of Latham 1783 (syn. Notiochelidon murina).
● ex "Pétrel cendré" of de Buffon 1770-1783, and "Cinereous Fulmar" of Latham 1785 (Procellaria).
● ex “Hirondelle de rivage” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 543, fig. 2 (syn. Riparia riparia).
● ex “Cinereous Owl” of Latham 1781, and “Sooty Owl” of Pennant 1785 (syn. Strix nebulosa).
● ex “Pie-griesche grise” of Brisson 1760, and “Pie-griêche grise de Cayenne” (= ♂) and “Pie-griêche tachetée de Cayenne” (= ♀) of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pll. 304, 377 (syn. Tityra cayana).
● ex “Lanius nengeta var. β” of J. Gmelin 1788, “Cotinga gris de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 699, and “Variété du Guirarou” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (?syn. Xipholena punicea).
● ex “Larus niger fidipes alter, alis brevioribus” of Ray 1713, “Sterna cinerea” of Brisson 1760, and “Cinereous Tern” of Latham 1785 (unident.).
● ex “Muscicapa cayennensis rufa” of Brisson 1760, and “Rufous-bellied Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (unident.).

SUBSPECIES

Gray Heron (Gray)
SCI Name: Ardea cinerea cinerea/jouyi
ARDEA
(Ardeidae; Ϯ Grey Heron A. cinerea) L. ardea  heron. In Roman myth. the town of Ardea, capital of the Rutuli, was razed to the ground, and from the ashes rose a pale, lean bird, shaking the cinders from its wings and uttering mournful cries; "76. ARDEA.  Rostrum rectum, acutum, longum, subcompressum, sulco e naribus, versus apicem exaratum.  Pedes tetradactyli." (Linnaeus 1758); "Ardea Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, p. 141. Type, by subsequent designation (G. R. Gray, 1840, List Gen. Birds, p. 60), Ardea cinerea Linnaeus." (Payne in Peters, 1979, I, ed. 2, p. 195). Linnaeus's Ardea comprised nineteen species (A. pavonina, A. Virgo, A. canadensis, A. Grus, A. americana, A. Antigone, A. Ciconia, A. nigra, A. Nycticorax, A. cinerea, A. Herodias, A. violacea, A. cærulea, A. striata, A. virescens, A. stellaris, A. alba, A. Ibis, A. æquinoctialis).
Var. Ardaea, Ardeae, Ardua.   
Synon. Afrardea, Ardeomega, Audubonia, Casmerodius, Erodius, Herodias, Megerodius, Mesophoyx, Myola, Phoyx, Pyrrherodia, Tonophoyx, Typhon.

Gray Heron (Malagasy)
SCI Name: Ardea cinerea firasa
firasa
Hartert 1917, believed that Firasa was the native name for herons in parts of Madagascar (cf. Malagasy names Firasa for a sparrowhawk, and Firatsa for the Crab-plover) (subsp. Ardea cinerea).

Gray Heron (Mauritanian)
SCI Name: Ardea cinerea monicae
monicae
Monica Maud de la Salle née Avery (1907-1985) English/French librarian, ornithologist, field naturalist (Laurent Raty in litt.) (subsp. Ardea cinerea).