Gray Kingbird

SCI Name:  Tyrannus dominicensis
Protonym:  [Lanius Tyrannus] dominicensis Syst.Nat. 1 pt1 p.302
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Tyrannidae / Tyrannus
Taxonomy Code:  grykin
Type Locality:  Santo Domingo.
Author:  Gmelin, JF
Publish Year:  1788
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

TYRANNUS
(Tyrannidae; Ϯ Eastern Kingbird T. tyrannus) Based on "Le Tyran.    Tyrannus" of Brisson 1760: "Tandis que la femelle couve, le mâle chasse d'auprès de son nid tous les Oiseaux; même les Faucons & les Aigles." (see tyrannus ●); "NEUVIÈME ORDRE.  Bec échancré.   24. PIE-GRIÈCHE. Lanius.   ...   25.TYRAN. Tyrannus. {Le bec long, droit, et garni de soies à sa base.    26. GOBE-MOUCHE. Muscicapa.   ...   27. MOUCHEROLLE. Muscivora" (de Lacépède 1799); "Tyrannus Lacepède, 1799, Tabl. Méth. Mamm. Ois., p. 5. Type, by tautonymy, Lanius tyrannus Linnaeus." (Traylor in Peters 1979, VIII, 221). The tyrants, pittas, broadbills and their allies form a very distinct group and should, perhaps, be separated from other passerines in a new order Subosciniformes.
Var. Tirannus, Tiranus, Tryannus.
Synon. Despotes, Dioctes, Drymonax, Laphyctes, Melittarchus, Milvulus, Muscivora, Myiocapta, Satellus, Semnarchus, Tolmarchus.

tyrannus
L. tyrannus  tyrant  < Gr. τυραννος turannos  tyrant.
● ex “Tyran à queue fourchue” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Tyrannus savana).
● “The courage of this little bird is singular. He pursues and puts to flight all kinds of birds that come near his station, from the smallest to the largest, none escaping his fury” (Catesby 1731); "43. LANIUS.  ...  Tyrannus.  4. L. vertice nigro: stria longitudinali fulva.  Muscicapa corona rubra. Catesb. car. I. p. 55. t. 55.  Pica americana cristata. Frisch. av. 4. t. 62.  Habitat in America septentrionali.  Color obscure cinereus, abdomine albo." (Linnaeus 1758)  (Tyrannus).

dominicensis / dominicus
Santo Domingo or San Domingo (= Hispaniola), West Indies.
● Erroneous TL San Domingo (= Puerto Rico); ex “Perroquet de Saint-Domingue” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 792, “Papegai à bandeau rouge” of de Buffon 12770-1783, and “Red-banded Parrot” of Latham 1781 (syn. Amazona vittata).
● ex “Colibry de S. Domingue” of Brisson 1760 (Anthracothorax).
● ex “Alouette de mer de S. Domingue” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Calidris melanotos).
● Erroneous TL. Santo Domingo (= South Africa) (syn. Caprimulgus pectoralis).
● ex “Tangara de S. Domingue” of Brisson 1760, and “Tangara de Saint-Domingue” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 156, fig. 2 (Dulus).
● ex “Esmerillon de S. Domingue” of Brisson 1760, and “St.-Domingo Falcon” of Latham 1781 (subsp. Falco sparverius).
● ex “Carouge de S. Domingue” of Brisson 1760 (Icterus).
● Erroneous TL. San Domingo (= East Indies); “The oldest name for this bird is, no doubt, Turdus dominicus of P. L. S. Müller ...a gentleman who brought out an edition of Linnæus’s ‘Systema Naturae’ and included species published since 1766 ...It is a great question whether this author is entitled to recognition at the hands of ornithologists, as he was apparently colour-blind – witness his bestowing the name of viridis upon the rufous-and-grey Terpsiphone of South Africa, and castanea upon the totally black Philepitta jala of Madagascar! In the case of Lalage terat he has committed himself greatly, as he has not noticed the numbers of the figures on D’Aubenton’s plate [pl. 273], and has named the upper bird (“Merle des Indes orientales”) dominica, instead of the under figure, which represents a bird from San Domingo [“Merle de Saint-Domingue”]; to this he has given the name of indicus” (Sharpe 1879) (syn Lalage nigra).
● ex “Merle de Saint-Domingue” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Mimus polyglottos orpheus).
● ex “Chilcanauhtli” of Hernandez 1651, and “Querquedula dominicensis” or “Sarcelle de S. Domingue” of Brisson 1760 (Nomonyx).
● ex “Hirondelle de S. Domingue” of Brisson 1760, and “Hirondelle d’Amérique” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 545, fig. 1 (Progne).
● ex “Chouette” or “Grande Chevêche de St. Domingue” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Saint Domingo Owl” of Latham 1785 (syn. Speotyto cunicularia).
● Erroneous TL San Domingo (?= Jamaica); ex “Tourterelle de Saint-Domingue” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 487 (unident.; ?Starnoenas).
● ex "Grèbe de rivière de S. Domingue" of Brisson 1760 (Tachybaptus).
● ex “Tyran de Sainte Domingue” of Brisson 1760, and “Saint Domingo Tyrant” of Latham 1781 (Tyrannus).

SUBSPECIES

Gray Kingbird (dominicensis)
SCI Name: Tyrannus dominicensis dominicensis
dominicensis / dominicus
Santo Domingo or San Domingo (= Hispaniola), West Indies.
● Erroneous TL San Domingo (= Puerto Rico); ex “Perroquet de Saint-Domingue” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 792, “Papegai à bandeau rouge” of de Buffon 12770-1783, and “Red-banded Parrot” of Latham 1781 (syn. Amazona vittata).
● ex “Colibry de S. Domingue” of Brisson 1760 (Anthracothorax).
● ex “Alouette de mer de S. Domingue” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Calidris melanotos).
● Erroneous TL. Santo Domingo (= South Africa) (syn. Caprimulgus pectoralis).
● ex “Tangara de S. Domingue” of Brisson 1760, and “Tangara de Saint-Domingue” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 156, fig. 2 (Dulus).
● ex “Esmerillon de S. Domingue” of Brisson 1760, and “St.-Domingo Falcon” of Latham 1781 (subsp. Falco sparverius).
● ex “Carouge de S. Domingue” of Brisson 1760 (Icterus).
● Erroneous TL. San Domingo (= East Indies); “The oldest name for this bird is, no doubt, Turdus dominicus of P. L. S. Müller ...a gentleman who brought out an edition of Linnæus’s ‘Systema Naturae’ and included species published since 1766 ...It is a great question whether this author is entitled to recognition at the hands of ornithologists, as he was apparently colour-blind – witness his bestowing the name of viridis upon the rufous-and-grey Terpsiphone of South Africa, and castanea upon the totally black Philepitta jala of Madagascar! In the case of Lalage terat he has committed himself greatly, as he has not noticed the numbers of the figures on D’Aubenton’s plate [pl. 273], and has named the upper bird (“Merle des Indes orientales”) dominica, instead of the under figure, which represents a bird from San Domingo [“Merle de Saint-Domingue”]; to this he has given the name of indicus” (Sharpe 1879) (syn Lalage nigra).
● ex “Merle de Saint-Domingue” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Mimus polyglottos orpheus).
● ex “Chilcanauhtli” of Hernandez 1651, and “Querquedula dominicensis” or “Sarcelle de S. Domingue” of Brisson 1760 (Nomonyx).
● ex “Hirondelle de S. Domingue” of Brisson 1760, and “Hirondelle d’Amérique” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 545, fig. 1 (Progne).
● ex “Chouette” or “Grande Chevêche de St. Domingue” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Saint Domingo Owl” of Latham 1785 (syn. Speotyto cunicularia).
● Erroneous TL San Domingo (?= Jamaica); ex “Tourterelle de Saint-Domingue” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 487 (unident.; ?Starnoenas).
● ex "Grèbe de rivière de S. Domingue" of Brisson 1760 (Tachybaptus).
● ex “Tyran de Sainte Domingue” of Brisson 1760, and “Saint Domingo Tyrant” of Latham 1781 (Tyrannus).

Gray Kingbird (vorax)
SCI Name: Tyrannus dominicensis vorax
vorax
L. vorax, voracis  voracious  < vorare  to eat greedily.