Gray Parrot

SCI Name:  Psittacus erithacus
Protonym:  Psittacus erithacus Syst.Nat.ed.10 p.99
Taxonomy:  Psittaciformes / Psittacidae / Psittacus
Taxonomy Code:  grepar
Type Locality:  Guinea, error, I designate Gold Coast Colony.
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1758
IUCN Status:  

DEFINITIONS

PSITTACUS
(Psittacidae; Ϯ Grey Parrot P. erithacus) L. psittacus  parrot  < Gr. ψιττακος psittakos  parrot. The two or three types of parrots described under this name by the ancient authors were parakeets Psittacula. The Grey Parrot was probably the εριθακος erithakos a mimetic bird, of the third century philosopher Porphyrius Tyrius; "44. PSITTACUS.  Rostrum aduncum: mandibula superiore mobili cera instructa.  Lingua carnosa, obtusa, integra.  Pedum digiti antici 2, posticique 2." (Linnaeus 1758); "Psittacus Linné, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 96. Type, by subsequent designation, Psittacus erithacus Linné (G. R. Gray, List Gen. Bds., 1840, p. 52)." (Peters 1937, III, 229). This is the fifth diagnosed genus in avian taxonomy. Linnaeus's Psittacus comprised thirty-seven species (P. Macao, P. Ararauna, P. obscurus, P. nobilis, P. severus, P. borneus, P. solstitialis, P. carolinensis, P. alexandri, P. pertinax, P. canicularis, P. æruginosus, P. rufirostris, P. ornatus, P. agilis, P. cristatus, P. niger, P. sordidus, P. erythroleucus, P. erithacus, P. garrulus, P. auroræ, P. Domicella, P. Lory, P. cærulocephalus, P. leucocephalus, P. æstivus, P. paradisi, P. festivus, P. brasiliensis, P. autumnalis, P. accipitrinus, P. melanocephalus, P. collarius, P. pullarius, P. Galgulus, P. passerinus). 
Var. Psittaca, Psittica, Psitcacus, Pittacus.
Synon. Jaco, Rhodurus.

ERITHACUS
(Muscicapidae; Ϯ European Robin E. rubecula) L. erithacus  unknown small winter bird, perhaps the European Robin, that metamorphosed in the summer to another (perhaps a redstart)  < Gr. εριθακος erithakos  unknown small bird, perhaps the European Robin, the Common Redstart, or the Black Redstart; "Rouge-gorges . . .  Erithacus." (Cuvier 1800); “This generic name is first met with on the second table at the end of Cuvier’s Leçons d’Anat. Comp. 1800. It is founded on “Rouge-gorges,” a group-name in the plural. There can be little doubt that Cuvier intended to use the name for the Robin, and in a previous work (‘Tableau elementaire,’ 1798) by the same author there is a reference to the “Rouge-gorge (Motacilla rubecula).” It would perhaps be difficult to justify the use of the name under the strict application of the international rules, but it has had such a long and widespread currency that the Committee have decided to retain it in preference to Dandalus of Boie [1826] ...  which has been used by Hartert and others of late years” (BOU 1915); "Erithacus Cuvier, 1800, Leçons Anat. Comp., 1, tab. 2. Type, by monotypy, Motacilla Rubecula Linnaeus." (Ripley in Peters, 1964, X, p. 32).   
Var. Eritacus, Erythacus.   
Synon. Dandalus, Erythaca, Ficedula, Helminthophaga, Phaeca, Rhondella, Rubecula.

erithacus
● L. erithacus  unknown small bird  < Gr. εριθακος erithakos unknown small bird, perhaps the European Robin or Red-breast, the Common Redstart, or the Black Redstart (Ficedula, syn. Ficedula platenae, subsp. Liosceles thoracicus, syn. Phoenicurus phoenicurus, syn. Sittasomus sylviellus).
● Gr. εριθακος erithakos  this name also referred to a bird said to mimic human sounds, perhaps the Black Redstart, but here associated with the Grey Parrot, famed for being trained to utter human words; "44. PSITTACUS.  ...  erithacus.  20. P. brachyurus canus, temporibus albis, cauda coccinea. Mus. Ad. Fr. I. p. 14.  Psittacus cinereus s. subcæruleus. Aldr. ornith. l. 11. c. 10. Raj. av. 31. Alb. av. I. p. 12. t. 12. Frisch. av. 4. t. 51.  Habitat in Guinea." (Linnaeus 1758) (Psittacus).

SUBSPECIES

Gray Parrot (Timneh)
SCI Name: Psittacus erithacus timneh/princeps
PSITTACUS
(Psittacidae; Ϯ Grey Parrot P. erithacus) L. psittacus  parrot  < Gr. ψιττακος psittakos  parrot. The two or three types of parrots described under this name by the ancient authors were parakeets Psittacula. The Grey Parrot was probably the εριθακος erithakos a mimetic bird, of the third century philosopher Porphyrius Tyrius; "44. PSITTACUS.  Rostrum aduncum: mandibula superiore mobili cera instructa.  Lingua carnosa, obtusa, integra.  Pedum digiti antici 2, posticique 2." (Linnaeus 1758); "Psittacus Linné, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 96. Type, by subsequent designation, Psittacus erithacus Linné (G. R. Gray, List Gen. Bds., 1840, p. 52)." (Peters 1937, III, 229). This is the fifth diagnosed genus in avian taxonomy. Linnaeus's Psittacus comprised thirty-seven species (P. Macao, P. Ararauna, P. obscurus, P. nobilis, P. severus, P. borneus, P. solstitialis, P. carolinensis, P. alexandri, P. pertinax, P. canicularis, P. æruginosus, P. rufirostris, P. ornatus, P. agilis, P. cristatus, P. niger, P. sordidus, P. erythroleucus, P. erithacus, P. garrulus, P. auroræ, P. Domicella, P. Lory, P. cærulocephalus, P. leucocephalus, P. æstivus, P. paradisi, P. festivus, P. brasiliensis, P. autumnalis, P. accipitrinus, P. melanocephalus, P. collarius, P. pullarius, P. Galgulus, P. passerinus). 
Var. Psittaca, Psittica, Psitcacus, Pittacus.
Synon. Jaco, Rhodurus.

Gray Parrot (Gray)
SCI Name: Psittacus erithacus erithacus
ERITHACUS
(Muscicapidae; Ϯ European Robin E. rubecula) L. erithacus  unknown small winter bird, perhaps the European Robin, that metamorphosed in the summer to another (perhaps a redstart)  < Gr. εριθακος erithakos  unknown small bird, perhaps the European Robin, the Common Redstart, or the Black Redstart; "Rouge-gorges . . .  Erithacus." (Cuvier 1800); “This generic name is first met with on the second table at the end of Cuvier’s Leçons d’Anat. Comp. 1800. It is founded on “Rouge-gorges,” a group-name in the plural. There can be little doubt that Cuvier intended to use the name for the Robin, and in a previous work (‘Tableau elementaire,’ 1798) by the same author there is a reference to the “Rouge-gorge (Motacilla rubecula).” It would perhaps be difficult to justify the use of the name under the strict application of the international rules, but it has had such a long and widespread currency that the Committee have decided to retain it in preference to Dandalus of Boie [1826] ...  which has been used by Hartert and others of late years” (BOU 1915); "Erithacus Cuvier, 1800, Leçons Anat. Comp., 1, tab. 2. Type, by monotypy, Motacilla Rubecula Linnaeus." (Ripley in Peters, 1964, X, p. 32).   
Var. Eritacus, Erythacus.   
Synon. Dandalus, Erythaca, Ficedula, Helminthophaga, Phaeca, Rhondella, Rubecula.