Greater Kestrel

SCI Name:  Falco rupicoloides
Protonym:  Falco rupicoloides S.Afr.Comm.Advertiser 4
Taxonomy:  Falconiformes / Falconidae / Falco
Taxonomy Code:  grekes1
Type Locality:  no locality = South Africa.
Author:  Smith, A
Publish Year:  1829
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

FALCO
(Falconidae; † Eurasian Hobby F. subbuteo) Late L. falco, falconis  falcon  < L. flectere  to curve (alluding to the curved talons) (cf. Late Gr. φαλκων phalkōn, φαλκωνος phalkōnos  falcon). "41. FALCO.  Rostrum aduncum, basi cera instructum.  Caput pennis arcte tectum.  Lingua bifida.  ...  Aquilæ dictæ fuere Falcones majores, pedibus hirsutis.  ...  Falconaria avs ad aucupium & venatum instruendi Falcones transiit in Scientiam; inter auctores plurimos eminet d'Esparon Falconaria. Francs. 1617. quart." (Linnaeus 1758). This genus is the second diagnosed in avian nomenclature. "Falco Linné, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 88.  Type, by subsequent designation, Falco subbuteo Linné. (A. O. U. Committee, 1886.)" (Peters, 1931, I, 284); "Falco Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., 1, p. 88, 1758—type, by subs. desig. (Brit. Orn. Un-Comm., List of British Birds, p. 149, 1915),² Falco Subbuteo Linnaeus.   ...   ² The A. O. U. Committee (1886), though generally credited with designating the genotype, unfortunately failed to do so, but merely determined Falco subbuteo as type by employing the inadmissable method of elimination." (Hellmay & Conover, 1949, Cat. Birds Americas, Pt. I (4), p. 293); "Falco Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, p. 88. Type, by subsequent designation (G. R. Gray, 1840, List Gen. Birds, p. 3), "F. peregrinus L." = Falco peregrinus Tunstall." (Amadon in Peters, 1979, I, 2nd ed., p. 400); "FALCO Linnaeus, 1758  M - Falco subbuteo Linnaeus, 1758; type by subsequent designation (A.O.U., 1886, Check List, 2nd ed., p. 193)." (Dickinson and Remsen (eds.), H. & M. Complete Checklist, 4th ed., 2013, 1 (Non-passerines), p. 349).  Linnaeus's Falco comprised twenty-six species (F. Melanætus, F. Chrysaëtus, F. fulvus, F. canadensis, F. rusticolus, F. barbarus, F. cærulescens, F. Albicilla, F. Pygargus, F. Milvus, F. forficatus, F. gentilis, F. Subbuteo, F. Buteo, F. Tinnunculus, F. sufflator, F. cachinnans, F. sparverius, F. columbarius, F. Lanarius, F. Haliætus, F. Gyrfalco, F. apivorus, F. æruginosus, F. palumbarius, F. Nisus).
Synon. Aegypius, Aesalon, Archifalco, Asturaetus, Cataractes, Cenchris, Cerchneis, Chiquera, Confusiana, Cuvieria, Dendrofalco, Dissodectes, Dorcadothera, Erythropus, Eufalco, Euhierax, Falcolus, Falcula, Gennadas, Gennaia, Gyrfalco, Harpe, Hierax, Hierofalco, Hypotriorchis, Ieracidea, Lanarius, Lithofalco, Megacerchneis, Neofalco, Nesierax, Notofalco, Palifalco, Pannychistes, Planofalco, Plioaetus, Pnigohierax, Poecilornis, Pontotriorchis, Rhynchodon, Rhynchofalco, Tichornis, Tinnunculus, Tolmerus, Turumtia.

falco
Late L. falco, falconis  falcon  < L. flectere  to curve; the “Sekretär” of Gravenhorst 1817 (syn. Sagittarius serpentarius).

rupicoloides
Specific name Falco rupicolus Daudin 1800; Gr. -οιδης -oidēs  resembling; "FALCO RUPICOLUS. Daud.  ...  When in search of its prey it is generally seen soaring about in open country, but when disposed to rest it retreats towards mountains or rocky knowls, and there passes the night.   ...   FALCO RUPICOLOIDES.  ...  The only specimen of this species which I have seen, was killed on the banks of the Groene river, in little Namaqualand.  In manners its resembles the last described species, and was observed to resort during the night to similar situations." (A. Smith 1829) (Falco).

SUBSPECIES

Greater Kestrel (fieldi)
SCI Name: Falco rupicoloides fieldi
fieldi / fieldii
● Marshall Field (1835-1906) US business magnate, founder of Marshall Field & Co, philanthropist, major patron of Chicago Mus. (subsp. Falco rupicoloides, syn. Hyetornis rufigularis).
● Barron Field (1786-1846) English jurist, Advocate-Fiscal in Ceylon, Supreme Court Judge for New South Wales 1816-1824, Chief Justice of Gibraltar 1826, poet, essayist (syn. Geoffroyus geoffroyi).

Greater Kestrel (arthuri)
SCI Name: Falco rupicoloides arthuri
arthuri
● Arthur Philip Penard (1880-1932) Dutch ornithologist (born in Suriname), collector (syn. Columbina talpacoti, syn. Sporophila schistacea longipennis).
● Revd. F. Arthur Buxton (1851-1881) English collector (subsp. Falco rupicoloides).
● Arthur Thomas Goodson (1873-1931) British ornithologist, assistant at Tring Mus. 1893-1931 (subsp. Ornorectes cristatus, subsp. Pachycephala pectoralis).
● Arthur Frederick Vavasour McConnell (1903-1961) son of English collector F. V. McConnell (Turdus).

Greater Kestrel (rupicoloides)
SCI Name: Falco rupicoloides rupicoloides
rupicoloides
Specific name Falco rupicolus Daudin 1800; Gr. -οιδης -oidēs  resembling; "FALCO RUPICOLUS. Daud.  ...  When in search of its prey it is generally seen soaring about in open country, but when disposed to rest it retreats towards mountains or rocky knowls, and there passes the night.   ...   FALCO RUPICOLOIDES.  ...  The only specimen of this species which I have seen, was killed on the banks of the Groene river, in little Namaqualand.  In manners its resembles the last described species, and was observed to resort during the night to similar situations." (A. Smith 1829) (Falco).