Greater Whitethroat

SCI Name:  Sylvia communis
Protonym:  Sylvia communis Gen.Syn.BirdsSuppl. p.287
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Sylviidae / Sylvia
Taxonomy Code:  grewhi1
Type Locality:  'not uncommon in England,'' Latham, 1783, General Synop. Birds, 2, p. 428; restricted to Kent by Clancey, 1950, Auk, 67, p. 393.
Author:  Latham
Publish Year:  1787
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

SYLVIA
(Sylviidae; Ϯ Eurasian Blackcap S. atricapilla) Mod. L. sylvia  woodland sprite  < L. silva or sylva  woodland (cf. Motacilla sylvia Linnaeus, 1766 (considered unidentifiable, but perhaps the Common Whitethroat)); "SYLVIA.  Gens tenuirostris, insectivora, canora, garrula, inquieta, arboribus insidens, strigi illudens, migrans, saltitans nec ambulans, vocem nullam edens dum volat.   227. SYLVIA LUSCINIA.  ...  Ital. Rossignolo. Germ. Nachtigall.  ...  228. SYLVIA CURRUCA.  ...  Ital. Bianchetto. Germ. Spottvogel.  ...  229. SYLVIA ATRICAPILLA.  ...  Ital. Capo nero. Germ. Schwarzplatl.  ...  230. SYLVIA OENANTHE.  ...  Ital. Cullo bianco. Germ. Steinschwazer.  ...  231. SYLVIA RUBECULA.  ...  Ital. Petto rosso, Pitardello, Petuzzo. Germ. Rothkehlchen, Rothkröpfl.  ...  232. SYLVIA PHOENICURUS.  ...  Ital. Scorsolato, Quarossolo. German. Rothschwänzchen, Waldrothschweifl.  ...  233. SYLVIA TITHYS.  ...  Ital. Moretto. Germ. Hausrothschweifl.  ...  234. SYLVIA ZYA.  ...  235. SYLVIA SCHOENOBAENUS?  ...  Ital. Grisato.  ...  236. SYLVIA MUSCIPETA.  ...  Ital. Grisatto bastardo.  ...  237. SYLVIA RUBETRA.  ...  238. SYLVIA TROCHILUS.  ...  Germ. Schmittl.  ...  239. SYLVIA TROGLODYTES.  ...  Ital. Reatolo. Germ. Königerl, Zaunschlupferl.  ...  240. SYVIA REGULUS.  ...  Germ. Goldhähnlein, Zaunkönig." (Scopoli 1769). "When the genus Sylvia, containing upwards of two hundred and fifty species, shall have been properly studied, it will be found practicable to divide it into several more sections, subgenera, and even perhaps genera. This bird [Sylvia palmarum], along with many other North American species, will constitute a highly natural group, very distinct from the true Sylvia, of which S. atricapilla may be considered as the type" (Bonaparte 1828); “This genus, proposed by Scopoli  ...  has no type designated by the author. Of later writers, Swainson in 1836 designated Sylvia hippolais (the Icterine Warbler), Gray in 1840 Sylvia melanocephala (the Sardinian Warbler), and Seebohm in 1881 Sylvia cinerea (the Whitethroat) as the types. As these three species are not to be found among those included by Scopoli in his original list of species, it is obvious that another type must be found. Motacilla sylvia Linnaeus, 1766 (= Sylvia communis Lath.), which might be regarded as the type by tautonymy, cannot be taken into consideration; it is not included in Scopoli’s original list of the members of the genus, and the identification of Motacilla sylvia with Sylvia communis is very doubtful. The Committee suggest that Sylvia curruca (Linn.) should henceforth be regarded as the type of this genus” (BOU 1915); "Sylvia Scopoli, 1769, Annus I Hist. Nat., p. 154. Type, by subsequent designation (Bonaparte, 1828, Amer. Ornith., 2, p. 17), Motacilla atricapilla Linnaeus." (Watson in Peters 1986, XI, 270).
Var. Silvia, Silvya, Slyvia, Sylcia.   
Synon. Adophoneus, Adornis, Aegithalopsis, Alsoecus, Atraphornis, Communis, Corytholaea, Cuphopterus, Cuphornis, Curruca, Dagela, Epilais, Erythroleuca, Ficedula, Horizorhinus, Hortensis, Lioptilornis, Lioptilus, Melizophilus, Melophilus, Monachus, Nisoria, Parisoma, Philacantha, Philydra, Pseudoalcippe, Pyrophthalma, Sterparola, Thamnodus, Trochilus.

sylvia
Mod. L. sylvia  woodland sprite, little bird, warbler  < L. silva  woodland.
● Roman myth. Rhea Silvia, wife to the river god Tiberinus, and mother of the twins Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome; alluding to watery habitats (subsp. Cisticola erythrops, Tanysiptera).
● Roman myth. Silvia, goddess of the forests (syn. Peneothello bimaculata vicaria).
● "99. MOTACILLA.   ...   Sylvia.  9. M. supra cinerea, subtus alba, rectrice prima longitudinaliter dimidiato albo, secunda apice alba. Fn. svec. 228.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (?syn. Sylvia curruca).

communis
L. communis  common  < cum (old form com) together with; moenia  city walls  < moenire  to fortify.
● ex “Schwarzbrauner Falk” of Frisch 1733-1763, “Falco” of Brisson 1760, and “Faucon” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (syn. Falco peregrinus).
● ex “Fauvette grise” or “Grisette” of Brisson 1760, and “Whitethroat” of Latham 1783 (Sylvia).

Communis
(Sylviidae; syn. Sylvia † Common Whitethroat S. communis) Specific name Sylvia communis Latham, 1787; "Rod. Communis Balatzki, gen. n.   ...   Tipovoy vid.  Sylvia communis Latham, 1787. Gen. Synopsis Birds, suppl. I, 1787, s. 287, Angliya." (Balatskiy 1999); "Communis Balatskiy 1999, Russkiy Ornitologicheskiy Zhurnal, VIII, Ekspress-V'sh. 59, p. 33.  Type, by original designation and tautonymy, Sylvia communis Latham, 1787." (JAJ 2021).

SUBSPECIES

Greater Whitethroat (communis)
SCI Name: Sylvia communis communis
communis
L. communis  common  < cum (old form com) together with; moenia  city walls  < moenire  to fortify.
● ex “Schwarzbrauner Falk” of Frisch 1733-1763, “Falco” of Brisson 1760, and “Faucon” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (syn. Falco peregrinus).
● ex “Fauvette grise” or “Grisette” of Brisson 1760, and “Whitethroat” of Latham 1783 (Sylvia).

Greater Whitethroat (volgensis)
SCI Name: Sylvia communis volgensis
volgae / volgensis
Volga River, Russia.

Greater Whitethroat (icterops)
SCI Name: Sylvia communis icterops
icterops
Gr. ικτερος ikteros  jaundice-yellow; ωψ ōps, ωπος ōpos  eye, face.
● ex “Yellow-faced Grakle” of Latham 1787 (?syn. Acridotheres tristis).

Greater Whitethroat (rubicola)
SCI Name: Sylvia communis rubicola
rubicola
L. rubus, rubi bramble-bush; -cola dweller < colere to dwell.
● ex “Traquet Pâtre” of Levaillant 1805, pl. 180 (syn. Saxicola torquatus).