Guianan Gnatcatcher

SCI Name:  Polioptila guianensis
Protonym:  Polioptila guianensis Proc.Biol.Soc.Wash. 33 p.72
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Polioptilidae / Polioptila
Taxonomy Code:  guigna3
Type Locality:  Tamanoir, Mana River, French Guiana.
Author:  Todd
Publish Year:  1920
IUCN Status:  

DEFINITIONS

POLIOPTILA
(Polioptilidae; Ϯ Blue-grey Gnatcatcher P. caerulea) Gr. πολιος polios  grey; πτιλον ptilon  plumage; "The genus Culicivora (as established by Mr. Swainson in the Zoological Journal for 1827) has the Muscicapa stenura of Temminck for its type, but embraces also the Muscicapa cærulea of Wilson and its affines.  Now these birds belong in reality to two very different groups; the M. stenura being a Tyrannine, while the M. cærulea can hardly be placed within the limits of that family, but must be arranged either with the old-world Muscicapines (as in Bonaparte's Conspectus) or with the Sylvians (asin Gray's Genera of Birds).  Dr. Cabanis in his Ornithologische Notizen, in Wiegmann's Archiv, has rightly separated these two forms, but has unfortunately chosen to call the M. cærulea and its allies Culicivora, and made a new name Hapalura for the M. stenura—the true Culicivora of Swainson.  Under these circumstances Hapalura is a mere useless synonym of Culicivora, Sw., and a new name is required for the group containing M. cærulea, and commonly known as Culicivora.  I therefore propose for it the term Polioptila, from the general grey colouring of the plumage.  The species of this genus that I am at present acquainted with are the following:—   1. POLIOPTILA CÆRULEA (Linn.).   ...   2. POLIOPTILA DUMICOLA (Vieill.).   ...   3. POLIOPTILA LEUCOGASTRA (Max.).   ...   4. POLIOPTILA BILINEATA (Licht.)." (P. Sclater 1855); "Polioptila Sclater, 1855, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 23, p. 11. Type, by subsequent designation (Baird, 1864, Rev. Amer. Birds, 1, p. 67), Motacilla caerulea Linnaeus." (Paynter in Peters 1964, X, 448).

polioptila / polioptilus
Gr. πολιος polios grey; πτιλον ptilon plumage.

guianae / guianarum / guianensis
Guiana; the original European colonies comprised Essequibo and Demerara (= British Guiana), Berbice and Surinam (= Dutch Guiana), and Cayenne (= French Guiana). In early ornithology “Guiana” and “Cayenne” were often used of species of uncertain provenance presumed to be from Amazonia.
● ex “Troupiale de la Guiane” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Leistes militaris); ex “Petit Aigle de la Guiane” of Mauduyt de la Varenne 1784 (Morphnus); ex “Long-tailed Green Parrakeet, var. A, Guiane Green Parrakeet” of Latham 1781 (syn. Psittacara euops).
● Erroneous TL Guiana (= Luzon = India); ex “Perruche à collier de l’isle de Luçon” of Sonnerat 1776 (syn. Psittacula eupatria).