Hen Harrier

SCI Name:  Circus cyaneus
Protonym:  Falco cyaneus Syst.Nat.ed.12 ed.12 p.126
Taxonomy:  Accipitriformes / Accipitridae / Circus
Taxonomy Code:  norhar1
Type Locality:  Europe, Africa = vicinity of London, England, ex Edwards, pi. 225.
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1766
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

CIRCUS
(Accipitridae; Ϯ Western Marsh Harrier C. aeruginosus) Gr. κιρκος kirkos  partly mythical hawk, named for its circling flight  < κιρκος kirkos  circle, mentioned by many classical authors and later identified with the Hen Harrier (cf. κιρκη kirkē  bird referred to by Aelianus, different to κιρκος kirkos but not otherwise identified); "BUSARD. Circus.  { Le bec courbé dès la base; la tête plate en dessus, et garnie de plumes; la base du bec recouverte d'une cire; les ailes très-longues; la première penne de l'aile, très-courte; le tarse long et grêle." (de Lacépède 1799); "Circus Lacépède, Tabl. Ois., 1799, p. 4. Type, by subsequent designation, Falco aeruginosus Linné. (Lesson, Man. d'Orn., 1, 1828, p. 105.)" (Peters, 1931, I, p. 264).
Var. Cercus.
Synon. Eucircus, Glaucopteryx, Melanocircus, Polyborus, Pseudocircus, Pterocircus, Pygargus, Spilocircus, Spizacircus, Strigiceps.

circus
Gr. κιρκος kirkos  partly mythical hawk, named for its circling flight  < κιρκος kirkos  circle (syn. Circus aeruginosus).

cyaneum / cyaneus
L. cyaneus  dark-blue, sea-blue, greenish-blue  < Gr. κυανεος kuaneos  dark-blue, glossy.
● ex “Blue Hawk” of Edwards 1758 (Circus).
● ex “Black and Blue Creeper” of Edwards 1751, and “Grimpereau bleu du Brésil” of Brisson 1760 (Cyanerpes).
● ex “Merle à tête noire du Cap de Bonne Espérance” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 392 (syn. Donacobius atricapillus).