Jamaican Blackbird

SCI Name:  Nesopsar nigerrimus
Protonym:  [Icterus] nigerrimus Zoologist 17 p.6662
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Icteridae / Nesopsar
Taxonomy Code:  jambla1
Type Locality:  lower mountains of Jamaica.
Author:  Osburn
Publish Year:  1859
IUCN Status:  Endangered

DEFINITIONS

NESOPSAR
(Icteridae; Ϯ Jamaican Blackbird N. nigerrimus) Gr. νησος nēsos  island (= Jamaica); ψαρ psar, ψαρος psaros  starling; "Of the black Banana-bird described p. 6661, we possess several specimens, and we believe Mr. Osburn is right in considering it 'new to science' ¶.  ...   ¶ Mr. Osburn's suggested specific term 'nigerrimus' should therefore be employed.  As a generic name — the form being apparently different from any previously characterized among the Icteridæ — we propose that of Nesopsar; and the species will therefore stand as Nesopsar nigerrimus. (P.L.S.)    NESOPSAR, gen. nov. Rostrum rectum, capite vix brevius, subquadratum, compressum, apice acuto, mesorhinio lato et plano, verticem versus extenso: alæ breves, remige secunda, tertia et quarta æqualibus et longissimis, quinta his paulo breviore sed primam excedente: cauda modica, quadrata: pedes validiusculi, tarsis brevibus, ungue postico fortiore.  Typus et sp. unica N. nigerrimus.   ...   Hab. in ins. Jamaica." (P. Sclater 1859).
Var. Neopsar.

nigerrima / nigerrimus
L. nigerrimus very black < super. niger black.
● ex “Coucal Nègre” of Levaillant 1807, pl. 222 (?syn. Centropus menbeki, ?syn. Centropus bernsteini).
● ex “Crabier noir de la Nouvelle Guinée” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 926 (syn. Egretta sacra).
● ex “Merula madagascariensis aurea” of Brisson 1760, “Merle doré de Madagascar” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 539, fig. 1, and de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Black-cheeked Thrush” of Latham 1783 (syn. Philepitta castanea).
● ex “Tangara noir d’Amérique” (= ♂) of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 179, fig. 2, “Tangara noir” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Gujana Tanager” of Latham 1783 (syn. Tachyphonus rufus).