Lesser Roadrunner / Geococcyx velox
WBN 
Lesser Roadrunner
SCI Name:
Protonym: Cuculus velox GelehrteAnz.Munchen 3 col.96
Taxonomy: Cuculiformes / Cuculidae / Geococcyx
Taxonomy Code: lesroa1
Type Locality: Mexico = outskirts of Mexico City.
Author: Wagner
Publish Year: 1836
IUCN Status: Least Concern
DEFINITIONS
GEOCOCCYX
(Cuculidae; Ϯ Greater Roadrunner G. californiana) Gr. γεω- geō- ground- < γη gē earth; κοκκυξ kokkux, κοκκυγος kokkugos cuckoo; "Genus Geococcyx, Erdkukuk. (Genus novum.) 31. Geococcyx variegata. (spec. nov.) ... Cuculus viaticus Lichtenst. in Mus. Berol. ... Dieser Kukukartige, in jeder Beziehung merkwürdige Vogel lebt fast immer auf der Erde und lauft ungemein hurtig. Ich glaube daß ihn Hernandez unter dem Namen "Hoitlallotl cap. 52. beschreibt. Von diesem Hoitlallotl sagt er: Humipeta avis est, ac volatus modici, sed adeo pernice cursu, ut equorum velocissimorum agilitatem longe excedat."" (Wagler 1831); "Geococcyx Wagler, Isis von Oken, 1831, col. 524. Type, by monotypy, Geococcyx variegata Wagler = Saurothera californiana Lesson." (Peters, 1940, IV, p. 60).
Synon. Leptostoma.
velox
L. velox, velocis rapid, quick < volare to fly, to move rapidly.
● ex “Martinet Velocifère” of Levaillant 1807, pl. 244, fig. 2 (?syn. Psalidoprocne holomelas).
● ex “Veloce” of Vieillot 1802 (unident.).
UPPERCASE: current genus
Uppercase first letter: generic synonym
● and ● See: generic homonyms
lowercase: species and subspecies
●: early names, variants, mispellings
‡: extinct
†: type species
Gr.: ancient Greek
L.: Latin
<: derived from
syn: synonym of
/: separates historical and modern geographic names
ex: based on
TL: type locality
OD: original diagnosis (genus) or original description (species)
