Northern Harrier

SCI Name:  Circus hudsonius
Protonym:  Falco hudsonius Syst.Nat.ed.12 ed.12 p.128
Taxonomy:  Accipitriformes / Accipitridae / Circus
Taxonomy Code:  norhar2
Type Locality:  Hudson Bay.
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).

hudsonia / hudsonias / hudsonica / hudsonicus / hudsonis / hudsonius
Hudson Bay or Hudsons Bay, or Hudson Straits, Canada (named after Capt. Henry Hudson (d. 1611) English navigator and explorer, cast adrift there by his mutinous crew).
● ex “Hudsonian Wagtail” of Latham 1802 (syn. Anthus rubescens).
● ex “Ash-colour’d Heron from North America” of Edwards 1750, and “Héron de la Baye de Hudson” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Ardea herodias).
● ex “Turnstone from Hudson’s Bay” of Edwards 1750 (syn. Arenaria interpres).
● ex “Bittern from Hudson’s Bay” of Edwards 1750 (syn. Botaurus lentiginosus).
● ex “Ring-tailed Hawk” of Edwards 1750 (Circus).
● ex “Hudsonian Thrush” (= ☼) of Pennant 1785 (syn. Euphagus carolinus).
● ex “Hudsonian Godwit” of Latham 1787, and Pennant 1787 (syn. Limosa haemastica).
● ex “Eskimaux Curlew” of Pennant 1785, and “Hudsonian Curlew” of Latham 1787 (subsp. Numenius phaeopus).
● ex “Little Hawk Owl” of Edwards 1743, “Strix freti Hudsonis” of Brisson 1760, “Caparacoch” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Hawk Owl” of Latham 1781, and Pennant 1785 (syn. Surnia ulula caparoch).
● ex “Hudsonian White-headed Oriole” of Pennant 1785 (unident. partial albino).