Prairie Falcon

SCI Name:  Falco mexicanus
Protonym:  Falco mexicanus Abh.Geb.Zool.Vergleich.Anat. Heft3 p.15
Taxonomy:  Falconiformes / Falconidae / Falco
Taxonomy Code:  prafal
Type Locality:  Mexico. Type from Monterrey (cf. Schlegel, 1862, Mus. Hist. Nat. Pays-Bas, Rev. Method. Crit. Coll., livr. 1, Falcones, p. 18, note).
Author:  Schlegel
Publish Year:  1850
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

FALCO
(Falconidae; † Eurasian Hobby F. subbuteo) Late L. falco, falconis  falcon  < L. flectere  to curve (alluding to the curved talons) (cf. Late Gr. φαλκων phalkōn, φαλκωνος phalkōnos  falcon). "41. FALCO.  Rostrum aduncum, basi cera instructum.  Caput pennis arcte tectum.  Lingua bifida.  ...  Aquilæ dictæ fuere Falcones majores, pedibus hirsutis.  ...  Falconaria avs ad aucupium & venatum instruendi Falcones transiit in Scientiam; inter auctores plurimos eminet d'Esparon Falconaria. Francs. 1617. quart." (Linnaeus 1758). This genus is the second diagnosed in avian nomenclature. "Falco Linné, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 88.  Type, by subsequent designation, Falco subbuteo Linné. (A. O. U. Committee, 1886.)" (Peters, 1931, I, 284); "Falco Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., 1, p. 88, 1758—type, by subs. desig. (Brit. Orn. Un-Comm., List of British Birds, p. 149, 1915),² Falco Subbuteo Linnaeus.   ...   ² The A. O. U. Committee (1886), though generally credited with designating the genotype, unfortunately failed to do so, but merely determined Falco subbuteo as type by employing the inadmissable method of elimination." (Hellmay & Conover, 1949, Cat. Birds Americas, Pt. I (4), p. 293); "Falco Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, p. 88. Type, by subsequent designation (G. R. Gray, 1840, List Gen. Birds, p. 3), "F. peregrinus L." = Falco peregrinus Tunstall." (Amadon in Peters, 1979, I, 2nd ed., p. 400); "FALCO Linnaeus, 1758  M - Falco subbuteo Linnaeus, 1758; type by subsequent designation (A.O.U., 1886, Check List, 2nd ed., p. 193)." (Dickinson and Remsen (eds.), H. & M. Complete Checklist, 4th ed., 2013, 1 (Non-passerines), p. 349).  Linnaeus's Falco comprised twenty-six species (F. Melanætus, F. Chrysaëtus, F. fulvus, F. canadensis, F. rusticolus, F. barbarus, F. cærulescens, F. Albicilla, F. Pygargus, F. Milvus, F. forficatus, F. gentilis, F. Subbuteo, F. Buteo, F. Tinnunculus, F. sufflator, F. cachinnans, F. sparverius, F. columbarius, F. Lanarius, F. Haliætus, F. Gyrfalco, F. apivorus, F. æruginosus, F. palumbarius, F. Nisus).
Synon. Aegypius, Aesalon, Archifalco, Asturaetus, Cataractes, Cenchris, Cerchneis, Chiquera, Confusiana, Cuvieria, Dendrofalco, Dissodectes, Dorcadothera, Erythropus, Eufalco, Euhierax, Falcolus, Falcula, Gennadas, Gennaia, Gyrfalco, Harpe, Hierax, Hierofalco, Hypotriorchis, Ieracidea, Lanarius, Lithofalco, Megacerchneis, Neofalco, Nesierax, Notofalco, Palifalco, Pannychistes, Planofalco, Plioaetus, Pnigohierax, Poecilornis, Pontotriorchis, Rhynchodon, Rhynchofalco, Tichornis, Tinnunculus, Tolmerus, Turumtia.

falco
Late L. falco, falconis  falcon  < L. flectere  to curve; the “Sekretär” of Gravenhorst 1817 (syn. Sagittarius serpentarius).

mexicanum / mexicanus
Mexico (probably named after Mexihtli, another name for Huitzilopochtli the Aztec god of war). This toponym also included New Spain, a former name for Mexico.
● ex “Colcuicuiltu” of Hernandez 1651, and “Caille de la Louisiane” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Colinus virginianus).
● ex “Hoitlalotl” of Hernandez 1651, and de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Courier Pheasant” of Latham 1783 (?syn. Geococcyx velox).
● Erroneous TL. New Spain (= Cayenne); ex “Troupiale brun de la Nouvelle Espagne” (= ☼) of Brisson 1760 (Gymnomystax).
● ex “Comaltecatl” of Hernandez 1651, and “Échasse du Méxique” of Brisson 1760 (subsp. Himantopus himantopus).
● Erroneous TL. Mexico (= Jamaica) (syn. Icterus leucopteryx).
● ex “Merula mexicana” of Seba 1734-1765, “Galgulus mexicanus” of Brisson 1760, “Roller du Mexique” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Mexican Roller” of Latham 1781 (?syn. Laniocera or Lipaugus sp.).
● Erroneous TL. New Spain (= Cayenne); ex “Faisan huppé de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 337, “Crested Pheasant” of Latham 1783, Phasianus cristatus J. Gmelin, 1789, and “Penelôpe hoatzin du Méxique” of Temminck 1807 (syn. Opisthocomus hoazin).
● ex “Acacalotl” of Hernandez 1651, “Acalotl” of Willughby 1676, and Ray 1713, “Numenius mexicanus varius” of Brisson 1760, “Acalot” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Mexican Ibis” of Latham 1785 (?syn. Plegadis falcinellus).
● ex “Hocitzanatl” of Hernandez 1651, and Ray, 1711, “Pica Mexicana major” of Brisson 1760, “Hocisana” of de Buffon 1770-1783, “Criard” of Pernety 1771, and “Mexican Crow” of Latham 1781 (Quiscalus).
● ex “Tecolotl” of Ray 1713, “Asio mexicanus” of Brisson, and “Mexican Eared Owl” of Latham 1781 (syn. Rhinoptynx clamator).
● ex “Yacapatlahoac” of Hernandez 1651, “Anas clypeata mexicana” or “Souchet du Méxique” of Brisson 1760, and “Mexican Shoveler” of Latham 1785 (syn. Spatula clypeata).
● Erroneous TL. Mexico (= Puerto Rico) (Todus).
● ex “Avis Cocho Psittaci mexicani species” of Seba 1734, and “Psittaca mexicana lutea” of Brisson 1760 (unident.).
● ex “Avis de cocho, psittaci species mexicana vario colore” of Seba 1734, “Psittacula mexicana cristata” of Brisson 1760, and “Crested Mexican Parrakeet” of Latham 1781 (unident.).
● ex “Caxcaxtototl” of Ray 1713, “Cotinga mexicana” of Brisson 1760, “Cacastol” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Mexican Stare” of Latham 1783 (unident.).