Stygian Owl

SCI Name:  Asio stygius
Protonym:  Nyctalops stygius Isis 25 col.1221
Taxonomy:  Strigiformes / Strigidae / Asio
Taxonomy Code:  styowl1
Type Locality:  Brazil or South Africa = Minas Geraes.
Author:  Wagler
Publish Year:  1832
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

ASIO
(Strigidae; † Long-eared Owl A. otus) "Asio. Genus 11.  ...  Moyen Duc  ...  ASIO  ...  On le trouve le plus souvent sur les montagnes & les endroits élèves" (Brisson 1760): based on "Asio" and "Otus" of Gessner 1555, and many other references; "Asio Brisson, Orn., 1, 1760, p. 28.  Type, by tautonymy, Asio Brisson = Strix otus Linné." (Peters, 1940, IV, p. 167).
Var. Azio.
Synon. Ascalaphus, Brachyotus, Nisuella, Noctua, Nyctalops, Phasmaptynx, Rhinoptynx, Rhinostrix.
• (Strigidae; syn. Bubo † Great Eagle Owl B. bubo) "ASIO, Antiq.  Horned Owls.  Head large, furnished with a double crest or egrets.  Ears and facial disk moderate, and the latter not always perfect.  Ears without an operculum.  Bill short, with the upper mandible sometimes festooned. (fig. 198.)    A. bubo. Pl. Enl. 435.    Virginiana. Wils. vi. pl. 50. 1." (Swainson 1837); "Asio Swainson 1837, Nat. Hist. Classification Birds, II, p. 217.  Type, by subsequent designation (G. Gray, 1855, Cat. Genera Subgenera Birds Brit. Mus., p. 9), Strix bubo." (JAJ 2020).
• (Strigidae; syn. Megascops † Eastern Screech Owl M. asio) "123. MEGASCOPS, Kaup, 1849.  (Strix asio, Linn.)   ...   123 = Asio, Schl. & Pr. B. 1853." (G. Gray, 1855, Cat. Genera Subgenera Birds Brit. Mus., pp. 9, 135 (Appendix)).  I have yet to locate the reference to Schlegel and Bonaparte, 1853.

asio
L. asio, asionis or axio, axionis  type of eared owl.
● "Otus Asio, ♂.  Small Horn-Owl.  ...  Otus Asio, ♀.  Small Horn-Owl." (Leach 1816 (ed. Salvin 1882)) (syn. Asio otus).
● "42. STRIX.  ...  Asio.  3. S. capite aurito, corpore supra ferrugineo subtus cinereo, alis punctis quinque albis.  Noctua aurita minor. Catesb. car. 1. p. 7. t. 7.  Habitat in America." (Linnaeus 1758) (Megascops).
● "GENUS XXXI.—SCOPS, Savigny.  ...  Sp. 1. Sc. Asio.  Strix Scops. Shaw, v. vii. p. 233.—Strix Carniolica. Shaw, v. vii. p. 231.—Strix pulchella. Shaw, v. vii. p. 239.—England and Europe." (Stephens in Shaw 1825) (syn. Otus scops).

stygium / stygius
L. stygius  stygian, infernal (i.e. dark)  < myth. Styx, a river in the infernal regions, the lower world.

SUBSPECIES

Stygian Owl (lambi)
SCI Name: Asio stygius lambi
lambi
Chester Converse Lamb (1882-1965) US zoologist, Assistant Curator of Mammals, Mus. Vertebrate Zoology 1925-1932, collector in Mexico (syn. Aimophila ruficeps canescens, subsp. Asio stygius, subsp. Catharus occidentalis, syn. Dendrocopos scalaris, subsp. Megascops asio, subsp. Nyctibius jamaicensis).

Stygian Owl (robustus)
SCI Name: Asio stygius robustus
robustus
L. robustus  powerful, strong, robust  < robur, roboris  hardwood.
● ex “Robust Parrot” of Latham 1781 (Poicephalus).

Stygian Owl (siguapa)
SCI Name: Asio stygius siguapa
siguapa
Cuban name Siguapa for the local form of Stygian Owl (subsp. Asio stygius).

Stygian Owl (noctipetens)
SCI Name: Asio stygius noctipetens
noctipetens
L. nox, noctis  night; petens, petentis  attacking  < petere  to attack.

Stygian Owl (stygius)
SCI Name: Asio stygius stygius
stygium / stygius
L. stygius  stygian, infernal (i.e. dark)  < myth. Styx, a river in the infernal regions, the lower world.

Stygian Owl (barberoi)
SCI Name: Asio stygius barberoi
barberoi
Dr Andrés José Camilo Barbero (1877-1951) Paraguayan scientist, pharmacologist, philanthropist (subsp. Asio stygius).