Swamp Sparrow

SCI Name:  Melospiza georgiana
Protonym:  Fringilla georgiana IndexOrn. 1 p.460
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Passerellidae / Melospiza
Taxonomy Code:  swaspa
Type Locality:  Georgiae americanae interioribus [= Georgia] .
Author:  Latham
Publish Year:  1790
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

MELOSPIZA
(Passerellidae; Ϯ Song Sparrow M. melodia) Gr. μελος melos  song, tune; σπιζα spiza  finch  < σπιζω spizō  to chirp; "SONG SPARROW. FRINGILLA MELODIA  ...  of all our Sparrows, this is the most numerous, the most generally diffused over the United States, and by far the earliest, sweetest, and most lasting songster  ...  It is the first singing bird in spring, taking precedence even of the Pewee and Bluebird" (A. Wilson 1810); "MELOSPIZA, Baird.   CH.— Body stout. Bill conical, very obsoletely notched, or smooth; somewhat compressed. Lower mandible not so deep as the upper. Commissure nearly straight. Gonys a little curved. Feet stout, not stretching beyond the tail; tarsus a little longer than the middle toe; outer toe a little longer than the inner; its claw not quite reaching to the base of the middle one. Hind toe appreciably longer than the middle one. Wings quite short and rounded, scarcely reaching beyond the base of the tail; the tertials considerably longer than the secondaries; the quills considerably graduated; the fourth longest; the first not longer than the tertials, and almost the shortest of the primaries. Tail moderately long, and considerably graduated; the feathers oval at the tips. Crown and back similar in color and streaked; beneath thickly streaked. Tail immaculate.   This genus differs from Zonotrichia in shorter, more graduated tail, rather longer hind toe, much more rounded wing, which is shorter; the tertiaries longer; the first quill almost the shortest, and not longer than the tertials. The under parts are spotted; the crown streaked and like the back.  I have placed in this section, which has the Fringilla melodia as its type, the Fringilla palustris of Wilson." (Baird 1858).
Synon. Helospiza.

georgi / georgia / georgiae / georgiana / georgianus / georgica / georgicum / georgicus / georgii
● South Georgia I., Southern Ocean (named after George III King of Great Britain (1738-1820; reigned 1760-1820)) (Anas (ex “Georgia Duck” of Latham 1785), syn. Diomedea exulans chionoptera, syn. Pachyptila desolata banksi, Pelecanoides, Phalacrocorax, subsp. Sterna vittata).
● King George’s Sound, Western Australia (named after George III King of Great Britain (1738-1820; reigned 1760-1820)) (syn. Cereopsis novaehollandiae, subsp. Larus pacificus, Quoyornis (ex “Gobe-mouche géorgien” of Quoy & Gaimard 1830)).
● Georgia, formerly part of the Russian Empire, then a republic of the USSR, now an independent republic, located in the Caucasus (Old Persian name gorgan land of wolves, for the area) (syn. Cyanistes caeruleus satunini).
● Interior of Georgia, North America (named after George II King of Great Britain (1683-1760; reigned 1727-1760) (Melospiza).
● L. georgicus  agricultural  < Gr. γεωργικος geōrgikos  farmer (syn. Passer diffusus). Note that George III King of Great Britain (see above) was popularly known as 'Farmer George.'
● Southern Georgia, USA (named after George II King of Great Britain (1683-1760; reigned 1727-1760)) (subsp. Strix varia).
● Georges River, New South Wales, Australia (Björn Bergenholtz in litt.) (syn. Tringa nebularia).
● George Creek, Victoria River, Northern Territory, Australia (syn. Tyto longimembris).

SUBSPECIES

Swamp Sparrow (ericrypta)
SCI Name: Melospiza georgiana ericrypta
ericrypta
Gr. ερι- eri- very, much; κρυπτος kruptos hidden.

Swamp Sparrow (georgiana)
SCI Name: Melospiza georgiana georgiana
georgi / georgia / georgiae / georgiana / georgianus / georgica / georgicum / georgicus / georgii
● South Georgia I., Southern Ocean (named after George III King of Great Britain (1738-1820; reigned 1760-1820)) (Anas (ex “Georgia Duck” of Latham 1785), syn. Diomedea exulans chionoptera, syn. Pachyptila desolata banksi, Pelecanoides, Phalacrocorax, subsp. Sterna vittata).
● King George’s Sound, Western Australia (named after George III King of Great Britain (1738-1820; reigned 1760-1820)) (syn. Cereopsis novaehollandiae, subsp. Larus pacificus, Quoyornis (ex “Gobe-mouche géorgien” of Quoy & Gaimard 1830)).
● Georgia, formerly part of the Russian Empire, then a republic of the USSR, now an independent republic, located in the Caucasus (Old Persian name gorgan land of wolves, for the area) (syn. Cyanistes caeruleus satunini).
● Interior of Georgia, North America (named after George II King of Great Britain (1683-1760; reigned 1727-1760) (Melospiza).
● L. georgicus  agricultural  < Gr. γεωργικος geōrgikos  farmer (syn. Passer diffusus). Note that George III King of Great Britain (see above) was popularly known as 'Farmer George.'
● Southern Georgia, USA (named after George II King of Great Britain (1683-1760; reigned 1727-1760)) (subsp. Strix varia).
● Georges River, New South Wales, Australia (Björn Bergenholtz in litt.) (syn. Tringa nebularia).
● George Creek, Victoria River, Northern Territory, Australia (syn. Tyto longimembris).

Swamp Sparrow (nigrescens)
SCI Name: Melospiza georgiana nigrescens
nigrescens
L. nigrescens, nigrescentis  blackish  < nigrescere  to become black  < niger  black.