Western Meadowlark

SCI Name:  Sturnella neglecta
Protonym:  Sturnella neglecta BirdsAm.[8vo] [8vo], 7 p.339 pl.489
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Icteridae / Sturnella
Taxonomy Code:  wesmea
Type Locality:  Missouri River above Fort Croghan [= Old Fort Union, North Dakota] .
Author:  Audubon
Publish Year:  1844
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

STURNELLA
(Icteridae; Ϯ Eastern Meadowlark S. magna) L. sturnellus  little starling  < dim. sturnus  starling. Formerly the American icterids were included with the starlings in Sturnidae (hence the frequent use of Gr. ψαρ psar  starling in icterid genera); "79. STOURNELLE, Sturnella.  Sturnus, Linn. Gm. Lath.  Bec droit, entier, convexe en dessus, obtus et dilaté à la pointe; mandibule supérieure à base prolongée et arrondie dans les plumes du front. — Pouce plus fort et plus long que les doigts latéraux.   Esp. Stourne, ou Merle à fer-à-cheval, Buff." (Vieillot 1816); "Sturnella Vieillot, 1816, Analyse, p. 34. Type, by monotypy, "Stourne, ou Merle à fer-à-cheval" Buffon = Alauda magna Linnaeus." (Blake in Peters 1968, XIV, 177).
Var. Sturnellus, Sternella, Sturela, Sturnela.
Synon. Cirulus, Pedopsaris, Pezites, Trupialis.

neglecta / neglectum / neglectus
L. neglectus  ignored, overlooked, neglected, disregarded  < neglegere  to neglect.

SUBSPECIES

Western Meadowlark (confluenta)
SCI Name: Sturnella neglecta confluenta
confluenta
L. confluentus united, confluent, flocking < confluere to flow together.

Western Meadowlark (neglecta)
SCI Name: Sturnella neglecta neglecta
neglecta / neglectum / neglectus
L. neglectus  ignored, overlooked, neglected, disregarded  < neglegere  to neglect.