Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

SCI Name:  Nyctanassa violacea
Protonym:  Ardea violacea Syst.Nat.ed.10 p.143
Taxonomy:  Pelecaniformes / Ardeidae / Nyctanassa
Taxonomy Code:  ycnher
Type Locality:  North America = Carolina, ex Catesby.
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1758
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

NYCTANASSA
(Ardeidae; Ϯ Yellow-crowned Night Heron N. violacea) Gr. νυξ nux, νυκτος nuktos  night; ανασσα anassa  queen, lady  < αναξ anax, ανακτος anaktos  king (cf. νασσα nassa  duck); "1842.— Nycterodius* MACGILLIVRAY, Man. Brit. Orn., II, p. 126 (same type) (nec REICHENB., 1852.)  ...  *It will be seen that this name antedates Nyctherodius REICHENBACH by ten years. As no other generic name seems available for the Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Ardea violacea LINN.), I propose Nyctanassa (νυξ, night, ανασσα, queen) as a new name for this type, which should stand as Nyctanassa violacea." (Stejneger 1887).
Var. Nyctinassa.
Synon. Nyctherodius.

violacea
L. violaceus  violet-coloured, violaceous  < viola  violet.
● ex “Grand Traquet des Phillippines” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 185, fig. 2 (syn. Agropsar philippensis).
● ex “Fringilla violacea, fronte subtusque flavissima” of Linnaeus 1746 (Euphonia).
● "76. ARDEA.  ...  violacea.  12. A. crista flava, corpore nigro-cærulescente, fascia temporali alba.  Ardea stellaris cristata americana. Catesb. car. 1. p. 79. t. 79.  Habitat in America septentrionali." (Linnaeus 1758) (Nyctanassa).
● ex “Hirondelle de la Louisiane” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 722 (syn. Progne subis).
● ex "Coccothraustes purpurea. Purple Gross-beak" of Catesby 1731 (Pyrrhulagra).

SUBSPECIES

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Yellow-crowned)
SCI Name: Nyctanassa violacea [violacea Group]
NYCTANASSA
(Ardeidae; Ϯ Yellow-crowned Night Heron N. violacea) Gr. νυξ nux, νυκτος nuktos  night; ανασσα anassa  queen, lady  < αναξ anax, ανακτος anaktos  king (cf. νασσα nassa  duck); "1842.— Nycterodius* MACGILLIVRAY, Man. Brit. Orn., II, p. 126 (same type) (nec REICHENB., 1852.)  ...  *It will be seen that this name antedates Nyctherodius REICHENBACH by ten years. As no other generic name seems available for the Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Ardea violacea LINN.), I propose Nyctanassa (νυξ, night, ανασσα, queen) as a new name for this type, which should stand as Nyctanassa violacea." (Stejneger 1887).
Var. Nyctinassa.
Synon. Nyctherodius.

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Galapagos)
SCI Name: Nyctanassa violacea pauper
pauper / paupera
L. pauper, pauperis  poor, meagre (e.g. plain, dull).