Black-faced Grassquit

SCI Name:  Melanospiza bicolor
Protonym:  Fringilla bicolor Syst.Nat.ed.12 ed.12 p.324
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Thraupidae / Melanospiza
Taxonomy Code:  bkfgra
Type Locality:  America [= Bahamas] .
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1766
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

MELANOSPIZA
(Thraupidae; Ϯ St Lucia Blackfinch M. richardsoni) Gr. μελας melas,  μελανος melanos  black; σπιζα spiza  finch  < σπιζω spizō  to chirp; "Geospiza. This heteromorphic genus is of very uncertain relationship. Some of the species resemble somewhat the Central American genus Cyanoloxia, but perhaps still more the West Indian genus Melanospiza,²    ...    ² Melanospiza, Ridgway, new genus.  Type, Loxigilla richardsoni, Cory.  Generic characters.—  Similar to Geospiza, Gould (size of type intermediate between G. fortis and G. fuliginosa), but tail relatively much longer and wing much more rounded (first quill shorter than seventh); mandible relatively broader basally (basal width considerably exceeding length of gonys); culmen quite straight, and mandibular rami much narrower.  Coloration: Adult male wholly deep black, except legs and feet, which are brownish white. (Female and young unknown.)" (Ridgway 1897); "Genus Melanospiza.  (Type, Loxigilla richardsoni Cory.)  Related to Euetheia Reichenbach, but bill relatively much larger and with the subbasal angle of the mandibular tomium produced into a distinct point." (Ridgway 1898).

bicolor
L. bicolor, bicoloris  bicoloured  < bi-  two-  < bis  twice; color, coloris  colour; epithet usually given to spp. with white underparts and contrastingly darker upperparts.
● ex “Crested Titmouse” of Catesby 1731, and “Mésange hupée de la Caroline” of Brisson 1760 (Baeolophus).
● ex “Coucal Noirou” of Levaillant 1807, pl. 220 (syn. Centropus nigrorufus).
● ex “Colibri Nr. 2” of Fermin 1769, “Saphir-émeraude” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Sapphire-and-Emerald Humming-bird” of Latham 1782 (Cyanophaia).
● ex “Pic varié de la Encénade” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 748, fig.1, and “Encenada Woodpecker” of Latham 1782 (syn. Dendrocopos lignarius).
● ex “Pato roxo y negro” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 436 (Dendrocygna).
● ex “Ramier blanc mangeur de muscade de la Nouvelle Guinée” of Sonnerat 1776 (Ducula).
● ex “Gobe-mouche à ventre blanc de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 566, fig. 3, and de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Black and white Fly-catcher” of Edwards 1758, and Latham 1783 (syn. Fluvicola pica).
● ex "Merle brun du Cap de Bonne Espérance" of de Buffon 1770-1783, and "White-rumped Thrush" of Latham 1783 (Lamprotornis).
● ex "Bahama Sparrow" of Catesby 1731 (Melanospiza).
● ex “Petit Guêpier du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 318 (?syn. Merops hirundineus).
● ex “Guêpier de l’isle de France” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 252 (syn. Merops viridis).
● ex “Schet Noir” of Levaillant 1805, pl. 148 (syn. Terpsiphone mutata).

SUBSPECIES

Black-faced Grassquit (bicolor)
SCI Name: Melanospiza bicolor bicolor
bicolor
L. bicolor, bicoloris  bicoloured  < bi-  two-  < bis  twice; color, coloris  colour; epithet usually given to spp. with white underparts and contrastingly darker upperparts.
● ex “Crested Titmouse” of Catesby 1731, and “Mésange hupée de la Caroline” of Brisson 1760 (Baeolophus).
● ex “Coucal Noirou” of Levaillant 1807, pl. 220 (syn. Centropus nigrorufus).
● ex “Colibri Nr. 2” of Fermin 1769, “Saphir-émeraude” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Sapphire-and-Emerald Humming-bird” of Latham 1782 (Cyanophaia).
● ex “Pic varié de la Encénade” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 748, fig.1, and “Encenada Woodpecker” of Latham 1782 (syn. Dendrocopos lignarius).
● ex “Pato roxo y negro” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 436 (Dendrocygna).
● ex “Ramier blanc mangeur de muscade de la Nouvelle Guinée” of Sonnerat 1776 (Ducula).
● ex “Gobe-mouche à ventre blanc de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 566, fig. 3, and de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Black and white Fly-catcher” of Edwards 1758, and Latham 1783 (syn. Fluvicola pica).
● ex "Merle brun du Cap de Bonne Espérance" of de Buffon 1770-1783, and "White-rumped Thrush" of Latham 1783 (Lamprotornis).
● ex "Bahama Sparrow" of Catesby 1731 (Melanospiza).
● ex “Petit Guêpier du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 318 (?syn. Merops hirundineus).
● ex “Guêpier de l’isle de France” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 252 (syn. Merops viridis).
● ex “Schet Noir” of Levaillant 1805, pl. 148 (syn. Terpsiphone mutata).

Black-faced Grassquit (marchii)
SCI Name: Melanospiza bicolor marchii
marchii
William Thomas March (1795-1876) lawyer, collector in Jamaica (subsp. Melanospiza bicolor).

Black-faced Grassquit (omissa)
SCI Name: Melanospiza bicolor omissa
omissa
L. omissus  disregarded, omitted  < omittere  to disregard.

Black-faced Grassquit (huilae)
SCI Name: Melanospiza bicolor huilae
huilae
Huila Dept., Colombia.

Black-faced Grassquit (grandior)
SCI Name: Melanospiza bicolor grandior
grandior
L. grandior, grandioris  sublime, lofty  < comp. grandis  great.

Black-faced Grassquit (johnstonei)
SCI Name: Melanospiza bicolor johnstonei
johnstonei
● Sir Robert Stewart Johnstone (1855-1936) British lawyer, Chief Justice of Grenada 1909 (‡syn. Lathrotriccus euleri flaviventris).
● Sir Frederic John William Johnstone 8^th Baronet Johnstone of Westerhall (1841-1913) English politician, MP, racehorse owner (subsp. Melanospiza bicolor).

Black-faced Grassquit (sharpei)
SCI Name: Melanospiza bicolor sharpei
sharpei
Dr Richard Bowdler Sharpe (1847-1909) British ornithologist at BMNH 1872-1909, founder member of BOC 1892 (subsp. Accipiter albogularis, subsp. Aegithalos bonvaloti, subsp. Anthoscopus sylviella, subsp. Camaroptera brachyura, subsp. Caprimulgus tristigma, syn. Ceyx erithaca, syn. Chrysococcyx cupreus, subsp. Coereba flaveola, subsp. Columba delegorguei, syn. Coracias naevius, subsp. Dactylortyx thoracicus, subsp. Dicrurus ludwigii, syn. Edolisoma incertum, syn. Eremomela icteropygialis saturatior, Euchrepomis, subsp. Eulabeornis castaneoventris, syn. Euschistospiza dybowskii, syn. Hypotaenidia philippensis, Lalage, syn. Laterallus spilonotus, syn. Lophura nycthemera lineata, Macronyx, subsp. Melanospiza bicolor, subsp. Meliphaga aruensis, syn. Merops pusillus cyanostictus, Monticola, syn. Muscicapa boehmi, syn. Myzomela melanocephala, subsp. Pachycephala pectoralis, syn. Phoeniculus bollei, syn. Phyllastrephus strepitans, syn. Picumnus albosquamatus guttifer, Picus, syn. Pogoniulus chrysoconus, syn. Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana, syn. Rhipidura albiscapa, Sheppardia, subsp. Sicalis uropigyalis, Smithornis, syn. Smutsornis africanus, subsp. Sporophila morelleti, syn. Tauraco schuettii emini, subsp. Telacanthura ussheri, subsp. Treron calvus, subsp. Trochalopteron milnei, Turdoides, syn. Zosterops atrifrons) (see sharpii).

Black-faced Grassquit (tortugensis)
SCI Name: Melanospiza bicolor tortugensis
tortugae / tortugensis
● Isla Tortuga, Baja California, Mexico (Spanish tortuga  turtle) (subsp. Amphispiza bilineata).
● Isla La Tortuga, Venezuela (subsp. Eupsittula pertinax, subsp. Sublegatus arenarum, subsp. Tiaris bicolor).
● Tortuga I. (= Tortue), Hispaniola (subsp. Vireo griseus).