Black-faced Munia

SCI Name:  Lonchura molucca
Protonym:  Loxia molucca Syst.Nat.ed.12 ed.12 p.302
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Estrildidae / Lonchura
Taxonomy Code:  blfmun1
Type Locality:  Moluccas ; restricted to Ambon.
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1766
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

LONCHURA
(Estrildidae; Ϯ Scaly-breasted Munia L. punctulata) Gr. λογχη lonkhē  spear-head, lance; ουρα oura  tail; "Genus LONCHURA. Rostrum forte, breve, latum, altitudine ad basin longitudinem æquans; mandibulis integris, superiori in frontem angulariter extendente cumque eo circuli arcum formante.  Alæ mediocres, subacuminatæ; remigibus, 1ma brevissima subspuria, 2da 3tia 4taque fere æqualibus longissimis.  Cauda gradata, lanceolata; rectricibus mediis cæteras paullo longitudine superantibus.  Pedes mediocres, subgraciles.   The peculiar spear-head form of the tail, and the ridge of the upper mandible and the forehead, forming a segment of the same circle, together with the habits of the following species, afford sufficient characteristics to justify their separation from the genus Fringilla of M. Temminck. The Gros-bec longicone of the Pl. Col. 96. (Emb. quadricolor, Lath.) belongs to the same group.   109. Lonchura nisoria. Fringilla nisoria, Temm. Gros-bec épervin. Pl. Col. 500. Fig. 2.  ...  110. LONCHURA CHEET.  ...  111. Lonchura leuconota. Fringilla leuconota, Temm. Gros-bec leuconote, Pl. Col. 500, fig. 1." (Sykes 1832); "Lonchura Sykes, 1832, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 94. Type, by original designation, Fringilla nisoria Temminck = Loxia punctulata Linnaeus. Not preoccupied by Lonchurus Bloch, 1793 (Pisces)." (Paynter in Peters 1968, XIV, 372 (erroneous typification)); "LONCHURA Sykes, 1832 F - Fringilla nisoria Sykes, 1832; type by subsequent designation (Sharpe, 1890, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., 13, p. 326). = Loxia punctulata Linnaeus, 1758" (Dickinson & Christidis (eds.) 2014, 297).
Synon. Dermophrys, Diacmura, Donacola, Maia, Mayrimunia, Munia, Oryzivora, Oryzornis, Oxycerca, Padda, Trichogrammoptila, Uroloncha, Weebongia.

molucca / moluccana / moluccanus / moluccarum / moluccensis / moluccus
Moluccas, a group of islands in the Dutch East Indies / Maluku provinces, Indonesia, formerly known as the Spice Is. (Arabic name Jazirat al-Muluk  island of the kings).
● ex “Greater Cockatoo” of Edwards 1751, “Cacatua rubro cristata” of Brisson 1760, “Kakatoës à huppe rouge” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 498, and “Great red-crested Cockatoo” of Latham 1781 (Cacatua).
● ex “Gros-bec des Moluques” of Brisson 1760 (Lonchura).
● ex “Psittacus humeris luteo-maculatis” of Brisson 1760, “Lori des Moluques” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 216, “Lori Noira” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Scarlet Lori” of Edwards 1743-1751, and Latham 1781 (syn. Lorius garrulus).
● Bouro I. (= Buru); ex “Polochion” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Molucca Bee-eater” of Latham 1782: “It is called Polochion*, from its imitating the sound of that word as its common and perpetual note ...*This, in the language of those islanders, signifies, kiss us” (Philemon).
● Erroneous TL. Moluccas (= Malacca); ex “Petit pic des Moluques” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 748, fig. 2, “Petit épeiche brun des Moluques” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Brown Woodpecker” of Latham 1782 (Picoides).
● Erroneous TL. Moluccas (= Malacca); ex “Merle des Moluques” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 257 (Pitta).
● Erroneous TL. Amboina (= Botany Bay, New Holland); ex “Perruche des Moluques” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 743, and “Orange-breasted Parrot” of Latham 1781 (Trichoglossus).