Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

SCI Name:  Polioptila caerulea
Protonym:  Motacilla caerulea Syst.Nat.ed.12 ed.12 p.337
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Polioptilidae / Polioptila
Taxonomy Code:  buggna
Type Locality:  Pennsylvania [= Philadelphia, Pennsylvania] .
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1766
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

POLIOPTILA
(Polioptilidae; Ϯ Blue-grey Gnatcatcher P. caerulea) Gr. πολιος polios  grey; πτιλον ptilon  plumage; "The genus Culicivora (as established by Mr. Swainson in the Zoological Journal for 1827) has the Muscicapa stenura of Temminck for its type, but embraces also the Muscicapa cærulea of Wilson and its affines.  Now these birds belong in reality to two very different groups; the M. stenura being a Tyrannine, while the M. cærulea can hardly be placed within the limits of that family, but must be arranged either with the old-world Muscicapines (as in Bonaparte's Conspectus) or with the Sylvians (asin Gray's Genera of Birds).  Dr. Cabanis in his Ornithologische Notizen, in Wiegmann's Archiv, has rightly separated these two forms, but has unfortunately chosen to call the M. cærulea and its allies Culicivora, and made a new name Hapalura for the M. stenura—the true Culicivora of Swainson.  Under these circumstances Hapalura is a mere useless synonym of Culicivora, Sw., and a new name is required for the group containing M. cærulea, and commonly known as Culicivora.  I therefore propose for it the term Polioptila, from the general grey colouring of the plumage.  The species of this genus that I am at present acquainted with are the following:—   1. POLIOPTILA CÆRULEA (Linn.).   ...   2. POLIOPTILA DUMICOLA (Vieill.).   ...   3. POLIOPTILA LEUCOGASTRA (Max.).   ...   4. POLIOPTILA BILINEATA (Licht.)." (P. Sclater 1855); "Polioptila Sclater, 1855, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 23, p. 11. Type, by subsequent designation (Baird, 1864, Rev. Amer. Birds, 1, p. 67), Motacilla caerulea Linnaeus." (Paynter in Peters 1964, X, 448).

polioptila / polioptilus
Gr. πολιος polios grey; πτιλον ptilon plumage.

caerulea
L. caeruleus  blue, azure-blue, sky-blue, dark-blue (can also mean dark, dark green, or black) (see also caeruleus).
● ex “Cotinga” of Brisson 1760, and “Cotinga du Brésil” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (syn. Cotinga cotinga).
● ex “Coucou bleu de Madagascar” of Brisson 1760 (Coua).
● "76. ARDEA.  ...  cærulea.  13. A. occipite cristato, corpore cæruleo.  Ardea major grisea cristata, capite nigro, vertice & ciliis albicantibus. Brown. jam. 478.  Ardea cærulea. Catesb. car. 1. p. 76. t. 76. Alb. av. 3. p. 74. t. 79. Sloan. jam. 2. p. 314. t. 264. f. 5. Raj. av. 189.  Habitat in America septentrionali." (Linnaeus 1758) (Egretta).
● ex “Other Blue Peteril” of Cook 1777, and “Blue Petrel” of J. R.. Forster 1777, and Latham 1785 (Halobaena).
● ex “Gobe-mouche bleu des Philippines” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 666, fig. 1, “Petit azur” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Azure Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (syn. Hypothymis azurea).
● "97. LOXIA.  ...  cærulea.  L. cærulea, alis fuscis fascia baseos purpurea.  Coccothraustes cærulea. Catesb. car. 1. p. 39. t. 39.  Habitat in America." (Linnaeus 1758) (Passerina).
● ex “Moineau bleu de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 203, fig. 2, “Passe-bleu” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Blue Tanager” of Latham 1783 (syn. Passerina cyanea).
● ex “Bruant bleu de Canada” of Brisson 1760 (?syn. Passerina cyanea).
● ex “Little Blue-grey Fly-catcher” of Edwards 1760, and “Figuier cendré de Pensilvanie” of Brisson 1760 (Polioptila).

SUBSPECIES

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (caerulea)
SCI Name: Polioptila caerulea caerulea
caerulea
L. caeruleus  blue, azure-blue, sky-blue, dark-blue (can also mean dark, dark green, or black) (see also caeruleus).
● ex “Cotinga” of Brisson 1760, and “Cotinga du Brésil” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (syn. Cotinga cotinga).
● ex “Coucou bleu de Madagascar” of Brisson 1760 (Coua).
● "76. ARDEA.  ...  cærulea.  13. A. occipite cristato, corpore cæruleo.  Ardea major grisea cristata, capite nigro, vertice & ciliis albicantibus. Brown. jam. 478.  Ardea cærulea. Catesb. car. 1. p. 76. t. 76. Alb. av. 3. p. 74. t. 79. Sloan. jam. 2. p. 314. t. 264. f. 5. Raj. av. 189.  Habitat in America septentrionali." (Linnaeus 1758) (Egretta).
● ex “Other Blue Peteril” of Cook 1777, and “Blue Petrel” of J. R.. Forster 1777, and Latham 1785 (Halobaena).
● ex “Gobe-mouche bleu des Philippines” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 666, fig. 1, “Petit azur” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Azure Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (syn. Hypothymis azurea).
● "97. LOXIA.  ...  cærulea.  L. cærulea, alis fuscis fascia baseos purpurea.  Coccothraustes cærulea. Catesb. car. 1. p. 39. t. 39.  Habitat in America." (Linnaeus 1758) (Passerina).
● ex “Moineau bleu de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 203, fig. 2, “Passe-bleu” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Blue Tanager” of Latham 1783 (syn. Passerina cyanea).
● ex “Bruant bleu de Canada” of Brisson 1760 (?syn. Passerina cyanea).
● ex “Little Blue-grey Fly-catcher” of Edwards 1760, and “Figuier cendré de Pensilvanie” of Brisson 1760 (Polioptila).

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (obscura Group)
SCI Name: Polioptila caerulea [obscura Group]
POLIOPTILA
(Polioptilidae; Ϯ Blue-grey Gnatcatcher P. caerulea) Gr. πολιος polios  grey; πτιλον ptilon  plumage; "The genus Culicivora (as established by Mr. Swainson in the Zoological Journal for 1827) has the Muscicapa stenura of Temminck for its type, but embraces also the Muscicapa cærulea of Wilson and its affines.  Now these birds belong in reality to two very different groups; the M. stenura being a Tyrannine, while the M. cærulea can hardly be placed within the limits of that family, but must be arranged either with the old-world Muscicapines (as in Bonaparte's Conspectus) or with the Sylvians (asin Gray's Genera of Birds).  Dr. Cabanis in his Ornithologische Notizen, in Wiegmann's Archiv, has rightly separated these two forms, but has unfortunately chosen to call the M. cærulea and its allies Culicivora, and made a new name Hapalura for the M. stenura—the true Culicivora of Swainson.  Under these circumstances Hapalura is a mere useless synonym of Culicivora, Sw., and a new name is required for the group containing M. cærulea, and commonly known as Culicivora.  I therefore propose for it the term Polioptila, from the general grey colouring of the plumage.  The species of this genus that I am at present acquainted with are the following:—   1. POLIOPTILA CÆRULEA (Linn.).   ...   2. POLIOPTILA DUMICOLA (Vieill.).   ...   3. POLIOPTILA LEUCOGASTRA (Max.).   ...   4. POLIOPTILA BILINEATA (Licht.)." (P. Sclater 1855); "Polioptila Sclater, 1855, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 23, p. 11. Type, by subsequent designation (Baird, 1864, Rev. Amer. Birds, 1, p. 67), Motacilla caerulea Linnaeus." (Paynter in Peters 1964, X, 448).

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Cozumel)
SCI Name: Polioptila caerulea cozumelae
cozumelae / cozumelana
Cozumel I., Quintana Roo, Mexico (Mayan Ah Cuzamil Peten  island of swallows).