Dusky Sunbird

SCI Name:  Cinnyris fuscus
Protonym:  Cinnyris fuscus Nouv.Dict.Hist.Nat. 31 p.506
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Nectariniidae / Cinnyris
Taxonomy Code:  dussun2
Type Locality:  Great Namaqualand.
Author:  Vieillot
Publish Year:  1819
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

CINNYRIS
(Nectariniidae; Ϯ Splendid Sunbird C. coccinigastrus) Gr. κιννυρις kinnuris  small bird mentioned by Hesychius, not further identified (cf. Gr. myth. Cinyras king of Cyprus, renowned for his wealth and opulence, who committed incest with his daughter Myrrha, who fled to Arabia and gave birth to Adonis; erroneous "Cinnyris (Gr) = shining" (Hockey et al. 2005)); "Les SOUÏ-MANGAS. (CINNYRIS. Cuv.) (2).   N'ont pas non plus la queue usée; leur bec long et très-grêle a le bord de ses deux mandibules finement dentelé en scie; leur langue, susceptible de s'allonger hors du bec, se termine en fourche; ce sont de petits oiseaux dont les mâles brillent au temps des amours de couleurs métalliques et approchant de l'éclat des colibris, qu'ils représentent à cet égard dans l'ancien monde, se trouvant principalement en Afrique.  Ils vivent sur les fleurs dont ils pompent le suc  ...   Le plus grand nombre a la queue égale. (1)   ...   (2) Cinnyris, nom grec d'un très-petit oiseau inconnu. Souï-manga signifie, dit-on, mange sucre dans un jargon de Madagascar.   ...   (1) Certh. splendida, Sh. Vieill. 82. — C. afra, Edw. 347. — C. superba, Vieill. 22. — C. lotenia, enl. 575, 2 et 3, Vieill. 34. — Ametystina, Vieill. 5, 6. — Chalybæa, enl. 246, 3, Vieill. 10, 13, 18, 24, 34, 80. — Omnicolor Seb. I, 69, 5. — Cuprea, Vieill. 23. — Purpurata, Edw. 265, Vieill. 11. — Cyanocephala, Vieill. 7. — Zeilonica, enl. 576, 4, Vieill. 29, 30. — Dubia, Vieill. 81. — Senegalensis, Vieill. 8. — Sperata, enl. 246, 1, 2, Vieill. 16,32. — Madagascariensis, Vieill. 18. — Lepida, Sparrm. 35." (Cuvier 1817); "Cinnyris Cuvier, 1817, Règne Animal, 1, p. 411. Type, by subsequent designation (G. R. Gray, 1855, Cat. Gen. Subgen. Birds, p. 19), Certhia splendida Shaw, 1811 = Certhia coccinigaster Latham, 1801." (Rand in Peters, 1967, XII, p. 223).
Var. Cyniris, Cynnira, Cynniris, Cinanyris, Cinayris, Cynnyris.
Synon. Aethocinnyris, Angaladiana, Arachnechthra, Cheimocinnyris, Chromatophora, Chrysocinnyris, Cyrtostomus, Eremicinnyris, Eucinnyris, Haplocinnyris, Helionympha, Maricornis, Melanocinnyris, Mellisuga, Microcinnyris, Notiocinnyris, Panaeola, Shelleyia.

fuscus
L. fuscus  brown, dusky, dark-coloured, black (see also fusca).
● ex “Merula Philippensis” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Acridotheres tristis).
● ex “Brown Thrush” of Latham 1783, and Pennant 1785 (syn. Catharus swainsoni).
● ex “Alondra parda” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 147 (Cinclodes).
● ex “Sucrier Namaquois” or “Sucrier à Caleçon Blanc” of Levaillant 1812, pl. 296 (Cinnyris).
● "77. SCOLOPAX.  ...  fusca.  3. S. rostro arcuato, pedibus rubris, corpore fusco, cauda basi alba.  Numenius fuscus. Catesb. car. I. p. 83. t. 83.  Habitat in America.  Antecedentes 1. 2. 3. structura nimis affines, sed colore corporis diversæ." (Linnaeus 1758) (syn. Eudocimus albus ☼) (see ruber and albus).
● ex “Brown-headed Oriole” of Pennant 1785 (syn. Euphagus carolinus).
● ex “Martin-pêcheur de la côte Malabar” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 894 (syn. Halcyon smyrnensis).
● "69. LARUS.  ...  fuscus.  4. L. albus, dorso fusco. Fn. svec. 126.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Larus).
● ex “Brown Merganser” (= ♀) of Pennant 1785 (?syn. Lophodytes cucullatus).
● ex “Mésange Brune à Poitrine Noire” of Levaillant 1804, pl. 139, fig. 1 (syn. Melaniparus afer).
● ex “Brown-headed Oriole” of Pennant 1785 (syn. Molothrus ater).
● (Boddaert 1783) ex “Vautour de Malthe” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 427 (= ☼) (syn. Neophron percnopterus).
● (J. Gmelin 1788) ex “Vultur fuscus” of Brisson 1760, “Vautour de Malthe” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 427, and de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Avoltojo Griffone” of Cetti 1776 (syn. Neophron percnopterus).
● ex “Brown Pelican” of Latham 1785 (syn. Pelecanus occidentalis).
● ex Tringa lobata Linnaeus, 1758, and “Phalarope cendré” and “Phalarope brun” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Phalaropus lobatus).
● ex “Little Dusky Parrot” of Edwards 1764 (Pionus).
● ex “Merle huppé du cap de bonne Espérance” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 563, fig. 1 (syn. Pycnonotus cafer).
● ex “Black-cap Fly-catcher” of Catesby 1731-1743, and Latham 1783, “Muscicapa carolinensis fusca” of Brisson 1760, “Gobe-mouche noirâtre de la Caroline” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Black-headed Fly-catcher of Pennant 1785 (syn. Sayornis phoebe).
● ex “Brown Tody” of Latham 1781 (unident.).

SUBSPECIES

Dusky Sunbird (fuscus)
SCI Name: Cinnyris fuscus fuscus
fuscus
L. fuscus  brown, dusky, dark-coloured, black (see also fusca).
● ex “Merula Philippensis” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Acridotheres tristis).
● ex “Brown Thrush” of Latham 1783, and Pennant 1785 (syn. Catharus swainsoni).
● ex “Alondra parda” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 147 (Cinclodes).
● ex “Sucrier Namaquois” or “Sucrier à Caleçon Blanc” of Levaillant 1812, pl. 296 (Cinnyris).
● "77. SCOLOPAX.  ...  fusca.  3. S. rostro arcuato, pedibus rubris, corpore fusco, cauda basi alba.  Numenius fuscus. Catesb. car. I. p. 83. t. 83.  Habitat in America.  Antecedentes 1. 2. 3. structura nimis affines, sed colore corporis diversæ." (Linnaeus 1758) (syn. Eudocimus albus ☼) (see ruber and albus).
● ex “Brown-headed Oriole” of Pennant 1785 (syn. Euphagus carolinus).
● ex “Martin-pêcheur de la côte Malabar” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 894 (syn. Halcyon smyrnensis).
● "69. LARUS.  ...  fuscus.  4. L. albus, dorso fusco. Fn. svec. 126.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Larus).
● ex “Brown Merganser” (= ♀) of Pennant 1785 (?syn. Lophodytes cucullatus).
● ex “Mésange Brune à Poitrine Noire” of Levaillant 1804, pl. 139, fig. 1 (syn. Melaniparus afer).
● ex “Brown-headed Oriole” of Pennant 1785 (syn. Molothrus ater).
● (Boddaert 1783) ex “Vautour de Malthe” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 427 (= ☼) (syn. Neophron percnopterus).
● (J. Gmelin 1788) ex “Vultur fuscus” of Brisson 1760, “Vautour de Malthe” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 427, and de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Avoltojo Griffone” of Cetti 1776 (syn. Neophron percnopterus).
● ex “Brown Pelican” of Latham 1785 (syn. Pelecanus occidentalis).
● ex Tringa lobata Linnaeus, 1758, and “Phalarope cendré” and “Phalarope brun” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Phalaropus lobatus).
● ex “Little Dusky Parrot” of Edwards 1764 (Pionus).
● ex “Merle huppé du cap de bonne Espérance” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 563, fig. 1 (syn. Pycnonotus cafer).
● ex “Black-cap Fly-catcher” of Catesby 1731-1743, and Latham 1783, “Muscicapa carolinensis fusca” of Brisson 1760, “Gobe-mouche noirâtre de la Caroline” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Black-headed Fly-catcher of Pennant 1785 (syn. Sayornis phoebe).
● ex “Brown Tody” of Latham 1781 (unident.).

Dusky Sunbird (inclusus)
SCI Name: Cinnyris fuscus inclusus
inclusus
L. inclusus  enclosed, confined  < includere  to enclose  < cludere or claudere  to shut.