Eastern Meadowlark

SCI Name:  Sturnella magna
Protonym:  A.[lauda] magna Syst.Nat.ed.10 p.167
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Icteridae / Sturnella
Taxonomy Code:  easmea
Type Locality:  'in America, Africa'' ; restricted to South Carolina by Amer. Ornith. Union, 1931, Check-list North Amer. Birds, ed. 4, p. 301.
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1758
IUCN Status:  Near Threatened

DEFINITIONS

STURNELLA
(Icteridae; Ϯ Eastern Meadowlark S. magna) L. sturnellus  little starling  < dim. sturnus  starling. Formerly the American icterids were included with the starlings in Sturnidae (hence the frequent use of Gr. ψαρ psar  starling in icterid genera); "79. STOURNELLE, Sturnella.  Sturnus, Linn. Gm. Lath.  Bec droit, entier, convexe en dessus, obtus et dilaté à la pointe; mandibule supérieure à base prolongée et arrondie dans les plumes du front. — Pouce plus fort et plus long que les doigts latéraux.   Esp. Stourne, ou Merle à fer-à-cheval, Buff." (Vieillot 1816); "Sturnella Vieillot, 1816, Analyse, p. 34. Type, by monotypy, "Stourne, ou Merle à fer-à-cheval" Buffon = Alauda magna Linnaeus." (Blake in Peters 1968, XIV, 177).
Var. Sturnellus, Sternella, Sturela, Sturnela.
Synon. Cirulus, Pedopsaris, Pezites, Trupialis.

magna
L. magnus  great, large, mighty.
● ex “Grand Promérops de la nouvelle Guinée” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 639, and Sonnerat 1776, “Grand Promérops à paremens frisés” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Grand Promerops” of Latham 1782 (syn. Epimachus fastuosus).
● ex “Tangara des grands bois de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 205, “Grand Tangara” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Grand Tanager” of Latham 1783 (syn. Saltator maximus).
● "93. ALAUDA.  ...  magna.  9. A. subtus flava, fascia pectorali curva nigra: rectricibus tribus lateralibus albis.  Alauda magna. Catesb. car. 1. p. 33. t. 33.  Habitat in America, Africa.  Corpus scolopacinum, magnitudine Turdi, totum subtus flavissimum. Pectus macula magna nigricante lunari. Remiges fuscæ: secundariæ testaceo maculatæ. Cauda rotundata: Rectrices 3 laterales maximam partem albæ. Unguis posticus pedum major, sed magis curvus quam in reliquis. Rostrum rectum: Maxilla superior teretiuscula, basi nuda." (Linnaeus 1758) (Sturnella).
● ex “Grand Traquet” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Dark Warbler” of Latham 1783 (unident.).

SUBSPECIES

Eastern Meadowlark (Cuban)
SCI Name: Sturnella magna hippocrepis
hippocrepis
Gr. ἱππο- hippo-  large, coarse  < ἱππος hippos  horse; κρηπις krēpis  high-boot, boot.

Eastern Meadowlark (Eastern)
SCI Name: Sturnella magna [magna Group]
STURNELLA
(Icteridae; Ϯ Eastern Meadowlark S. magna) L. sturnellus  little starling  < dim. sturnus  starling. Formerly the American icterids were included with the starlings in Sturnidae (hence the frequent use of Gr. ψαρ psar  starling in icterid genera); "79. STOURNELLE, Sturnella.  Sturnus, Linn. Gm. Lath.  Bec droit, entier, convexe en dessus, obtus et dilaté à la pointe; mandibule supérieure à base prolongée et arrondie dans les plumes du front. — Pouce plus fort et plus long que les doigts latéraux.   Esp. Stourne, ou Merle à fer-à-cheval, Buff." (Vieillot 1816); "Sturnella Vieillot, 1816, Analyse, p. 34. Type, by monotypy, "Stourne, ou Merle à fer-à-cheval" Buffon = Alauda magna Linnaeus." (Blake in Peters 1968, XIV, 177).
Var. Sturnellus, Sternella, Sturela, Sturnela.
Synon. Cirulus, Pedopsaris, Pezites, Trupialis.

Eastern Meadowlark (Lilian's)
SCI Name: Sturnella magna [lilianae Group]
STURNELLA
(Icteridae; Ϯ Eastern Meadowlark S. magna) L. sturnellus  little starling  < dim. sturnus  starling. Formerly the American icterids were included with the starlings in Sturnidae (hence the frequent use of Gr. ψαρ psar  starling in icterid genera); "79. STOURNELLE, Sturnella.  Sturnus, Linn. Gm. Lath.  Bec droit, entier, convexe en dessus, obtus et dilaté à la pointe; mandibule supérieure à base prolongée et arrondie dans les plumes du front. — Pouce plus fort et plus long que les doigts latéraux.   Esp. Stourne, ou Merle à fer-à-cheval, Buff." (Vieillot 1816); "Sturnella Vieillot, 1816, Analyse, p. 34. Type, by monotypy, "Stourne, ou Merle à fer-à-cheval" Buffon = Alauda magna Linnaeus." (Blake in Peters 1968, XIV, 177).
Var. Sturnellus, Sternella, Sturela, Sturnela.
Synon. Cirulus, Pedopsaris, Pezites, Trupialis.