Eurasian Blackcap

SCI Name:  Sylvia atricapilla
Protonym:  Motacilla Atricapilla Syst.Nat.ed.10 p.187
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Sylviidae / Sylvia
Taxonomy Code:  blackc1
Type Locality:  Europe; restricted to Sweden by Hartert, 1909, Vogel Pal. Fauna, p. 583.
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1758
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

SYLVIA
(Sylviidae; Ϯ Eurasian Blackcap S. atricapilla) Mod. L. sylvia  woodland sprite  < L. silva or sylva  woodland (cf. Motacilla sylvia Linnaeus, 1766 (considered unidentifiable, but perhaps the Common Whitethroat)); "SYLVIA.  Gens tenuirostris, insectivora, canora, garrula, inquieta, arboribus insidens, strigi illudens, migrans, saltitans nec ambulans, vocem nullam edens dum volat.   227. SYLVIA LUSCINIA.  ...  Ital. Rossignolo. Germ. Nachtigall.  ...  228. SYLVIA CURRUCA.  ...  Ital. Bianchetto. Germ. Spottvogel.  ...  229. SYLVIA ATRICAPILLA.  ...  Ital. Capo nero. Germ. Schwarzplatl.  ...  230. SYLVIA OENANTHE.  ...  Ital. Cullo bianco. Germ. Steinschwazer.  ...  231. SYLVIA RUBECULA.  ...  Ital. Petto rosso, Pitardello, Petuzzo. Germ. Rothkehlchen, Rothkröpfl.  ...  232. SYLVIA PHOENICURUS.  ...  Ital. Scorsolato, Quarossolo. German. Rothschwänzchen, Waldrothschweifl.  ...  233. SYLVIA TITHYS.  ...  Ital. Moretto. Germ. Hausrothschweifl.  ...  234. SYLVIA ZYA.  ...  235. SYLVIA SCHOENOBAENUS?  ...  Ital. Grisato.  ...  236. SYLVIA MUSCIPETA.  ...  Ital. Grisatto bastardo.  ...  237. SYLVIA RUBETRA.  ...  238. SYLVIA TROCHILUS.  ...  Germ. Schmittl.  ...  239. SYLVIA TROGLODYTES.  ...  Ital. Reatolo. Germ. Königerl, Zaunschlupferl.  ...  240. SYVIA REGULUS.  ...  Germ. Goldhähnlein, Zaunkönig." (Scopoli 1769). "When the genus Sylvia, containing upwards of two hundred and fifty species, shall have been properly studied, it will be found practicable to divide it into several more sections, subgenera, and even perhaps genera. This bird [Sylvia palmarum], along with many other North American species, will constitute a highly natural group, very distinct from the true Sylvia, of which S. atricapilla may be considered as the type" (Bonaparte 1828); “This genus, proposed by Scopoli  ...  has no type designated by the author. Of later writers, Swainson in 1836 designated Sylvia hippolais (the Icterine Warbler), Gray in 1840 Sylvia melanocephala (the Sardinian Warbler), and Seebohm in 1881 Sylvia cinerea (the Whitethroat) as the types. As these three species are not to be found among those included by Scopoli in his original list of species, it is obvious that another type must be found. Motacilla sylvia Linnaeus, 1766 (= Sylvia communis Lath.), which might be regarded as the type by tautonymy, cannot be taken into consideration; it is not included in Scopoli’s original list of the members of the genus, and the identification of Motacilla sylvia with Sylvia communis is very doubtful. The Committee suggest that Sylvia curruca (Linn.) should henceforth be regarded as the type of this genus” (BOU 1915); "Sylvia Scopoli, 1769, Annus I Hist. Nat., p. 154. Type, by subsequent designation (Bonaparte, 1828, Amer. Ornith., 2, p. 17), Motacilla atricapilla Linnaeus." (Watson in Peters 1986, XI, 270).
Var. Silvia, Silvya, Slyvia, Sylcia.   
Synon. Adophoneus, Adornis, Aegithalopsis, Alsoecus, Atraphornis, Communis, Corytholaea, Cuphopterus, Cuphornis, Curruca, Dagela, Epilais, Erythroleuca, Ficedula, Horizorhinus, Hortensis, Lioptilornis, Lioptilus, Melizophilus, Melophilus, Monachus, Nisoria, Parisoma, Philacantha, Philydra, Pseudoalcippe, Pyrophthalma, Sterparola, Thamnodus, Trochilus.

sylvia
Mod. L. sylvia  woodland sprite, little bird, warbler  < L. silva  woodland.
● Roman myth. Rhea Silvia, wife to the river god Tiberinus, and mother of the twins Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome; alluding to watery habitats (subsp. Cisticola erythrops, Tanysiptera).
● Roman myth. Silvia, goddess of the forests (syn. Peneothello bimaculata vicaria).
● "99. MOTACILLA.   ...   Sylvia.  9. M. supra cinerea, subtus alba, rectrice prima longitudinaliter dimidiato albo, secunda apice alba. Fn. svec. 228.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (?syn. Sylvia curruca).

atricapilla
L. atricapillus  black-haired (i.e. black-capped, black-headed) < ater  black; capillus  hair of the head (cf. L. atricapilla  unknown small bird, perhaps a tit or the Blackcap).
● ex “Merula atricapilla capitis b. spei” of Brisson 1760 (Donacobius).
● ex “Pato cabeza negra” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 438 (Heteronetta).
● ex “Tangara jaune à tête noire de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 809, fig. 2, “Mordoré” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Black-headed Tanager” of Latham 1783 (syn. Lanio fulvus).
● ? ex “Chinese Sparrow” of Edwards 1743, and “Grosbec de la Chine” of Brisson 1760 (Lonchura).
● ex “Merula viridis atricapilla Moluccensis” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Pitta sordida).
● ex “Atricapilla” or “Ficedula” of Aldrovandus 1599, and Willughby 1676, “Black-Cap” of Ray 1713, and “Motacilla testacea, subtus cinerea, pileo obscuro” of Linnaeus 1746 (Sylvia).
● ex “Black-crowned Bunting” of Latham 1783 (Zonotrichia).
● ex “Cap Nègre” of Levaillant 1804, pl. 140 (unident.).

SUBSPECIES

Eurasian Blackcap (gularis)
SCI Name: Sylvia atricapilla gularis
gulare / gularis
Mod. L. gularis  of the throat, -throated, gular  < L. gula  throat.
● ex “Coucou Vulgaire d’Afrique” of Levaillant 1806, pl. 200 (Cuculus).
● ex “Gobe-mouche à gorge blanche” of Quoy & Gaimard 1830 (syn. Eopsaltria griseogularis).
● ex “Petit Rolle Violet à Gorge Bleue” of Levaillant 1806 (Eurystomus).
● ex “Cardinal d’Amérique” of Brisson 1760 (Paroaria).
● ex “Colombi-Caille” of Levaillant 1810, pl. 283, and Columba hottentotta Temminck, 1813 (artefact).

Eurasian Blackcap (heineken)
SCI Name: Sylvia atricapilla heineken
heineken
Dr Christian Heineken (?1792-1830) English physician, naturalist on Madeira 1826-1830 (Paul Scofield in litt.) (syn. Columba trocaz, subsp. Sylvia atricapilla).

Eurasian Blackcap (atricapilla)
SCI Name: Sylvia atricapilla atricapilla
atricapilla
L. atricapillus  black-haired (i.e. black-capped, black-headed) < ater  black; capillus  hair of the head (cf. L. atricapilla  unknown small bird, perhaps a tit or the Blackcap).
● ex “Merula atricapilla capitis b. spei” of Brisson 1760 (Donacobius).
● ex “Pato cabeza negra” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 438 (Heteronetta).
● ex “Tangara jaune à tête noire de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 809, fig. 2, “Mordoré” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Black-headed Tanager” of Latham 1783 (syn. Lanio fulvus).
● ? ex “Chinese Sparrow” of Edwards 1743, and “Grosbec de la Chine” of Brisson 1760 (Lonchura).
● ex “Merula viridis atricapilla Moluccensis” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Pitta sordida).
● ex “Atricapilla” or “Ficedula” of Aldrovandus 1599, and Willughby 1676, “Black-Cap” of Ray 1713, and “Motacilla testacea, subtus cinerea, pileo obscuro” of Linnaeus 1746 (Sylvia).
● ex “Black-crowned Bunting” of Latham 1783 (Zonotrichia).
● ex “Cap Nègre” of Levaillant 1804, pl. 140 (unident.).

Eurasian Blackcap (pauluccii)
SCI Name: Sylvia atricapilla pauluccii
pauluccii
Panciatichi Ximenes d’Aragona Marianna Marchesa Paulucci (1835-1919) Italian botanist, malacologist, ornithologist, collector (subsp. Sylvia atricapilla).

Eurasian Blackcap (dammholzi)
SCI Name: Sylvia atricapilla dammholzi
dammholzi
Dr Martin Ernst Karl Dammholz (fl. 1926) German physician, collector, explorer in Iran (subsp. Sylvia atricapilla).