Greater Antillean Grackle

SCI Name:  Quiscalus niger
Protonym:  Oriolus niger TablePlanchesEnlum. p.31
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Icteridae / Quiscalus
Taxonomy Code:  gragra1
Type Locality:  Santo Domingo ; Port au Prince, Haiti, designated by Peters, 1921, Auk, 38, p. 445.
Author:  Boddaert
Publish Year:  1783
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

QUISCALUS
(Icteridae; Ϯ Common Grackle Q. quiscula) Specific name Gracula quiscula Linnaeus, 1758; "98. QUISCALE, Quiscalus.  Gracula, Corvus, Lin. Gm. Lath.  Bec glabre et comprimé à la base, droit, entier, à bords anguleux et fléchis en dedans, incliné vers le bout; mandibule supérieure prolongée en pointe dans les plumes du front.   Esp. Gracula quiscala et Corvus mexicanus, Lin. Gm. Lath." (Vieillot 1816); "Quiscalus Vieillot, 1816, Analyse, p. 36. Type, by subsequent designation (G. R. Gray, 1840, List. Genera Birds, ed. 1, p. 41), Gr.[acula] quiscala [= quiscula] Linnaeus." (Blake in Peters 1968, XIV, 187).
Var. Quiscalis, Quisculus, Quisqualus, Quisqualis, Qviscalus.
Synon. Cassidix, Chalcophanes, Holoquiscalus, Megaquiscalus, Quiscala, Scaphidurus, Scaphura.

niger
L. niger  black, dark coloured, shining black, jet black (cf. ater  dead black, dusky) (see nigra).
● ex “Black Vulture” of Willughby 1676, and Latham 1781, “Swarthy Vulture” of Charleton 1677, “Vultur niger” of Brisson 1760, and “Avoltojo nero” of Cetti 1776 (syn. Aegypius monachus).
● ?ex “Bouvreuil noir d’Afrique” of Brisson 1760 (Bubalornis).
● ex “Black Hawk” of A. Wilson 1812 (syn. Buteo lagopus sanctijohannis).
● ex “Barbu de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 206, fig. 1 (Capito).
● "70. STERNA.  ...  nigra.  3. S. cauda subforficata, corpore cano, capite rostroque nigro, pedibus rubris. Fn. svec. 128.  Hirundo marina minor. Alb. av. 2. p. 82. t. 89.  Sterna fusca. Raj. av. 131.  Larus cinereus minor. Aldr. orn. . .  Habitat in Europa; vivit in societate." (Linnaeus 1758) (Chlidonias).
● ex “Martinet de S. Domingue. Hirundo apus dominicensis” of Brisson 1760, and “Petit Martinet noir” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (Cypseloides).
● ex “Ibis of Bellonius” of Willughby 1676, and Ray 1713, “Ibis” of Brisson 1760, “Ibis noir” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Black Ibis” of Latham 1785 (syn. Geronticus calvus).
● ex “Black Snipe” of Pennant 1785, and Latham 1785 (syn. Haematopus bachmani).
● ex “Black Rail” of Latham 1785 (syn. Limnocorax flavirostris).
● “Vieillot [1817] probably referred to this species, but the brief description might equally apply to P. fuscicollis” (Ogilvie-Grant 1898) (Microcarbo).
● ex “Yellow-tufted Bee-eater” of Latham 1782 (syn. Moho nobilis).
● ex “Barbu à gorge noires” of de Buffon 1770-1783, “Barbu de l’ile de Luçon” of Sonnerat 1782, and “Black-throated Barbet” of Latham 1782 (syn. Notharchus tectus).
● ex “Mésange Noire” of Levaillant 1803, pl. 137 (Melaniparus).
● ex “Black Shrike” of Latham 1781 (Platypsaris).
● ex “Pluvian du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 918 (syn. Pluvianus aegyptius).
● ex "Troupiale noir de Saint-Domingue" of d'Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 534 (Quiscalus).
● ex "Icterus niger" of Brisson 1760, "Troupiale noir" of de Buffon 1770-1783, and "Black Oriole" of Latham 1782, and Pennant 1785 (syn. Quiscalus niger).
● "60. TROCHILUS.  ...  niger.  13. T. rectricibus subæqualibus, corpore nigro subtus aurato, ano albo.  Trochilus niger. Mus. Ad. Fr. I. p. 13.  Habitat in Indiis." (Linnaeus 1758) (describing a melanistic form of this variable species) (Threnetes).
● "52. CUCULUS.  ...  niger.  6. C. cauda cuneiformi, corpore nigro nitido, rostro flavo.  Cuculus indicus niger. Edw. av. 58. t. 58.  Habitat in Benghala." (Linnaeus 1758) (unident.).

SUBSPECIES

Greater Antillean Grackle (caribaeus)
SCI Name: Quiscalus niger caribaeus
caribaea / caribaearum / caribaeus / caribbaea / caribbaeus / caribbeus / caribboeus / caribeus / cariboea
Caribbean Sea (named after the Carib, an Amerindian people of the Lesser Antilles and northern South America).
● Antilles (= Guadeloupe); ex “Esmerillon Gry-Gry” of Dutertre 1667, and “Esmerillon des Antilles” of Brisson 1760 (subsp. Falco sparverius).
● Caribbean Is.; ex “Pigeon à queue annelée de la Jamaïque” of Brisson 1760 (Patagioenas).

Greater Antillean Grackle (gundlachii)
SCI Name: Quiscalus niger gundlachii
gundlachi / gundlachii
Johannes Christoph Gundlach (name changed to Juan Cristóbal Gundlach 1876) (1810–1896) German ornithologist, zoologist, entomologist, resident in Cuba 1839-1896 and Puerto Rico 1873, 1875-1876 (Accipiter, Buteogallus, Chordeiles, subsp. Colaptes auratus, Mimus, syn. Psittacara chloropterus, subsp. Quiscalus niger, subsp. Setophaga petechia, Vireo).

Greater Antillean Grackle (caymanensis)
SCI Name: Quiscalus niger caymanensis
caymanensis
Grand Cayman I., Cayman Is.

Greater Antillean Grackle (bangsi)
SCI Name: Quiscalus niger bangsi
bangsi
Outram Bangs (1863-1932) US zoologist, collector (syn. Aethopyga gouldiae dabryii, Amazilia rutila x Amazilia tzacatl, subsp. Amphispiza bilineata, syn. Automolus leucophthalmus, subsp. Buteogallus anthracinus, syn. Catharus aurantiirostris melpomene, subsp. Cuculus canorus, syn. Cyanoderma ruficeps davidi, syn. Emberiza godlewskii omissa, syn. Galerida deva, Grallaria, subsp. Halcyon coromanda, subsp. Hapalocrex flaviventer, subsp. Henicorhina leucophrys, syn. Hydrobates castro, subsp. Leptotila verreauxi, syn. Loxia curvirostra himalayensis, subsp. Manacus manacus, syn. Mirafra cantillans, syn. Myiarchus tuberculifer nigricapillus, syn. Parus major nigriloris, subsp. Peucaea carpalis, subsp. Prinia crinigera, syn. Pterocles orientalis arenarius, subsp. Quiscalus niger, syn. Sheppardia sharpei, subsp. Sitta villosa, subsp. Sterna dougallii, subsp. Tachybaptus dominicus, subsp. Tangara gyrola, subsp. Xiphorhynchus triangularis).

Greater Antillean Grackle (crassirostris)
SCI Name: Quiscalus niger crassirostris
crassirostra / crassirostre / crassirostris
L. crassus  thick, heavy; -rostris  -billed  < rostrum  beak.
● ex “Coucou à Gros Bec” of Levaillant 1806, pl. 214 (syn. Eudynamys scolopaceus).
● ex “Alouette à Gros Bec” of Levaillant 1806, pl. 193 (syn. Galerida magnirostris).
● ex “Thick-billed Grosbeak” of Latham 1783 (Oryzoborus).
● ex “Thick-billed Thrush” of Latham 1783 (‡syn. Turnagra capensis).

Greater Antillean Grackle (niger)
SCI Name: Quiscalus niger niger
niger
L. niger  black, dark coloured, shining black, jet black (cf. ater  dead black, dusky) (see nigra).
● ex “Black Vulture” of Willughby 1676, and Latham 1781, “Swarthy Vulture” of Charleton 1677, “Vultur niger” of Brisson 1760, and “Avoltojo nero” of Cetti 1776 (syn. Aegypius monachus).
● ?ex “Bouvreuil noir d’Afrique” of Brisson 1760 (Bubalornis).
● ex “Black Hawk” of A. Wilson 1812 (syn. Buteo lagopus sanctijohannis).
● ex “Barbu de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 206, fig. 1 (Capito).
● "70. STERNA.  ...  nigra.  3. S. cauda subforficata, corpore cano, capite rostroque nigro, pedibus rubris. Fn. svec. 128.  Hirundo marina minor. Alb. av. 2. p. 82. t. 89.  Sterna fusca. Raj. av. 131.  Larus cinereus minor. Aldr. orn. . .  Habitat in Europa; vivit in societate." (Linnaeus 1758) (Chlidonias).
● ex “Martinet de S. Domingue. Hirundo apus dominicensis” of Brisson 1760, and “Petit Martinet noir” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (Cypseloides).
● ex “Ibis of Bellonius” of Willughby 1676, and Ray 1713, “Ibis” of Brisson 1760, “Ibis noir” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Black Ibis” of Latham 1785 (syn. Geronticus calvus).
● ex “Black Snipe” of Pennant 1785, and Latham 1785 (syn. Haematopus bachmani).
● ex “Black Rail” of Latham 1785 (syn. Limnocorax flavirostris).
● “Vieillot [1817] probably referred to this species, but the brief description might equally apply to P. fuscicollis” (Ogilvie-Grant 1898) (Microcarbo).
● ex “Yellow-tufted Bee-eater” of Latham 1782 (syn. Moho nobilis).
● ex “Barbu à gorge noires” of de Buffon 1770-1783, “Barbu de l’ile de Luçon” of Sonnerat 1782, and “Black-throated Barbet” of Latham 1782 (syn. Notharchus tectus).
● ex “Mésange Noire” of Levaillant 1803, pl. 137 (Melaniparus).
● ex “Black Shrike” of Latham 1781 (Platypsaris).
● ex “Pluvian du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 918 (syn. Pluvianus aegyptius).
● ex "Troupiale noir de Saint-Domingue" of d'Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 534 (Quiscalus).
● ex "Icterus niger" of Brisson 1760, "Troupiale noir" of de Buffon 1770-1783, and "Black Oriole" of Latham 1782, and Pennant 1785 (syn. Quiscalus niger).
● "60. TROCHILUS.  ...  niger.  13. T. rectricibus subæqualibus, corpore nigro subtus aurato, ano albo.  Trochilus niger. Mus. Ad. Fr. I. p. 13.  Habitat in Indiis." (Linnaeus 1758) (describing a melanistic form of this variable species) (Threnetes).
● "52. CUCULUS.  ...  niger.  6. C. cauda cuneiformi, corpore nigro nitido, rostro flavo.  Cuculus indicus niger. Edw. av. 58. t. 58.  Habitat in Benghala." (Linnaeus 1758) (unident.).

Greater Antillean Grackle (brachypterus)
SCI Name: Quiscalus niger brachypterus
brachypterus
Gr. βραχυπτερος brakhupteros  short-winged  < βραχυς brakhus  short; -πτερος -pteros  -winged  < πτερον pteron  wing.
● ex “Pavaneur” of Levaillant 1802 (syn. Acrocephalus schoenobaenus).
● ex “Short-winged Thrush” of Latham 1801 (Dasyornis).
● ex “Loggerhead Goose” of Latham 1785 (Tachyeres).