Western Orphean Warbler

SCI Name:  Sylvia hortensis
Protonym:  Motacilla hortensis Syst.Nat. 1 pt2 p.955
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Sylviidae / Sylvia
Taxonomy Code:  weowar2
Type Locality:  France and Italy; restricted to France by Vaurie, 1954, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1692, p. 1.
Author:  Gmelin, JF
Publish Year:  1789
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).

hortensis
L. hortensis  of a garden  < hortus  garden.
● ex “Curruca” of Brisson 1760, “Fauvette” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 579, fig. 1, and de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Pettychaps” of Latham 1783 (Sylvia).

Hortensis
(Sylviidae; syn. Sylvia † Western Orphean Warbler S. hortensis) Specific name Motacilla hortensis J. Gmelin, 1789; "Rod. Hortensis Balatzki, gen. n.   ...   Tipovoy vid. Motacilla hortensis Gmelin, 1788. Syst. Nat., 1788, s. 955, Frantsiya." (Balatzki 1999) (Laurent Raty in litt.); "Hortensis Balatzki, 1999, Russkiy Ornit. Zhurnal, Ekspr.-V'sh.,59, p. 17.  Type, by original designation and tautonymy, Motacilla hortensis Gmelin, 1789." (JAJ 2021).
Var. Hotensis.

SUBSPECIES

Western Orphean Warbler (hortensis)
SCI Name: Sylvia hortensis hortensis
hortensis
L. hortensis  of a garden  < hortus  garden.
● ex “Curruca” of Brisson 1760, “Fauvette” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 579, fig. 1, and de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Pettychaps” of Latham 1783 (Sylvia).

Western Orphean Warbler (cyrenaicae)
SCI Name: Sylvia hortensis cyrenaicae
cyrenaicae
L. Cyrenaica Cyrenia, Cyrenaica (province of North Africa (= Libya)).
● Cyrenaica Province, Libya (subsp. Sylvia hortensis).