Pheucticus Melanocephalus Bird

English Name:  Black-headed Grosbeak
Latin Name:  Pheucticus melanocephalus
Protonym:  Guiraca melanocephalus Philos.Mag.n.s. n.s., 1 p.438
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Cardinalidae / Pheucticus
Taxonomy Code:  bkhgro
Type Locality:  Tableland, Temiscaltipec [= Temascaltepec, Mexico], Mexico.
Author:  Swainson
Publish Year:  1827
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

PHEUCTICUS
(Cardinalidae; Ϯ Black-backed Grosbeak P. aureoventris) Gr. φευκτικος pheuktikos  shy, inclined to avoid  < φευγω pheugō  to flee. Reichenbach's 1850, plate LXXVIII, labelled Passerinae: Pyrrhulinae Coccothraustinae, shows a variety of heavy-billed finches, but gives no clue as to the reasoning behind this generic tag; doubtless a clue will be found in earlier species accounts. "Pheucticus Reichenbach, 1850, Av. Syst. Nat., pl. 78. Type, by subsequent designation (G. R. Gray, 1855, Cat. Genera Subgenera Birds, p. 75), Pitylus aureoventris." (Paynter in Peters 1970, XIII, 217).
Var. Pheuticus.
Synon. Habia, Hedymeles, Zamelodia.

melanocephala / melanocephalon / melanocephalos / melanocephalum / melanocephalus
Gr. μελας melas, μελανος melanos  black; -κεφαλος -kephalos  -headed  < κεφαλη kephalē  head.
● ex “Black-headed Shrike” of Latham 1783 (syn. Brachypodius atriceps).
● ex “Pato cabeza negra” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 438 (syn. Heteronetta atricapilla).
● ex “Manakin à tête noire de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 303, fig. 1 (syn. Manacus manacus).
● "44. PSITTACUS.  ...  melanocephalus.  33. P. brachiurus viridis subtus luteus, pileo nigro, pectore albo. Mus. Ad. Fr. 2. p.  Psittacus coccineus, ventre albo. Edw. av. 169. t. 169.  Habitat in Mexico." (Linnaeus 1758) (Pionites).
● "96. LOXIA.  ...  melanocephala.  26. L. lutea, capite atro.  Coccothraustes gambogia. Alb. av. 3. p. 58. t. 62.  Habitat in Gvinea." (Linnaeus 1758) (Ploceus).
● ex “Pluvian du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 918, and de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Black-headed Plover” of Latham 1785 (syn. Pluvianus aegyptius).
● ex “Black-headed Ibis” of Latham 1787, and “Tantalus de Macé” of Cuvier 1804 (Threskiornis).
● ex “Black-headed Roller” of Latham 1787 (syn. Urocissa erythrorhyncha).
● ex “Pie Bleue à Tête Noire” of Levaillant 1800, pl. 58 (unident.; ?syn. Urocissa sp.).

SUBSPECIES

Black-headed Grosbeak (maculatus)
Latin Name: Pheucticus melanocephalus maculatus
maculatum / maculatus
L. maculatus spotted, blotched < maculare to make spotted < macula spot.
● ex “Colibri à gorge verte de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 671, fig. 1, “Colibri à cravate verte” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Green-throated Humming-bird” of Latham 1782 (syn. Anthracothorax viridigula).
● ex “Tachard” of Levaillant 1798, pl. 19 (syn. Buteo oreophilus, syn. Buteo trizonatus, syn. Pernis apivorus).
● ex “Spotted Curucui” of Brown 1776, and Latham 1782 (Chalcites).
● ex “Patch-necked Humming-bird” of Latham 1787 (syn. Chrysolampis mosquitus).
● ex “Petit pic d’Antigue” of Sonnerat 1776 (Dendrocopos).
● ex “Coucou tacheté de la Chine” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 764 (syn. Eudynamys scolopaceus).
● ex “Merle à gorge noire de St. Domingue” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 559 (?syn. Icterus cucullatus).
● ex “Hirondelle tachetée de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 546, fig. 1 (?Iridoprocne albiventer).
● ex “Botaurus naevius” of Brisson 1760, “Schwarzer Reiger” of Frisch et al. 1763, “Butor tacheté” or “Pouacre” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Spotted Heron” of Latham 1785 (syn. Ixobrychus minutus).
● ex “Fou tacheté de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 986 (= ☼), “Fou tacheté” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Spotted Booby of Latham 1785 (syn. Morus bassanus).
● ex “Gobe-mouche tacheté de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 453, fig. 2 (Myiodynastes).
● ex “Matuiti” of Willughby 1676, Ray 1713, and de Buffon 1770-1783, “Ispida Brasiliensis naevia” of Brisson 1760, and “Brasilian Spotted Kingsfisher” of Latham 1782 (Nystalus).
● ex “Râle tacheté de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 775 (Pardirallus).
● ex “Ñacurutú chorreado” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 44 (syn. Rhinoptynx clamator midas).
● ex “Spotted Red-shank” of Pennant 1761 (syn. Tringa erythropus).

Black-headed Grosbeak (melanocephalus)
Latin Name: Pheucticus melanocephalus melanocephalus
melanocephala / melanocephalon / melanocephalos / melanocephalum / melanocephalus
Gr. μελας melas, μελανος melanos  black; -κεφαλος -kephalos  -headed  < κεφαλη kephalē  head.
● ex “Black-headed Shrike” of Latham 1783 (syn. Brachypodius atriceps).
● ex “Pato cabeza negra” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 438 (syn. Heteronetta atricapilla).
● ex “Manakin à tête noire de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 303, fig. 1 (syn. Manacus manacus).
● "44. PSITTACUS.  ...  melanocephalus.  33. P. brachiurus viridis subtus luteus, pileo nigro, pectore albo. Mus. Ad. Fr. 2. p.  Psittacus coccineus, ventre albo. Edw. av. 169. t. 169.  Habitat in Mexico." (Linnaeus 1758) (Pionites).
● "96. LOXIA.  ...  melanocephala.  26. L. lutea, capite atro.  Coccothraustes gambogia. Alb. av. 3. p. 58. t. 62.  Habitat in Gvinea." (Linnaeus 1758) (Ploceus).
● ex “Pluvian du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 918, and de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Black-headed Plover” of Latham 1785 (syn. Pluvianus aegyptius).
● ex “Black-headed Ibis” of Latham 1787, and “Tantalus de Macé” of Cuvier 1804 (Threskiornis).
● ex “Black-headed Roller” of Latham 1787 (syn. Urocissa erythrorhyncha).
● ex “Pie Bleue à Tête Noire” of Levaillant 1800, pl. 58 (unident.; ?syn. Urocissa sp.).