Falco Moluccensis Bird

English Name:  Spotted Kestrel
Latin Name:  Falco moluccensis
Protonym:  Tinnunculus moluccensis Consp.Gen.Av. 1 p.27
Taxonomy:  Falconiformes / Falconidae / Falco
Taxonomy Code:  spokes1
Type Locality:  Cheribon, Java.
Author:  Bonaparte
Publish Year:  1850
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

FALCO
(Falconidae; † Eurasian Hobby F. subbuteo) Late L. falco, falconis  falcon  < L. flectere  to curve (alluding to the curved talons) (cf. Late Gr. φαλκων phalkōn, φαλκωνος phalkōnos  falcon). "41. FALCO.  Rostrum aduncum, basi cera instructum.  Caput pennis arcte tectum.  Lingua bifida.  ...  Aquilæ dictæ fuere Falcones majores, pedibus hirsutis.  ...  Falconaria avs ad aucupium & venatum instruendi Falcones transiit in Scientiam; inter auctores plurimos eminet d'Esparon Falconaria. Francs. 1617. quart." (Linnaeus 1758). This genus is the second diagnosed in avian nomenclature. "Falco Linné, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 88.  Type, by subsequent designation, Falco subbuteo Linné. (A. O. U. Committee, 1886.)" (Peters, 1931, I, 284); "Falco Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., 1, p. 88, 1758—type, by subs. desig. (Brit. Orn. Un-Comm., List of British Birds, p. 149, 1915),² Falco Subbuteo Linnaeus.   ...   ² The A. O. U. Committee (1886), though generally credited with designating the genotype, unfortunately failed to do so, but merely determined Falco subbuteo as type by employing the inadmissable method of elimination." (Hellmay & Conover, 1949, Cat. Birds Americas, Pt. I (4), p. 293); "Falco Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, p. 88. Type, by subsequent designation (G. R. Gray, 1840, List Gen. Birds, p. 3), "F. peregrinus L." = Falco peregrinus Tunstall." (Amadon in Peters, 1979, I, 2nd ed., p. 400); "FALCO Linnaeus, 1758  M - Falco subbuteo Linnaeus, 1758; type by subsequent designation (A.O.U., 1886, Check List, 2nd ed., p. 193)." (Dickinson and Remsen (eds.), H. & M. Complete Checklist, 4th ed., 2013, 1 (Non-passerines), p. 349).  Linnaeus's Falco comprised twenty-six species (F. Melanætus, F. Chrysaëtus, F. fulvus, F. canadensis, F. rusticolus, F. barbarus, F. cærulescens, F. Albicilla, F. Pygargus, F. Milvus, F. forficatus, F. gentilis, F. Subbuteo, F. Buteo, F. Tinnunculus, F. sufflator, F. cachinnans, F. sparverius, F. columbarius, F. Lanarius, F. Haliætus, F. Gyrfalco, F. apivorus, F. æruginosus, F. palumbarius, F. Nisus).
Synon. Aegypius, Aesalon, Archifalco, Asturaetus, Cataractes, Cenchris, Cerchneis, Chiquera, Confusiana, Cuvieria, Dendrofalco, Dissodectes, Dorcadothera, Erythropus, Eufalco, Euhierax, Falcolus, Falcula, Gennadas, Gennaia, Gyrfalco, Harpe, Hierax, Hierofalco, Hypotriorchis, Ieracidea, Lanarius, Lithofalco, Megacerchneis, Neofalco, Nesierax, Notofalco, Palifalco, Pannychistes, Planofalco, Plioaetus, Pnigohierax, Poecilornis, Pontotriorchis, Rhynchodon, Rhynchofalco, Tichornis, Tinnunculus, Tolmerus, Turumtia.

falco
Late L. falco, falconis  falcon  < L. flectere  to curve; the “Sekretär” of Gravenhorst 1817 (syn. Sagittarius serpentarius).

molucca / moluccana / moluccanus / moluccarum / moluccensis / moluccus
Moluccas, a group of islands in the Dutch East Indies / Maluku provinces, Indonesia, formerly known as the Spice Is. (Arabic name Jazirat al-Muluk  island of the kings).
● ex “Greater Cockatoo” of Edwards 1751, “Cacatua rubro cristata” of Brisson 1760, “Kakatoës à huppe rouge” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 498, and “Great red-crested Cockatoo” of Latham 1781 (Cacatua).
● ex “Gros-bec des Moluques” of Brisson 1760 (Lonchura).
● ex “Psittacus humeris luteo-maculatis” of Brisson 1760, “Lori des Moluques” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 216, “Lori Noira” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Scarlet Lori” of Edwards 1743-1751, and Latham 1781 (syn. Lorius garrulus).
● Bouro I. (= Buru); ex “Polochion” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Molucca Bee-eater” of Latham 1782: “It is called Polochion*, from its imitating the sound of that word as its common and perpetual note ...*This, in the language of those islanders, signifies, kiss us” (Philemon).
● Erroneous TL. Moluccas (= Malacca); ex “Petit pic des Moluques” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 748, fig. 2, “Petit épeiche brun des Moluques” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Brown Woodpecker” of Latham 1782 (Picoides).
● Erroneous TL. Moluccas (= Malacca); ex “Merle des Moluques” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 257 (Pitta).
● Erroneous TL. Amboina (= Botany Bay, New Holland); ex “Perruche des Moluques” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 743, and “Orange-breasted Parrot” of Latham 1781 (Trichoglossus).

SUBSPECIES

Spotted Kestrel (moluccensis)
Latin Name: Falco moluccensis moluccensis
molucca / moluccana / moluccanus / moluccarum / moluccensis / moluccus
Moluccas, a group of islands in the Dutch East Indies / Maluku provinces, Indonesia, formerly known as the Spice Is. (Arabic name Jazirat al-Muluk  island of the kings).
● ex “Greater Cockatoo” of Edwards 1751, “Cacatua rubro cristata” of Brisson 1760, “Kakatoës à huppe rouge” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 498, and “Great red-crested Cockatoo” of Latham 1781 (Cacatua).
● ex “Gros-bec des Moluques” of Brisson 1760 (Lonchura).
● ex “Psittacus humeris luteo-maculatis” of Brisson 1760, “Lori des Moluques” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 216, “Lori Noira” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Scarlet Lori” of Edwards 1743-1751, and Latham 1781 (syn. Lorius garrulus).
● Bouro I. (= Buru); ex “Polochion” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Molucca Bee-eater” of Latham 1782: “It is called Polochion*, from its imitating the sound of that word as its common and perpetual note ...*This, in the language of those islanders, signifies, kiss us” (Philemon).
● Erroneous TL. Moluccas (= Malacca); ex “Petit pic des Moluques” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 748, fig. 2, “Petit épeiche brun des Moluques” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Brown Woodpecker” of Latham 1782 (Picoides).
● Erroneous TL. Moluccas (= Malacca); ex “Merle des Moluques” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 257 (Pitta).
● Erroneous TL. Amboina (= Botany Bay, New Holland); ex “Perruche des Moluques” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 743, and “Orange-breasted Parrot” of Latham 1781 (Trichoglossus).

Spotted Kestrel (microbalius)
Latin Name: Falco moluccensis microbalius
microbalia / microbalius
Gr. μικρος mikros  small; βαλιος balios  spotted, dappled; swift.