Dendragapus Obscurus Bird

English Name:  Dusky Grouse
Latin Name:  Dendragapus obscurus
Protonym:  Tetrao obscurus Exped.RockyMt.[James]Phila.ed 2 p.14,note
Taxonomy:  Galliformes / Phasianidae / Dendragapus
Taxonomy Code:  dusgro
Type Locality:  'Defile Creek,'' about twenty miles north of Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Author:  Say
Publish Year:  1823
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

DENDRAGAPUS
(Tetraonidae; Ϯ Blue Grouse D. obscurus) Gr. δενδρον dendron  tree; αγαπαω agapaō  to be fond of; "Tetronidæ  ...  For the next group, as its members appear to possess sufficient characters to distinguish the species from the commonly known T. Canadensis, in having gular sacks, the extraordinary number of twenty feathers in the tail, instead of sixteen, I would propose the term—  4th.   Dendragapus — confined to America; comprising D. obscurus and Richardsonii." (Elliot 1864); "Dendragapus Elliot, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1864, p. 23. Type, by subsequent designation, Tetrao obscurus Say. (Baird, Brewer and Ridgway, Hist. N. Am. Bds., Land Birds, 3, 1874, p. 415.)" (Peters, 1934, II, p. 28).
Var. Dendrogapus.
Synon. Palaeotetrix.

obscurum / obscurus
L. obscurus  dark, dusky.
● ex “Hook-billed Green Creeper” of Latham 1782 (Akialoa).
● ex “Dusky-crowned Humming-bird” of Latham 1782 (syn. Clytolaema rubricauda).
● ex “Dusky Tody” of Latham 1782, and Pennant 1785 (syn. Contopus virens).
● ex “Pic verd de l’isle de Luçon” of Sonnerat 1776 (syn. Dendropicos griseocephalus).
● ex “Dusky Falcon” of Pennant 1787 (syn. Falco columbarius).
● ex “Dusky Grosbeak” (= ☼) of Pennant, 1784 (syn. Hedymeles ludovicianus).
● ex “Obscure Fly-catcher” of Latham 1823 (syn. Hemipus hirundinaceus).
● "44. PSITTACUS.  ...  obscurus.  3. P. macrourus niger, genis nudis, vertice cinereo-nigrescente vario, cauda cinerea. Hasselq. iter. 236.  Habitat in Africa?" (Linnaeus 1758) (unident.: ?‡syn. Mascarinus mascarin).
● ex “White-rumped Woodpecker” of Latham 1782 (syn. Melanerpes erythrocephalus).
● ex “Tolocatzenatl” of Ray 1713, “Sturnus novae Hispaniae” of Brisson 1760, “Tolcana” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Brown-headed Stare” of Latham 1783 (subsp. Molothrus ater).
● ex “Dusky Rail” of Latham 1785 (syn. Pennula sandwichensis).
● ex “Dusky Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (Phaeornis).
● ex “Black and White Dobchick” of Edwards 1747, “Colymbus minor” of Brisson 1760, “Petit Grèbe” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 942, and “Dusky Grebe” of Pennant 1785, and of Latham 1785 (syn. Podiceps auritus cornutus).
● ex “Dusky Plover” of Latham 1781 (cf. Dusky Bay, New Zealand) (Pluviorhynchus).
● ex “Dusky Petrel” of Latham 1785 (syn. Puffinus assimilis).
● ex “Indian Raven” of Willughby 1676, and “Wreathed Hornbill” of Latham 1781 (syn. Rhyticeros plicatus).
● ex “Dark Thrush” of Latham 1783 (Turdus).
● "This specimen, like many from the Anthony collection, is badly soiled, a condition which may have led Anthony to name a dark race" (Browning 1979) (syn. Vireo huttoni).
● "44. PSITTACUS.   ...   obscurus.  3. P. macrourus niger, genis nudis, vertice cinereo-nigrescente vario, cauda cinerea. Hasselq. iter. 236.  Habitat in Africa ?" (Linnaeus 1758); "Linnæus identified his Psittacus obscurus with P. mascarinus, Briss.  ...  but the evidence is against this identification" (Salvadori 1891) (unident.; nom. dub.). 

SUBSPECIES

Dusky Grouse (richardsonii)
Latin Name: Dendragapus obscurus richardsonii
richardsoni / richardsonii
● Sir John Richardson (1787-1865) Scottish surgeon-explorer, zoologist, botanist, geologist (subsp. Aegolius funereus, syn. Contopus sordidulus, subsp. Dendragapus obscurus, Eubucco, subsp. Falco columbarius, syn. Gavia adamsii, syn. Ixoreus naevius, syn. Rhodostethia rosea, syn. Sayornis phoebe, syn. Stercorarius parasiticus).
● William Blaine (or Blaney) Richardson, Sr. (1868-1927) US collector in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia and Ecuador 1887-1927 (syn. Chlorospingus dwighti, syn. Corvus corax sinuatus, subsp. Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus, syn. Icterus graduacauda, subsp. Myiothlypis luteoviridis, syn. Saltator grandis plumbiceps, syn. Sporophila minuta parva, syn. Zenaida aurita zenaida).
● William Everett Richardson (1825-1902) US shipping manager, collector (Melanospiza).
● William Blaine Richardson, Jr. (1891-1972) US banker in Mexico, mammalogist, collector in New Guinea 1938-1939 (subsp. Zapornia tabuensis).

Dusky Grouse (pallidus)
Latin Name: Dendragapus obscurus pallidus
pallidum / pallidus
L. pallidus  pallid, pale, wan, sallow  < pallere  to be pale.
● ex “Pale Thrush” of Latham 1783 (Turdus).

Dusky Grouse (oreinus)
Latin Name: Dendragapus obscurus oreinus
oreinus
Gr. ορεινος oreinos  dwelling on the mountains  < ορος oros, ορεος oreos  mountain.

Dusky Grouse (obscurus)
Latin Name: Dendragapus obscurus obscurus
obscurum / obscurus
L. obscurus  dark, dusky.
● ex “Hook-billed Green Creeper” of Latham 1782 (Akialoa).
● ex “Dusky-crowned Humming-bird” of Latham 1782 (syn. Clytolaema rubricauda).
● ex “Dusky Tody” of Latham 1782, and Pennant 1785 (syn. Contopus virens).
● ex “Pic verd de l’isle de Luçon” of Sonnerat 1776 (syn. Dendropicos griseocephalus).
● ex “Dusky Falcon” of Pennant 1787 (syn. Falco columbarius).
● ex “Dusky Grosbeak” (= ☼) of Pennant, 1784 (syn. Hedymeles ludovicianus).
● ex “Obscure Fly-catcher” of Latham 1823 (syn. Hemipus hirundinaceus).
● "44. PSITTACUS.  ...  obscurus.  3. P. macrourus niger, genis nudis, vertice cinereo-nigrescente vario, cauda cinerea. Hasselq. iter. 236.  Habitat in Africa?" (Linnaeus 1758) (unident.: ?‡syn. Mascarinus mascarin).
● ex “White-rumped Woodpecker” of Latham 1782 (syn. Melanerpes erythrocephalus).
● ex “Tolocatzenatl” of Ray 1713, “Sturnus novae Hispaniae” of Brisson 1760, “Tolcana” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Brown-headed Stare” of Latham 1783 (subsp. Molothrus ater).
● ex “Dusky Rail” of Latham 1785 (syn. Pennula sandwichensis).
● ex “Dusky Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (Phaeornis).
● ex “Black and White Dobchick” of Edwards 1747, “Colymbus minor” of Brisson 1760, “Petit Grèbe” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 942, and “Dusky Grebe” of Pennant 1785, and of Latham 1785 (syn. Podiceps auritus cornutus).
● ex “Dusky Plover” of Latham 1781 (cf. Dusky Bay, New Zealand) (Pluviorhynchus).
● ex “Dusky Petrel” of Latham 1785 (syn. Puffinus assimilis).
● ex “Indian Raven” of Willughby 1676, and “Wreathed Hornbill” of Latham 1781 (syn. Rhyticeros plicatus).
● ex “Dark Thrush” of Latham 1783 (Turdus).
● "This specimen, like many from the Anthony collection, is badly soiled, a condition which may have led Anthony to name a dark race" (Browning 1979) (syn. Vireo huttoni).
● "44. PSITTACUS.   ...   obscurus.  3. P. macrourus niger, genis nudis, vertice cinereo-nigrescente vario, cauda cinerea. Hasselq. iter. 236.  Habitat in Africa ?" (Linnaeus 1758); "Linnæus identified his Psittacus obscurus with P. mascarinus, Briss.  ...  but the evidence is against this identification" (Salvadori 1891) (unident.; nom. dub.).