University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Diving Birds of North America, by Paul Johnsgard Papers in the Biological Sciences April 1987 Diving Birds of North America: Appendices Paul A. Johnsgard University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/bioscidivingbirds Part of the Ornithology Commons Johnsgard, Paul A., "Diving Birds of North America: Appendices" (1987). Diving Birds of North America, by Paul Johnsgard. 12. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/bioscidivingbirds/12 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Papers in the Biological Sciences at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Diving Birds of North America, by Paul Johnsgard by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Appendix I Sources of Scientific and Vernacular Names Aechmophorus-from the Greek aichme, spear, and psittacula-from the Latin psittacus, small parrot, phoros, bearing. in reference to the beak. clarkii-after John Clark, nineteenth-century Amer- Dovekie-a diminutive of dove. ican ornithologist. Endomychura (see also Synth1iboramphus)-from the occidentalis-from Latin, western. Greek endomychos, secret or hidden, and oura, Aethia-from the Greek aithuia, an Aristotelian and tail, referring to the short tail. Homeric name for a water bird. Fratercula-from the Latin fraterculus, meaning "little cristatella-diminutive of the Latin cristatus, friar" or "little brother," in reference to the gen- crested. eral appearance. pusilla-from Latin, small or petty. arctica-from Latin, of the arctic. pygmaea-from Latin, pygmy. cirrhata-from the Latin cirratus, curled hair, in Alca-Latinized form of Scandinavian vernacular (alk, reference to the nuptial tufts. alka, alke) names for these birds. corniculata-from Latin, horned. torda-from a Swedish vernacular name (tordmule) Gavia-from Latin, sea mew, as used by Pliny. for the razorbill. adamsii-after Edward Adams (1824-56), an En- Alle-possibly from the Latin allex, referring to the glish naval surgeon and naturalist on an arctic lack of a hallux. voyage during which he collected the first speci- Auk-from the Danish and Norwegian names (alke) mens. for the razorbill. arctica-from Latin, of the arctic. Brachyramphus-from the Greek brachys, short, and immer-probably a variant of the English ember ramphos, bill. and the Swedish immer or emmer, gray or ash- brevirostre-from the Latin brevis, short, and ros- like. Possibly also from the Latin immersus, to trum, bill. The vernacular name Kittlitz is for immerse. F. H. Kittlitz (1779-18741, a German naturalist stellata-from Latin, starred, in reference to the on a Russian expedition to Kamchatka, who col- speckled back. lected the first specimens. Grebe-from French, of uncertain meaning, but per- marmoratum-from Latin, marbled. haps from griabe, a Savoyard word for a sea mew Cepphus-from the Greek kepphus, seabird. (or gull), or from the Breton krib meaning crest. columba-from Latin, dove or pigeon. Guillemot-A pet form of Guillaume, which is derived grylle-probably from Greek, meaning "I grunt." from the Old French name Willelm, and echoic Cerorhinca-from the Greek keras, horn, and rynchos, of the juvenile's "will" call. beak. Loon-corruption of Shetland loom and related to the monocerata-from the Greek monos, one, and Icelandic l6mr and Swedish lom, lame or clumsy, ceras, horn. referring to its helplessness on land. Cyclorrhynchus-from the Greek kycklos, circle, and Lunda-from the Scandinavian lunde (Swedish lunne), rynchos, beak. a vernacular name for puffins. Murre-apparently imitative of the murmuring sound sparrow, Cassin finch, and Cassin kingbird were produced by the birds. Possibly also related to also named. marrot, morrot, dialect English terms for Puffin-from the Middle English poffin or pophyn, ap- guillemots. The vernacular name murrelet, parently in reference to the fat or "puffy" ap- coined by E. Coues, is a diminutive of murre. pearance of the adults and young. Pinguinis-New Latin for penguin; a combination of Synthliboramphus-from the Greek synthlibo, to com- the Welsh words pen, head, and gwyn, white. press, and rhamphos, beak. impennis-from the Latin in, negative, and pinna, antiquum-from Latin, ancient, or gray-headed. feather, meaning flightless. The vernacular "gare- craveri-after Fredrico Craveri (I81 5-90), Italian fowl" is from the Icelandic geirfugl. meteorologist thus honored by Tomasso Sal- Plautus-from Latin, flat-footed. See also Alle. vadori, who described the species. Podiceps-from the Latin podicus, rump, and pes, foot, hypoleucus-from the Greek hypo, under or less or "rump-footed." than, and leukos, white, referring to its absence auritus-from Latin, eared. of a white scapular stripe. The vernacular name dominicus-see under Tachybaptus. Xantus is after John Xantus de Vesey (1825-94), grisegena-from the Latin griseus, gray, and gena, the Hungarian naturalist who first collected the cheek. The earlier vernacular name is after Carl species. Peter Holboell (I795 -I 85 6), Danish governor of Tachybaptus-from the Greek tachys, swift, and South Greenland in the 1820s. bates, treading or climbing. nigricollis-from the Latin niger, dark or black, and dominicus-from Santo Domingo, in the West In- collum, neck. dies. Podilymbus-an abbreviation of the Latin podiceps, Tystie-a common vernacular name for the black rump-footed, combined with the Greek guillemot, apparently based on the species' twit- kolym bus, diver. tering notes. podiceps-see Podiceps above. Uria-from the Greek ouria, a kind of water bird. Ptychoramphus-from the Greek ptychos, fold, and aalge-a Danish word for the murre. ramphos, beak. lomvia-Faroese for a kind of diving bird. The ver- aleutica-Latin, of the Aleutian islands. The ver- nacular name Brunnich's murre refers to M. T. nacular name is after John Cassin (I8 I 3-69), Brunnich (1737-1827), a Danish zoologist. American ornithologist, for whom the Cassin Appendix 2 Keys to Identification of Loons, Grebes, and Auks KEY TO FAMILIES OF LOONS, GREBES, AND AUKS B. Length of bill about three times its depth; neck not as long as body. A. Hind toe large. C. Wing under IOO mm; iris el lo wish . Least B. Anterior toes webbed, rectrices (tail feathers) extend grebe. beyond tail coverts. Gaviidae (loons). CC. Wing over 120 mm; iris reddish. BB. Anterior toes separately lobed; rectrices small and D. Wing no more than 150 mm; bill under 8 hidden by tail coverts . Podicipedidae (grebes). mm deep at base. AA. Hind toe absent, front toes webbed . Alcidae (auks]. E. Bill deeper than wide, culmen slightly decurved, and lower mandible not dis- tinctly angulated; tarsus at least 44.5 KEY TO SPECIES OF NORTH AMERICAN LOONS mm Horned grebe. (GAVIIDAE) . EE. Bill wider than deep, culmen nearly A. Culmen at least 75 mm long (over yz mm from nostril to straight, and lower mandible distinctly tip) in adults, wing over 3 18 mm. angulated; tarsus up to 44.5 mm . B. Bill blackish and slightly decurved along culmen, Eared grebe. which is 75-90 mm long and has chin feathers ter- DD. Wing over 150 mm; bill over IZ mm deep minating well posterior to nostrils. Common loon at base. Red-necked grebe. BB. Bill never blackish beyond middle of culmen, rest BB. Bill about five times as long as deep; neck about as yellowish to straw colored, the culmen (83-96 mm) long as body. Western grebe. nearly straight and the chin feathers reaching a point C. Black of crown not reaching lores or eyes; bill of directly below the nostrils . Yellow-billed loon. adults yellow to orange . dark phase (occiden- AA. Culmen no more than 70 mm long (under 52 mm from talis). nostril to tip) in adults, wing under 315 mm. CC. Black of crown reaching below eyes and lores; B. Tarsus longer than middle toe including claw; cul- bill of adults dull greenish yellow. light men slightly decurved and lower mandible not dis- phase (clarkii). tinctly angulated . Arctic loon. BB. Tarsus about as long as middle toe excluding its claw; culmen nearly straight and lower mandible KEY TO SPECIES OF NORTH AMERICAN AUKS somewhat angulated . Red-throated loon. (ALCIDAE) A. Forehead feathering extends forward to nostrils, often hiding them; bill never with accessory pieces in adults. KEY TO SPECIES OF NORTH AMERICAN GREBES B. W~ngunder 140 mm; culmen under z~ mm; nostrils (PODICIPEDIDAE) oval to circular (murrelets and dovekie). A. Length of bill about twice its depth; secondaries all C. Tarsus with entirely reticulated (networklike) brownish on outer webs. Pied-billed grebe. scale pattern. AA. Length of bill at least three times its depth, white on D. Tarsus much shorter than middle toe with- both webs of secondaries. out claw; scapulars never black. E. Total culmen length at least 25 mm; FF. Depth of bill at nostrils more than lateral rectrices brownish or only nar- a third of exposed culmen; crown rowly edged with white. Marbled and hindneck blackish; white murrelet. stripe present on edge of upper EE. Total culmen length under 15 mm; lat- mandible. Thick-billed murre. eral rectrices white or mostly white . DD. Exposed culmen at least 75 mm; wing un- Kittlitz murrelet. der 175 mm . Great auk. DD. Tarsus at least as long as middle toe with- AA. Forehead feathering well separated from nostrils; bill usu- out claw; scapulars black. ally with seasonal accessory pieces in adults (puffins and E Under wing coverts white, and inner auklets). webs of distal primaries, sides, and B. Wing under 160 mm; tarsus with reticulate (net- flank feathers tipped with white. worklike) scale pattern; iris whitish in adults (typical Xantus murrelet. auklets). EE. Under wing coverts and primaries vari- C. Width of bill at base greater than its basal ably brownish gray; sides and flank depth.