Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Here the details of the Downy Woodpecker named bird below:
SCI Name:
Protonym: Picus pubescens Syst.Nat.ed.12 ed.12 p.175
Taxonomy: Piciformes / Picidae / Dryobates
Taxonomy Code: dowwoo
Type Locality: North America, = South Carolina.
Author: Linnaeus
Publish Year: 1766
IUCN Status: Least Concern
DEFINITIONS
DRYOBATES
(Picidae; Ϯ Downy Woodpecker D. pubescens) Gr. δρυς drus, δρυος druos tree; βατης batēs walker < βατεω bateō to tread < βαινω bainō to walk; "XXIX. Fam. Picidae ... Dryobates: Picus pubescens Gm. u. s. w." (Boie 1826); “In the 1st edition of the List and in the Cat. Birds B. M. the generic name Dendrocopus is used. This was first introduced by Koch [Dendrocopos 1816] ... for the Spotted Woodpeckers. The same name, however, had previously been used by Vieillot [1816] ... The type of Vieillot’s Dendrocopus is either “le Picucule” or “le Talapiot” of Daubenton, now known respectively as Dendrocolaptes certhia (Bodd.) and Dendroplex picus (Gmel.), both of which belong to the family Dendrocolaptidae. Dendrocopus cannot therefore be used for the Spotted Woodpeckers.” (BOU 1915); "Dryobates Boie, Isis von Oken, 1826, Bd. 2, col. 977. Type, by monotypy, Picus pubescens Linné." (Peters, 1948, VI, p. 180).
Synon. Hyloscopus.
dryobates
Gr. δρυς drus, δρυος druos tree; βατης batēs walker < βατεω bateō to tread < βαινω bainō to walk.
pubescens
L. pubescens, pubescentis pubescent, downy < pubescere to become pubescent < pubes, puberis adult.
● ex “Smallest Spotted Wood-pecker” of Catesby 1731: “It so nearly resembles the hairy wood-pecker ... in its mark and colour, that were it not for disparity of size, they might be thought to be the same,” and “Picus varius virginianus minor” of Brisson 1760. Storrs Olson in litt., wryly commented, “I suppose Linnaeus figured that if the big one was hairy, then the little one was downy, hence pubescens. Also, Linnaeus would never have passed up an opportunity to introduce a name with any prurient connections if he possibly could do so” (Dryobates).
SUBSPECIES
Downy Woodpecker (Eastern)
SCI Name: Dryobates pubescens pubescens/medianus
DRYOBATES
(Picidae; Ϯ Downy Woodpecker D. pubescens) Gr. δρυς drus, δρυος druos tree; βατης batēs walker < βατεω bateō to tread < βαινω bainō to walk; "XXIX. Fam. Picidae ... Dryobates: Picus pubescens Gm. u. s. w." (Boie 1826); “In the 1st edition of the List and in the Cat. Birds B. M. the generic name Dendrocopus is used. This was first introduced by Koch [Dendrocopos 1816] ... for the Spotted Woodpeckers. The same name, however, had previously been used by Vieillot [1816] ... The type of Vieillot’s Dendrocopus is either “le Picucule” or “le Talapiot” of Daubenton, now known respectively as Dendrocolaptes certhia (Bodd.) and Dendroplex picus (Gmel.), both of which belong to the family Dendrocolaptidae. Dendrocopus cannot therefore be used for the Spotted Woodpeckers.” (BOU 1915); "Dryobates Boie, Isis von Oken, 1826, Bd. 2, col. 977. Type, by monotypy, Picus pubescens Linné." (Peters, 1948, VI, p. 180).
Synon. Hyloscopus.
Downy Woodpecker (Rocky Mts.)
SCI Name: Dryobates pubescens leucurus/glacialis
DRYOBATES
(Picidae; Ϯ Downy Woodpecker D. pubescens) Gr. δρυς drus, δρυος druos tree; βατης batēs walker < βατεω bateō to tread < βαινω bainō to walk; "XXIX. Fam. Picidae ... Dryobates: Picus pubescens Gm. u. s. w." (Boie 1826); “In the 1st edition of the List and in the Cat. Birds B. M. the generic name Dendrocopus is used. This was first introduced by Koch [Dendrocopos 1816] ... for the Spotted Woodpeckers. The same name, however, had previously been used by Vieillot [1816] ... The type of Vieillot’s Dendrocopus is either “le Picucule” or “le Talapiot” of Daubenton, now known respectively as Dendrocolaptes certhia (Bodd.) and Dendroplex picus (Gmel.), both of which belong to the family Dendrocolaptidae. Dendrocopus cannot therefore be used for the Spotted Woodpeckers.” (BOU 1915); "Dryobates Boie, Isis von Oken, 1826, Bd. 2, col. 977. Type, by monotypy, Picus pubescens Linné." (Peters, 1948, VI, p. 180).
Synon. Hyloscopus.
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)
SCI Name: Dryobates pubescens gairdnerii/turati
DRYOBATES
(Picidae; Ϯ Downy Woodpecker D. pubescens) Gr. δρυς drus, δρυος druos tree; βατης batēs walker < βατεω bateō to tread < βαινω bainō to walk; "XXIX. Fam. Picidae ... Dryobates: Picus pubescens Gm. u. s. w." (Boie 1826); “In the 1st edition of the List and in the Cat. Birds B. M. the generic name Dendrocopus is used. This was first introduced by Koch [Dendrocopos 1816] ... for the Spotted Woodpeckers. The same name, however, had previously been used by Vieillot [1816] ... The type of Vieillot’s Dendrocopus is either “le Picucule” or “le Talapiot” of Daubenton, now known respectively as Dendrocolaptes certhia (Bodd.) and Dendroplex picus (Gmel.), both of which belong to the family Dendrocolaptidae. Dendrocopus cannot therefore be used for the Spotted Woodpeckers.” (BOU 1915); "Dryobates Boie, Isis von Oken, 1826, Bd. 2, col. 977. Type, by monotypy, Picus pubescens Linné." (Peters, 1948, VI, p. 180).
Synon. Hyloscopus.
UPPERCASE: current genus
Uppercase first letter: generic synonym
● and ● See: generic homonyms
lowercase: species and subspecies
●: early names, variants, mispellings
‡: extinct
†: type species
Gr.: ancient Greek
L.: Latin
<: derived from
syn: synonym of
/: separates historical and modern geographic names
ex: based on
TL: type locality
OD: original diagnosis (genus) or original description (species)