Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus ( Linnaeus, 1766 )

Schmitt, Stéphane & Gouraud, Christophe, 2024, The significance of Buffon and Guéneau de Montbeillard’s Histoire naturelle des oiseaux ([1765] - 1783) in the taxonomy of birds: General presentation and correspondence between Buffon’s “ eagles ” and the species acknowledged by Linnaeus (1758, 1766), Brisson (1759 - 1762), and Gmelin (1788 - 1789), Zoosystema 46 (16), pp. 361-409 : 390

8. Buffon’s “Pygargue à tête blanche” (variety of the “Pygargue”)

8.1. Linnaeus (1758: 89): Variety β of “ Falco Albicilla ” G41, S8, order “ Accipitres ”: see above (6.1).

REFERENCES. — Catesby (1731: 1, pl. 1), “ Aquila capite albo . Bald Eagle. Aigle à tête blanche”.

MODERN IDENTIFICATION. — * Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus ( Linnaeus, 1766) , according to Catesby’s plate and description. See Reveal (2015).

8.2. Brisson (1759a: 422-424, 1762: 25, 1763a: 122): “ AIGLE À TESTE BLANCHE ”, “ AQUILA LEUCOCEPHALOS ”, species 2 of genus IX (“Aigle”, “ Aquila ”), order III, section 1.

OBSERVATION. — Direct observation in Réaumur’s cabinet (unspecified origin).

REFERENCES. — Catesby (1731: 1, pl. 1); Linnaeus (1758: [89]), G41, S8 var. β.

DISTRIBUTION. — Europe [sic] and North America.

MODERN IDENTIFICATION. — * Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus ( Linnaeus, 1766) . Brisson’s description clearly corresponds to this species and subspecies, which is thus correctly identified with Catesby’s “Bald Eagle”. It is unclear, however, why Brisson mentions Europe in the distribution: perhaps the specimen of Réaumur’s cabinet was wrongly labelled.

8.3. Linnaeus (1766: 124): Becomes a full species: “ FALCO LEUCOCEPHALUS ” G42, S3, order “ Accipitres ”.

REFERENCES. — Catesby (1731: 1, pl. 1); Brisson (1759a: 423).

DISTRIBUTION. — Europe [sic] and North America.

MODERN IDENTIFICATION. — * Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus ( Linnaeus, 1766) ; see the comments on Brisson. Linnaeus copies Brisson’s error as to the bird’s supposed presence in Europe.

MODERN NOMENCLATURE. — Falco leucocephalus Linnaeus, 1766 is an available and valid name, the protonym of the name currently in use for the species; type locality is “Carolina”, according to Peters (1931: 258), “ South Carolina ” according to Stresemann & Amadon (1979: 301), who all rely on Catesby.

8.4. Buffon in Buffon & Guéneau de Montbeillard (1771a: 99), quarto edition; (1771b: 78, PE 411), folio edition: “Pygargue à tête blanche”, variety of the “Pygargue” (see below 6.4).

PE 411. — “L’Aigle à tête blanche” (published in March 1770).

OBSERVATION. — Direct observation, maybe specimen(s) from Réaumur’s cabinet.

REFERENCES. — Catesby (1731: 1, pl. 1); Brisson (1759a: 422).

IDENTIFICATIONS PROPOSED BY LATER AUTHORS FOR PE 411. — Boddaert (1783: 25): Brisson (1759a: 422); Linnaeus (1766: 124), G42, S3; Latham (1781: 33 no. 8), “Cinereous Eagle”, refers to Linnaeus’s “ Vultur albiulla ” [sic], to Brisson’s “Aigle à queue blanche”, and to Buffon’s “Grand pygargue”, but also to PE 411, which explains Boddaert’s mistake.

Kuhl (1820: 7): “ Falco Leucocephalus L. ”.

Temminck (1839: 3): “Aigle à tête blanche”, very old, but with the feet of an “aigle royal”; “ Falco leucocephalus Linn. ”

Gray (1849: 33): “ Haliaetus leucocephalus ”.

MODERN IDENTIFICATION. — * Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus ( Linnaeus, 1766) , on the PE 411 as well as in the text and in the mentioned sources (see the comments on Linnaeus (1758) and Brisson).

8.5. Gmelin (1788: 255): “ FALCO LEUCOCEPHALUS ” G42, S3, order “ Accipitres ”.

REFERENCES. — Brisson (1759a: 423); Buffon & Guéneau de Montbeillard (1771a: 99) and PE 411; Catesby (1731: 1, pl. 1); Latham (1781: 29 no. 3), “Bald Eagle”; refers to Catesby’s “Bald Eagle”, Linnaeus’s “ Falco leucocephalus ”, Brisson’s “Aigle à tête blanche”, Buffon’s “Pygargue” and PE 411, and the Leverian collection; Pennant (1785: 196 no. 89), “White-headed Eagle”.

DISTRIBUTION / HABITAT.— Europe [sic] and America, maple forests.

MODERN IDENTIFICATION. — * Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus ( Linnaeus, 1766) ; see the comments on Linnaeus (1758), Brisson, and Buffon.