Falco haliaetus Linnaeus, 1758

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 : 390-391

9. Buffon’s “Balbuzard” (full species)

9.1. Linnaeus (1758: 91): “ FALCO HALIAETUS ” G41, S21, order “ Accipitres ”.

REFERENCES. — Linnaeus (1746: [19] no. 57), “ Falco pedibus ceraque caeruleis ; corpore supra fusco; capite albo ”, based on direct observation in Sweden, and reference to Gessner, Aldrovandi, Willughby, and Ray; Gessner (1585: 74), “ Falco […] Cyanopus ”; Aldrovandi (1599:[187]), “ Halietus ”, and (1599:[209]), “ Morphnus seu Clanga ”; Willughby (1676: 37), “ Balbusardus , The Bald Buzzard”; Ray (1713: 16 no. 3), “ Balbusardus Anglorum , Haliaeëtus Aldrov. ”.

DISTRIBUTION / HABITAT.— Europe, on the ground, among reeds.

MODERN IDENTIFICATION. — * Pandion haliaetus haliaetus ( Linnaeus, 1758) , according to the diagnosis and most of the mentioned sources, in particular the Fauna Svecica ( Linnaeus, 1746) and Willughby and Ray, who observed a freshly killed bird. However, Gessner’s “ Falco cyanopus ” is probably * Falco biarmicus Temminck, 1825 ( Springer & Kinzelbach 2009: 189); Aldrovandi’s “ Haliaetus ” may correspond to * Pandion haliaetus or to * Haliaeetus albicilla , and his “ Morphnus ” to undetermined eagles. Furthermore, Gessner and Aldrovandi refer to a tradition in natural history which goes back to Antiquity and confuses several birds of prey under the name “ haliaeetos ” (“marine eagle”).

MODERN NOMENCLATURE. — Falco haliaetus Linnaeus, 1758 is an available and valid name, the protonym of the name currently in use for the species; “restricted type locality, Sweden ex Fn. Suec.” according to Peters (1931: 275), who relied on Linnaeus (1761: 22).

9.2. Brisson (1759a: 440-443, plate XXXIV, 1762: 26, 1763a: 126-127): “ AIGLE DE MER ”, “ HALIAEETUS , SEU AQUILA MARINA ”, species 10 of genus IX (“Aigle”, “ Aquila ”), order III, section 1.

OBSERVATION. — Direct observation in Réaumur’s cabinet of one specimen sent by the bishop of Senlis.

REFERENCES. — Belon (1555: 96), “Orfraye”; Belon (1557: 13 ro.), “Orfraye, ou bien Aigle de mer”; Gessner (1560: 6), “ Aquila anataria ”; Gessner (1560: 129), “ Haliaeetus ”; Gessner (1585: 196-197), “ Aquila Anataria ” or “ Clanga ” or “ Planga ”; Gessner (1585:201, 804-805), “ Haliaetus, seu Aquila marina ”; Aldrovandi (1599: 187- 190, 209-211); Schwenckfeld (1603: 216), “ Aquila marina ”, direct observation; Belon (1605: 138), “ Haliaeetus ”; Laët (1633: 575), “Haliaetus ” of Brazil; Jonston (1657: 3), “ Haliaetus ”, based on Belon and other authors; Jonston (1657: 4, pl. II), “ Morphnos ”, plate borrowed from Gessner; Charleton (1668: 62 no. 2, 1677: 70 no. 2), “ Haliaetus , Aquila marina ”, based on Belon’s “ Ossifragus ”; Charleton (1668: 63 no. 5, 1677: 70 no. 5), “ Morphnos ”; Willughby (1676: 32, pl. 6), “ Morphnos seu Clanga ”, based on Gessner and Aldrovandi; Willughby (1676: 37), “ Balbusardus ”; Sibbald (1684: 15), “ Balbusardus ” (in a list of Scottish birds); Ray (1713: 7 no. 6), “ Morphnos ”; Ray (1713: 16 no. 3), “ Balbusardus Anglorum ”; Kolb (1741: 139-140), “Aigle canardière”, “Aigle marine”; Rzączyński (1721: 283, 1745: 362), “ Aquila Pygargus seu Clanga Aldrovandi ”; Rzączyński (1745: 383), “ Haliaetus seu Aquila marina ”; Barrère (1745: 28), “ Aquila Pyrenaica , leucophaea ”; Linnaeus (1746: [19] no. 57); Linnaeus (1748: [17]), G36, S5 ( “ Haliaetus ” in genus “ Falco ”); Linnaeus (1758: [91]), G41, S21.

DISTRIBUTION / HABITAT.— “Rivers and ponds”.

MODERN IDENTIFICATION. — The specimen of Réaumur’s cabinet described and illustrated by Brisson is clearly * Pandion haliaetus ( Linnaeus, 1758) , probably the nominate subspecies (especially if it was taken near Senlis, as suggested). On the mentioned sources, see the comments on Linnaeus (1758). Several references added by Brisson correspond to * Pandion haliaetus (e.g., the “ Aquila anataria ” and the “ Aquila marina ” of Gessner, the “ Aquila marina ” of Schwenckfeld, and probably the “Orfraye” of Belon: see Glardon in Belon 1997: 408). Charleton’s “ Haliaetus , Aquila marina ”, which is the same as Belon’s “ Ossifragus ”, is unidentifiable, as well as the “eagles” from the Cape of Good Hope mentioned by Kolb and Laët’s “ haliaetus ” of Brazil. Brisson (1759a: 359) considers that Gessner’s “ Falco Cyanopus ” corresponds to another species, the “Faucon étoilé”.

9.3. Linnaeus (1766: 129-130): “ FALCO HALIAETUS ” G42, S26, order “ Accipitres ”.

REFERENCES. — Linnaeus (1761: [22] no. 63), “ Falco Haliaetus ”; direct observation and ref. to Gessner, Aldrovandi, Willughby, and Ray; Brisson (1759a: 440, pl. 34); Aldrovandi (1599: 188, 190, 211); Willughby (1676: 37); Ray (1713: 16 no. 3).

DISTRIBUTION / HABITAT.— Europe, on the ground, among reeds.

MODERN IDENTIFICATION. — * Pandion haliaetus haliaetus ( Linnaeus, 1758) . On the mentioned sources, see the comments on Linnaeus (1758) and Brisson.

9.4. Buffon in Buffon & Guéneau de Montbeillard (1771a: 103- 111, pl. II), quarto edition; (1771b: 81-87, PE 414), folio edition: “ BALBUZARD ”.

PLATE II. — “Le Balbuzard”.

PE 414. — “Le Balbuzard” (published in March 1770).

REMARK. — “Balbuzard” is a neologism in French, coined from the English bald buzzard.

OBSERVATION. — Direct observation maybe of a specimen from Réaumur’s cabinet (the specimen on PE 414 may be the same as on Brisson’s pl. XXXIV).

REFERENCES. — Aristotle (“ haliaetos ”); Gessner (1585:[201]), “ Haliaeetus s. Aquila marina ”; Willughby (1676: 37); Ray (1713: 16 no. 3); Linnaeus (1758: [91]), G41, S21; Brisson (1759a: 440, pl. 34); Pennant (1766: 63, pl. A1), “Osprey”; etc. (including travelers).

DISTRIBUTION / HABITAT. — All Europe, from Sweden to Greece, Egypt, “Nigritie” (regions to the South of Sahara), next to rivers and ponds.

IDENTIFICATIONS PROPOSED BY LATER AUTHORS FOR PE 414. — Boddaert (1783: 25): Brisson (1759a: 440, pl. 34); Linnaeus (1766: 129-130), G42, S26; Latham (1781: 45 no. 26), “Osprey”, refers to Linnaeus’s “ Falco Haliaetus ”, Brisson’s “Aigle de mer”, Buffon’s “Balbuzard” and PE 414, Pennant’s “Osprey”, etc., and the Leverian collection.

Kuhl (1820: 7): “ Falco Haliaëtos L.”

Temminck (1839: 3): “Aigle balbuzard”, adult, “ Falco haliaetus . Linn.” Gray (1849: 33): “ Pandion haliaetus ”.

MODERN IDENTIFICATION. — * Pandion haliaetus haliaetus ( Linnaeus, 1758) on the plates (PE 414 and pl. II of De Sève), and, as a whole, in the text. On the mentioned sources, see the comments on Linnaeus (1758), and on Brisson. Aristotle’s “ haliaetos ” was probably * Haliaeetus albicilla ( Linnaeus, 1758) : see Arnott (2007: 93).

9.5. Gmelin (1788: 263): “ FALCO HALIAËTOS ” G42, S26, order “ Accipitres ”. Includes three varieties: β “ arundinaceus ” (based on Samuel Gottlieb Gmelin); γ “ carolinensis ” (see below: 18.5); and δ “ cayennensis ” (based on Latham). Variety names are written in the margin, like species names, which is important from the point of view of modern nomenclature (see below). REFERENCES (WITHOUT THE VARIETIES). — Linnaeus (1761: [22] no. 63); Brisson (1763a: 126); Aldrovandi (1599: 188, 190, 211); Ray (1713: 7 no. 6); Buffon & Guéneau de Montbeillard (1771a: 103, pl. II) and PE 414; Willughby (1678: 69, pl. 6), “Bald Buzzard”; Leem (1767: 234), “Fiske-Gjöe”; Pennant (1776:[174] no. 46, 1785: 199 no. 91), “Osprey”; Latham (1781: 45 no. 26), based on Linnaeus, Brisson, Buffon, etc., the British Museum, and the Leverian collection.

DISTRIBUTION / HABITAT (INCLUDING THE VARIETIES). — Europe, America, Siberia, Isle of Pines ( New Caledonia); among reeds.

MODERN IDENTIFICATION. — * Pandion haliaetus ( Linnaeus, 1758) . Considering the large distribution admitted by Gmelin, it is not possible to identify the subspecies precisely. On the mentioned sources, see the comments on Linnaeus (1758), and Brisson.