Avian Tautonyms

Disclaimer: The idea for this post comes from a brief discussion topic on the BirdChat listserv that was started by Ken Blackshaw on 03/06/2010. The information provided below was researched personally by me.

In biology, a tautonym is an informal term used to indicate a scientific name of a species in which both parts (i.e., the genus name and the specific epithet) have the same spelling, as in Cardinalis cardinalis for Northern Cardinal. Using the nomenclature of the IOC World Bird List, I have identified 83 avian tautonyms. Where the common name recognized by the Clements Checklist differs from that recognized by the IOC (as reflected in Avibase), the Clements name appears in brackets.

Alle alle, Little Auk [Dovekie]

Amandava amandava, Red Avadavat

Amazilia amazlia, Amazilia Hummingbird

Anhinga anhinga, Anhinga

Anser anser, Greylag Goose [Graylag Goose]

Apus apus, Common Swift

Buteo buteo, Common Buzzard

Bubo bubo, Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Cardinalis cardinalis, Northern Cardinal

Carduelis carduelis, European Goldfinch

Casuarius casuarius, Southern Cassowary

Ciconia ciconia, White Stork

Cinclus cinclus, White-throated Dipper

Coccothraustes coccothraustes, Hawfinch

Cochlearius cochlearius, Boat-billed Heron

Coeligena coeligena, Bronzy Inca

Colius colius, White-backed Mousebird

Coscoroba coscoroba, Coscoroba Swan

Cotinga cotinga, Purple-breasted Cotinga

Coturnix coturnix, Common Quail

Crex crex, Corn Crake

Crossoptilon crossoptilon, White Eared Pheasant [White Eared-Pheasant]

Curaeus curaeus, Austral Blackbird

Cyanicterus cyanicterus, Blue-backed Tanager

Cygnus cygnus, Whooper Swan

Diuca diuca, Common Diuca-Finch

Dives dives, Melodious Blackbird

Ensifera ensifera, Sword-billed Hummingbird

Francolinus francolinus, Black Francolin

Galbula galbula, Green-tailed Jacamar

Gallinago gallinago, Common Snipe

Gallus gallus, Red Junglefowl

Grus grus, Common Crane

Guira guira, Guira Cuckoo

Himantopus himantopus, Black-winged Stilt

Histrionicus histrionicus, Harlequin Duck

Icterus icterus, Venezuelen Troupial [Troupial]

Indicator indicator, Greater Honeyguide

Jacana jacana, Wattled Jacana

Ketupa ketupa, Buffy Fish Owl [Buffy Fish-Owl]

Lagopus lagopus, Willow Ptarmigan

Lerwa lerwa, Snow Partridge

Limosa limosa, Black-tailed Godwit

Luscinia luscinia, Thrush Nightingale

Manacus manacus, White-bearded Manakin

Mascarinus mascarinus, Mascarene Parrot

Melanodera melanodera, White-bridled Finch [Canary-winged Finch]

Milvus milvus, Red Kite

Mitu mitu, Alagoas Curassow

Nycticorax nycticorax, Black-crowned Night Heron

Oenanthe oenanthe, Northern Wheatear

Oriolus oriolus, Eurasian Golden Oriole

Pauxi pauxi, Northern Helmeted Curassow [Helmeted Curassow]

Perdix perdix, Grey Partridge [Gray Partridge]

Petronia petronia, Rock Sparrow [Rock Petronia]

Phoenicurus phoenicurus, Common Redstart

Pica pica, Eurasian Magpie

Pipile pipile, Trinidad Piping Guan

Pipra pipra, White-crowned Manakin

Poliocephalus poliocephalus, Hoary-headed Grebe

Porphyrio porphyrio, Purple Swamphen

Porphyrolaema porphyrolaema, Purple-throated Cotinga

Porzana porzana, Spotted Crake

Puffinus puffinus, Manx Shearwater

Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, Red-billed Chough

Pyrrhula pyrrhula, Eurasian Bullfinch

Quelea quelea, Red-billed Quelea

Regulus regulus, Goldcrest

Riparia riparia, Sand Martin [Bank Swallow]

Rupicola rupicola, Guianan Cock-of-the-rock

Serinus serinus, European Serin

Suiriri suiriri, Suiriri Flycatcher

Sula sula, Red-footed Booby

Tadorna tadorna, Common Shelduck

Tchagra tchagra, Southern Tchagra

Temnurus temnurus, Ratchet-tailed Treepie

Tetrax tetrax, Little Bustard

Todus todus, Jamaican Tody

Troglydytes troglodytes, Winter Wren

Tyrannus tyrannus, Eastern Kingbird

Vanellus vanellus, Northern Lapwing

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus, Yellow-headed Blackbird

Xenopirostris xenopirostris, Lafresnaye’s Vanga