joekroex
Joek Roex
I believe that the ammodendri in Passer ammodendri (Saxaul Sparrow) refers to Black Saxaul Haloxylon ammodendron, the tree in the amaranth family, and not to the legume genus of Sand Acacias Ammodendron. Due to the fact that both plant types inhabit the central Asian steppes where Saxaul Sparrow is distributed (see Flora of the USSR for Ammodendron spp. and for Black Saxaul), and that their scientific names show similarities, it seems that many have been confusing one for the other.
However, Gould's plate in his Birds of Asia (London: Gould, 1872), v. pl. 15, pt 24 shows the birds in a Black Saxaul tree (even though he provides them with the English name Turkestan Sparrow). Also, Hartert in Vögel der paläarktischen Fauna (Berlin: Friedländer, 1910), i. 159 says:
The first mention of anything 'saxaul' as a name in the literature that I have come across is in 1877 when Przhevalsky uses the Russian Vorobey sacsaulney (i.e. Saxaul Sparrow) in 'The birds of Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet', in George Rowley ed.,Ornithological Miscellany (London: Trübner, Quaritch, Porter, 1877), ii. 294. Przhevalsky assigns authorship of Passer ammodendri to Nikolai Severtzov (as did Gould, by the way), who provided the type but could not get his descriptive document out until 1873 (translated by Dresser as 'Notes on Severtzoff's "Fauna of Turkestan" (Turkestanskie jevotnie)', Ibis, 3rd ser., 5/18 (1875), 239–240), which by then was preceded by Gould. Perhaps he made use of the saxaul reference (through Vorobey sacsaulney), but I have not found the original Russian document.
However, Gould's plate in his Birds of Asia (London: Gould, 1872), v. pl. 15, pt 24 shows the birds in a Black Saxaul tree (even though he provides them with the English name Turkestan Sparrow). Also, Hartert in Vögel der paläarktischen Fauna (Berlin: Friedländer, 1910), i. 159 says:
'Saxaul Sparrows inhabit loamy and sandy plains, especially in the vicinity of streams. […] They love saxaul shrubs in particular, the seeds of which are their primary food source. They build their nests in saxaul shrubs in sparrow style […].' (my trans.)
The first mention of anything 'saxaul' as a name in the literature that I have come across is in 1877 when Przhevalsky uses the Russian Vorobey sacsaulney (i.e. Saxaul Sparrow) in 'The birds of Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet', in George Rowley ed.,Ornithological Miscellany (London: Trübner, Quaritch, Porter, 1877), ii. 294. Przhevalsky assigns authorship of Passer ammodendri to Nikolai Severtzov (as did Gould, by the way), who provided the type but could not get his descriptive document out until 1873 (translated by Dresser as 'Notes on Severtzoff's "Fauna of Turkestan" (Turkestanskie jevotnie)', Ibis, 3rd ser., 5/18 (1875), 239–240), which by then was preceded by Gould. Perhaps he made use of the saxaul reference (through Vorobey sacsaulney), but I have not found the original Russian document.