Biology:Leistes
| Leistes | |
|---|---|
| |
| Long-tailed meadowlark (Leistes loyca) | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Icteridae |
| Genus: | Leistes Vigors, 1825 |
| Type species | |
| Oriolus americanus Gmelin, 1788
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| Species | |
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The genus Leistes are predominantly South American grassland birds called meadowlarks. The genus was previously lumped with the North American meadowlarks in the genus Sturnella.
It includes five species of largely insectivorous grassland birds. In all species the male at least has a black or brown back and extensively red underparts.
List of species
There are five widely accepted members of the genus.[1]
| Image | Common Name | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
_-_Flickr_-_Alejandro_Bayer.jpg) |
Red-breasted meadowlark (formerly red-breasted blackbird) | Leistes militaris | south-western Costa Rica, and Trinidad, south to north-eastern Peru and central Brazil |
 |
White-browed meadowlark (formerly white-browed blackbird) | Leistes superciliaris | south-western Brazil through Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina |
_(23781009842).jpg) |
Peruvian meadowlark | Leistes bellicosus | western Peru, Ecuador and far northern Chile. |
 |
Pampas meadowlark | Leistes defilippii | Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. |
 |
Long-tailed meadowlark | Leistes loyca | southern South America and the Falkland Islands |
Taxonomy
By the early 20th century, the meadowlarks were split. Only the "yellow-breasted" meadowlarks (eastern and western meadowlarks, including Lilian's) remained in the genus Sturnella. The red-breasted and white-browed meadowlarks were moved to the genus Leistes, while the pampas meadowlark, Peruvian meadowlark and long-tailed meadowlark made up the genus Pezites, which was established by Cabanis in 1851. By the late 20th century, all meadowlarks were lumped in the genus Sturnella. In 2017, all the red-breasted meadowlarks were merged into the genus Leistes.
References
Sources
- Handbook of Birds of the World, volume 16: Tanagers to New World Blackbirds. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. 2011. ISBN 978-84-96553-78-1.
- New World Blackbirds by Jaramillo and Burke, ISBN:0-7136-4333-1
Further reading
- Powell, A.F.L.A.; Barker, F.K.; Lanyon, S.M.; Burns, K.J.; Klicka, J.; Lovette, I.J. (2014). "A comprehensive species-level molecular phylogeny of the New World blackbirds (Icteridae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 71: 94–112. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2013.11.009. PMID 24291659.
External links
- Sturnella videos, photos and sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
Wikidata ☰ Q21953133 entry
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