Leistes | |
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Long-tailed meadowlark (Leistes loyca) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Icteridae |
Genus: | Leistes Vigors, 1825 |
Type species | |
Oriolus americanus Gmelin, 1788 | |
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.
There are five widely accepted members of the genus. [1]
Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
---|---|---|---|---|
Red-breasted meadowlark (formerly red-breasted blackbird) | Leistes militaris (Linnaeus, 1758) | south-western Costa Rica, and Trinidad, south to north-eastern Peru and central Brazil | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
White-browed meadowlark (formerly white-browed blackbird) | Leistes superciliaris (Bonaparte, 1850) | south-western Brazil through Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
Peruvian meadowlark | Leistes bellicosus (De Filippi, 1847) | western Peru, Ecuador and far northern Chile. | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
Pampas meadowlark | Leistes defilippii (Bonaparte, 1850) | Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. | Size: Habitat: Diet: | VU |
Long-tailed meadowlark | Leistes loyca (Molina, 1782) | southern South America and the Falkland Islands | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
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.
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Meadowlarks are New World grassland birds belonging to genera Sturnella and Leistes.
The genus Sturnella are North American grassland birds called meadowlarks. The genus was previously lumped with the South American meadowlarks now placed in the genus Leistes.
The white-browed meadowlark is a passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae. It was formerly named white-browed blackbird but is not closely related to the red-winged blackbird group.
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The long-tailed meadowlark is a passerine bird of southern South America and the Falkland Islands, belonging to the meadowlark genus Leistes in the icterid family that looks very similar to the related endangered species, the Pampas meadowlark.
Chihuahuan meadowlark, also known as Lilian's meadowlark, is a bird in the family Icteridae. It is found in northern Mexico and the southwestern portion of the United States. It was formerly usually treated as a subspecies of the eastern meadowlark.
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