Meadowlark

Last updated

Meadowlarks are New World grassland birds belonging to genera Sturnella and Leistes .

Contents

This group includes seven species of largely insectivorous grassland birds. In all species the male at least has a black or brown back and extensively red or yellow underparts.

List of species

There is disagreement among authorities as to whether Lilian's meadowlark should be ranked as a full species or a subspecies.

Red-breasted meadowlark (Leistes militaris) Red-breasted blackbird.jpg
Red-breasted meadowlark (Leistes militaris)

Red-breasted species, predominantly South American

Eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna) Sturnella magna -Mexico-8.jpg
Eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna)

Yellow-breasted species, predominantly North American

Taxonomy

As a group, the meadowlarks have had a volatile taxonomic history. When Carl Linnaeus described the eastern meadowlark (the first of the meadowlarks to be scientifically described) in his epic 10th edition of Systema Naturae in 1758, he thought it was related to the Old World larks, and so put it in the genus Alauda with them. [1] In the same work, he put the red-breasted meadowlark in the bunting genus Emberiza . [2] Less than a decade later, he described the eastern meadowlark again, this time putting it into the starling genus Sturnus , [1] which Juan Ignacio Molina also used when he first described the long-tailed meadowlark in 1782. [3] In 1816, Louis Pierre Vieillot created the genus Sturnella, moving the meadowlarks into his new taxon. [4] Most taxonomists accepted the new genus, and the western meadowlark, [5] Peruvian meadowlark [6] and Lilian's meadowlark were all placed in this taxon when they were later described. [3] When Charles Lucien Bonaparte described the white-browed meadowlark [2] and pampas meadowlark, [6] however, he assigned them to another newly created genus — Trupialis, for what he called "ground-starlings"; he moved the red-breasted meadowlark into that now-defunct genus as well. [7]

By the early 20th century, the meadowlarks were split again. 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 again in the genus Sturnella. In 2017, all the red-breasted species were moved to the genus Leistes.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Icterid</span> Family of birds, often black with yellow, orange, or red markings

Icterids or New World blackbirds make up a family, the Icteridae, of small to medium-sized, often colorful, New World passerine birds. The family contains 108 species and is divided into 30 genera. Most species have black as a predominant plumage color, often enlivened by yellow, orange, or red. The species in the family vary widely in size, shape, behavior, and coloration. The name, meaning "jaundiced ones" comes from the Ancient Greek ikteros via the Latin ictericus. This group includes the New World blackbirds, New World orioles, the bobolink, meadowlarks, grackles, cowbirds, oropendolas, and caciques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern meadowlark</span> Species of bird

The eastern meadowlark is a medium-sized blackbird, very similar in appearance to sister species western meadowlark. It occurs from eastern North America to northern South America, where it is also most widespread in the east. The Chihuahuan meadowlark was formerly considered to be conspecific with the eastern meadowlark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western meadowlark</span> Medium sized bird of North America with distinctive yellow chest

The western meadowlark is a medium-sized icterid bird, about 8.5 in (22 cm) in length. It nests on the ground in open grasslands across western and central North America. It feeds mostly on bugs, but will also feed on seeds and berries. The western meadowlark has distinctive calls described as watery or flute-like, which distinguish it from the closely related eastern meadowlark. The western meadowlark is the state bird of six states: Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-breasted meadowlark</span> Species of bird

The red-breasted meadowlark is a passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae. It was formerly named red-breasted blackbird but is not closely related to the red-winged blackbird group.

<i>Sturnella</i> Genus of birds

The genus Sturnella are North American grassland passerine birds called meadowlarks. The genus was previously lumped with the South American meadowlarks now placed in the genus Leistes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-browed meadowlark</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnificent riflebird</span> Species of bird

The magnificent riflebird is a species of passerine bird in the birds-of-paradise family Paradisaeidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fawn-breasted tanager</span> Species of bird

The fawn-breasted tanager is a species of tanager with a blue head and yellow breast. It occurs in the Andes of northwestern Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, as well as in the highlands of northeastern Argentina, south Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-browed hermit</span> Species of hummingbird

The white-browed hermit is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in the Andean foothills and adjacent lowlands in Bolivia and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andean pygmy owl</span> Species of owl

The Andean pygmy owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apo myna</span> Species of bird

The Apo myna is a species of starling in the starling family Sturnidae. The species is also known as the Mount Apo starling or the Mount Apo king starling. It is the only member of the genus Goodfellowia. It is endemic to the Philippines found only in the tropical montane forests of Mindanao. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiery-browed starling</span> Species of bird

The fiery-browed starling or fiery-browed myna is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is monotypic within the genus Enodes. Distinguished by a reddish-orange stripe over the eye, it is endemic to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, mainly living in humid highland forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long-tailed meadowlark</span> Species of bird

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.

<i>Heleia</i> Genus of birds

Heleia is a genus of birds in the white-eye family Zosteropidae. One species, the spot-breasted heleia is restricted to the island of Timor. The pygmy white-eye is endemic to the island of Borneo. The thick-billed heleia, occurs on Flores and Sumbawa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-naped xenopsaris</span> Species of bird in South America

The white-naped xenopsaris, also known as the reed becard and white-naped becard, is a species of suboscine bird in the family Tityridae, the only member of the genus Xenopsaris. It is found in South America, in humid subtropical and tropical savanna climates in most of the countries east of the Andes: Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. Living in open woodland and other open forest habitats, it is mostly sedentary, though some populations may be migratory. The species, which is closely related to becards and tityras, was thought to be either a tyrant-flycatcher or cotinga, before it was placed in Tityridae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey-breasted mountain toucan</span> Species of bird

The grey-breasted mountain toucan is a Near Threatened species of bird in the toucan family Ramphastidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

<i>Leistes</i> Genus of birds

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.

References

  1. 1 2 Coues, Elliott (1874). Birds of the Northwest. Washington, DC, USA: Government Printing Office. p.  190. LCCN   73017815.
  2. 1 2 del Hoyo, Elliott & Christie (2011), p. 804.
  3. 1 2 del Hoyo, Elliott & Christie (2011), p. 806.
  4. ↑ "ITIS Report: Sturnella". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  5. ↑ del Hoyo, Elliott & Christie (2011), p. 807.
  6. 1 2 del Hoyo, Elliott & Christie (2011), p. 805.
  7. ↑ Sharpe, Richard Bowdler, ed. (1886). Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum, volume XI. London, UK: British Museum. p. 357.

Sources

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.