Alethe (genus) explained

Alethe is a genus of small mainly insectivorous birds in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae that occur in West Africa.

The genus was erected by the American ornithologist John Cassin in 1859.^[1] The genus was previously placed in the thrush family Turdidae but in 2010 two separate molecular phylogenetic studies found that species in the genus were more closely related to members of the Old World flycatcher family.^{[2] [3]}

The genus contains two species:^[4]

• White-tailed alethe, Alethe diademata
• Fire-crested alethe, Alethe castanea

Formerly in this genus

Four species formerly placed in this genus are not closely related to the type species, and have accordingly been reassigned to Chamaetylas (formerly Pseudalethe).^{[5] [2] [4]}

Notes and References

1. Cassin . John . John Cassin . 1859 . Catalogue of birds collected on the rivers Camma and Ogobai, Western Africa by Mr P.B. Duchaillu, in 1858, with notes and description of new species. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia . 11 . 30–55 [43] .
2. Sangster . G. . Alström. P. . Forsmark . E. . Olsson . U. . 2010 . Multi-locus phylogenetic analysis of Old World chats and flycatchers reveals extensive paraphyly at family, subfamily and genus level (Aves: Muscicapidae) . Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . 57 . 1 . 380–392 . 10.1016/j.ympev.2010.07.008 . 20656044. 2010MolPE..57..380S .
3. Zuccon . D. . Ericson . P.G.P. . 2010 . A multi-gene phylogeny disentangles the chat-flycatcher complex (Aves: Muscicapidae) . Zoologica Scripta . 39 . 3 . 213–224 . 10.1111/j.1463-6409.2010.00423.x . 85963319 .
4. Web site: Gill . Frank . Donsker . David . Chats, Old World flycatchers . World Bird List Version 6.2 . International Ornithologists' Union. 20 May 2016 .
5. Beresford. Pamela. Molecular systematics of Alethe, Sheppardia and some other African robins (Muscicapoidea) . Ostrich . 2003 . 74 . 1–2 . 58–73 . 10.2989/00306520309485370 . 2003Ostri..74...58B . 84558784 .