Attila (bird) explained
Attila is a genus of tropical passerine birds, the attilas. They belong to the tyrant flycatcher family. The species in this genus have large heads and hooked bills; they are markedly predatory and aggressive for their size – hence the scientific and common names, which refer to Attila the Hun.
Taxonomy
The genus Attila was introduced in 1831 by the French naturalist René Lesson to accommodate a single species, the bright-rumped attila, which is therefore considered as the type species.[1] [2] The genus name is from Attila the Hun who attacked Rome and Orléans in the 5th century.[3] [4]
The genus contains seven species:[5]
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
|---|
| Attila phoenicurus | Rufous-tailed attila | southern Paraguay and Brazil; also extreme northeast Argentina, Bolivia and southern Venezuela |
| Attila cinnamomeus | Cinnamon attila | Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana; also Amazonian Ecuador, Peru, and regions of Bolivia. |
| Attila torridus | Ochraceous attila | Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru |
| Attila citriniventris | Citron-bellied attila | Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. |
| Attila bolivianus | White-eyed attila | Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and possibly Ecuador. |
| Attila rufus | Grey-hooded attila | Brazil. |
| Attila spadiceus | Bright-rumped attila | northwestern Mexico to western Ecuador, Bolivia and southeastern Brazil, and on Trinidad |
|
Further reading
- Hilty, Steven L. (2003): Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London.
- Stiles, F. Gary & Skutch, Alexander Frank (1989): A guide to the birds of Costa Rica. Comistock, Ithaca.
Notes and References
- Book: Lesson, René . René Lesson . 1831 . Traité d'Ornithologie, ou Tableau Méthodique . 1 . French . Paris . F.G. Levrault . 360 (livr. 5) . Published in 8 livraisons between 1830 and 1831. For the publication date see: Book: Dickinson . E.C. . Edward C. Dickinson . Overstreet . L.K. . Dowsett . R.J. . Bruce . M.D. . 2011 . Priority! The Dating of Scientific Names in Ornithology: a Directory to the literature and its reviewers . Northampton, UK . Aves Press . 978-0-9568611-1-5 . 119 .
- Book: Traylor . Melvin A. Jr . Melvin Alvah Traylor Jr. . 1979 . Check-List of Birds of the World . 8 . Museum of Comparative Zoology . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 186 .
- Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 60 .
- Book: The Bird Name Book : A History of English Bird Names. Susan Myers. 25 October 2022 . Princeton University Press . 978-0-691-23685-8 .
- Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela Rasmussen . January 2023 . Tyrant flycatchers . IOC World Bird List Version 13.1 . International Ornithologists' Union . 21 March 2023 .
