Niltava Explained

Niltava (from niltau, Nepali for the rufous-bellied niltava) is a genus of passerine birds in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. They are found in found in South and Southeast Asia as well as in China. The seven species in the genus are sexually dimorphic. The males have blue upperparts and all except the large niltava have orange-rufous underparts. The females are less brightly coloured and have brown upperparts and buffish underparts.

Taxonomy

The genus Niltava was introduced in 1837 by the English naturalist Brian Hodgson with the rufous-bellied niltava (Niltava sundara) as the type species.^{[1] [2]} The genus name is from the Nepali word Niltau for the rufous-bellied niltava.^{[1] [3]}

The genus contains the following seven species:^[4]

• Fujian niltava (Niltava davidi)
• Rufous-bellied niltava (Niltava sundara)
• Rufous-vented niltava (Niltava sumatrana)
• Chinese vivid niltava (Niltava oatesi)^[5]
• Taiwan vivid niltava (Niltava vivida)
• Large niltava (Niltava grandis)
• Small niltava (Niltava macgrigoriae)

References

• Del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Christie D. (editors). (2006). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Lynx Edicions. .

Notes and References

1. Hodgson . Brian Houghton . Brian Houghton Hodgson . 1837 . Indication of a new genus of insessores, tending to connect the Sylviadae and Muscicapidae . India Review and Journal of Foreign Science and the Arts . 1 . 650–652 .
2. Book: Mayr . Ernst . Ernst Mayr . Cottrell . G. William . 1986 . Check-List of Birds of the World . 11 . Museum of Comparative Zoology . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 355 .
3. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 272 .
4. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela C. Rasmussen . July 2023 . Chats, Old World flycatchers . IOC World Bird List Version 13.2 . International Ornithologists' Union . 28 November 2023.
5. Web site: Species Updates – IOC World Bird List. 2021-05-27. en-US.