Xenicus Explained

Xenicus is a genus of birds in the family Acanthisittidae. It contains New Zealand wrens.

Species

• New Zealand rock wren, Xenicus gilviventris
• Bushwren, †Xenicus longipes (extinct)
• South Island stout-legged wren, †X. yaldwyni – South Island, New Zealand
• North Island stout-legged wren, †X. jagmi – North Island, New Zealand

Lyall's wren was classified as Xenicus lyalli but is quite divergent, so it is placed in its own genus, Traversia.

Taxonomy

The stout-legged wrens formed a species pair. They had reduced wings and robust legs indicating that they were adapted to a terrestrial existence and were either flightless or nearly so.^[1] Genetic evidence has indicated that the former genus Pachyplichas is nested within Xenicus, and stout legged wrens must have evolved from a gracile legged ancestor. A cladogram is given below.^[2]

References

• Catalogue of the genera and subgenera of birds contained in the British museum. p. 31
• North Island Rifleman (Titipounamu)(above two birds) / South Island Bush Wren (Matuhi) (left centre) / Rock Wren (centre right) / Stephens Island Wren by George Edward Lodge. Collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Further reading

• Millener, P.R.. 1988. Contributions to New Zealand's Late Quaternary avifauna. 1: Pachyplichas, a new genus of wren (Aves: Acanthisittidae), with two new species. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 18 . 4. 383–406 . 10.1080/03036758.1988.10426464 . 1988JRSNZ..18..383M.

Notes and References

1. Millener (1988).
2. Mitchell. Kieren J.. Wood. Jamie R.. Llamas. Bastien. McLenachan. Patricia A.. Kardailsky. Olga. Scofield. R. Paul. Worthy. Trevor H.. Cooper. Alan. September 2016. Ancient mitochondrial genomes clarify the evolutionary history of New Zealand's enigmatic acanthisittid wrens. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. en. 102. 295–304. 10.1016/j.ympev.2016.05.038. 27261250.