Stagonopleura Explained

Stagonopleura is a genus of small seed-eating birds in the family Estrildidae that are native to Australia.

The species are similar in appearance, with short red bills, brown upperparts, red rumps and uppertail coverts, and barred or spotted underparts. The informal name of firetails refers to the rich crimson colour at the rump, a prominent characteristic of the genus.^[1]

Taxonomy

The genus Stagonopleura was introduced by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach in 1850.^[2] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek stagōn meaning "spot" with pleura meaning "side" or "flank".^[3] The type species was designated as the diamond firetail in 1851 by Jean Cabanis.^{[4] [5]}

Species

The three species in the genus are:^[6]

References

• Clement, Harris and Davis, Finches and Sparrows

Notes and References

1. Book: Forshaw . Joseph Michael . Shephard . Mark . Grassfinches in Australia . 2012 . CSIRO . 9780643096349 . 48, 76.
2. Book: Reichenbach, Ludwig . Ludwig Reichenbach . 1850 . Avium Systema Naturale . 1 . Expedition Vollständigsten Naturgeschichte . German . Dresden and Leipzig . Plate LXXV .
3. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 364 .
4. Book: Cabanis, Jean . Jean Cabanis . 1850–1851 . Museum Heineanum : Verzeichniss der ornithologischen Sammlung des Oberamtmann Ferdinand Heine, auf Gut St. Burchard vor Halberstadt . 1 . German, Latin . Halberstadt . R. Frantz . 172 .
5. Book: Paynter . Raymond A. Jr . 1968 . Check-List of Birds of the World . 14 . Museum of Comparative Zoology . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 353 .
6. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela Rasmussen . July 2021 . Waxbills, parrotfinches, munias, whydahs, Olive Warbler, accentors, pipits . IOC World Bird List Version 11.2 . International Ornithologists' Union . 12 July 2021 .