Phoenicurus
Encyclopedia
Phoenicurus is a genus of eleven species of bird
s in the family Muscicapidae, native to Europe
, Asia
and Africa
. Along with three other closely related genera, they are named redstart
s from their orange-red tails ('start' is an old name for a tail). They are small insectivore
s, the males mostly brightly coloured in various combinations of red, blue, white, and black, the females light brown with a red tail. Recent genetic studies have shown that the genus is not monophyletic
, but may be made so by the inclusion within it of two of the other redstart genera Chaimarrornis and Rhyacornis
; this conclusion is yet to be taken up by the International Ornithological Congress
.
The genus contains the following species:
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s in the family Muscicapidae, native to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Along with three other closely related genera, they are named redstart
Redstart
Redstarts are a group of small Old World birds. They were formerly classified in the thrush family , but are now known to be part of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae...
s from their orange-red tails ('start' is an old name for a tail). They are small insectivore
Insectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
s, the males mostly brightly coloured in various combinations of red, blue, white, and black, the females light brown with a red tail. Recent genetic studies have shown that the genus is not monophyletic
Monophyly
In common cladistic usage, a monophyletic group is a taxon which forms a clade, meaning that it contains all the descendants of the possibly hypothetical closest common ancestor of the members of the group. The term is synonymous with the uncommon term holophyly...
, but may be made so by the inclusion within it of two of the other redstart genera Chaimarrornis and Rhyacornis
Rhyacornis
Rhyacornis is a genus of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It contains the following species:* Luzon Water-redstart * Plumbeous Water-redstart...
; this conclusion is yet to be taken up by the International Ornithological Congress
International Ornithological Congress
The International Ornithological Congress series forms the oldest and largest international series of meetings of ornithologists. It is organised by the International Ornithological Committee, a group of about 200 ornithologists...
.
The genus contains the following species:
- Przevalski's Redstart (Phoenicurus alaschanicus)
- Eversmann's Redstart (Phoenicurus erythronotus)
- Blue-capped RedstartBlue-capped RedstartThe Blue-capped Redstart is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in most of the Himalayas and the northern parts of the Indian Subcontinent, with its range extending across...
(Phoenicurus caeruleocephala) - Black RedstartBlack RedstartThe Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros is a small passerine bird in the redstart genus Phoenicurus. Like its relatives, it was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family , but is now known to be an Old World flycatcher .-Description:The Black Redstart is 13–14.5 cm in length and 12–20...
(Phoenicurus ochruros) - Common RedstartCommon RedstartThe Common Redstart , or often simply Redstart, is a small passerine bird in the redstart genus Phoenicurus...
(Phoenicurus phoenicurus) - Hodgson's RedstartHodgson's RedstartThe Hodgson's Redstart is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal.Its natural habitat is temperate forests.-References:...
(Phoenicurus hodgsoni) - White-throated RedstartWhite-throated RedstartThe White-throated Redstart is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal.Its natural habitat is temperate forests.-References:...
(Phoenicurus schisticeps) - Daurian RedstartDaurian RedstartThe Daurian Redstart is a small passerine bird from temperate Asia. In Japan, it is known as jōbitaki .-Description and systematics:Like all typical redstarts, they are strongly sexually dimorphic...
(Phoenicurus auroreus) - Moussier's RedstartMoussier's RedstartThe Moussier's Redstart is a small passerine bird in the genus Phoenicurus , formerly classed as a member of the thrush family , but is now classified as an Old World flycatcher . It is an endemic resident breeder in the Atlas Mountains of northwest Africa...
(Phoenicurus moussieri) - Güldenstädt's Redstart (Phoenicurus erythrogastrus)
- Blue-fronted RedstartBlue-fronted RedstartThe Blue-fronted Redstart is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is temperate forests.-References:...
(Phoenicurus frontalis)