Picini

Grey-headed woodpecker Picus canus, from here.

Belongs within: Picidae.

The Picini is an assemblage of often greenish woodpeckers found in Eurasia. Species of the genus Picus are often more or less ground-feeders.

<==Picini
    |--Chrysocolaptes Blyth 1843 [Chrysocolaptini] B94
    |    |--C. sultaneus [incl. C. strictus] S89
    |    `--C. lucidus S02
    |--Dinopium Rafinesque 1814 [incl. Tiga Kaup 1836; Tigini] B94
    |    |--D. benghalense S02
    |    |--‘Tiga’ intermedia S89
    |    `--D. javanense RD02 [=T. javanensis S89]
    `--Picus Linnaeus 1758 M02 [incl. Gecinus Boie 1831 B94; Gecinini]
         |--P. atratus S89
         |--P. awokera T89
         |--P. canus Gmelin 1788 M02
         |    |--P. c. canus VP89
         |    `--P. c. sobrinus VP89
         |--P. chlorolophus S02
         |--P. flavinucha A61
         |--P. gaudryi Depéret 1887 [=Zygodactylus gaudryi] M02
         |--P. minor D66
         |--P. peregrinabundus Umans’ka 1981 M02
         |--P. viridanus Blyth 1843 W66 [=Gecinus viridanus S89]
         |--P. viridis Linnaeus 1758 M02
         `--P. xanthopygaeus S02

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[A61] Austin, O. L., Jr. 1961. Birds of the World: A survey of the twenty-seven orders and one hundred and fifty-five families. Paul Hamlyn: London.

[B94] Bock, W. J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281.

[D66] Dresser, H. E. 1866. Notes on the breeding of the booted eagle (Aquila pennata). Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 377-380.

[M02] Mlíkovský, J. 2002. Cenozoic Birds of the World. Part 1: Europe. Ninox Press: Praha.

[RD02] Robin, V. V., & P. Davidar. 2002. The vertical stratification of birds in mixed species flocks at Parambikulam, south India: a comparison between two habitats. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 99 (3): 389-399.

[S89] Salvadori, T. 1889. Viaggio di Leonardo Fea nella Birmania e nelle regioni vicine. XIX. – Uccelli raccolti nei Monti Carin a nord-est di Tounghoo, nel Pegù presso Rangoon e Tounghoo e nel Tenasserim presso Malewoon. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova, Serie 2a 7: 369-438.

[S02] Santharam, V. 2002. Fruit and nectar resources in a moist deciduous forest and their use by birds – a preliminary report. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 99 (3): 537-543.

[T89] Takeshita, N. 1989. Nihon no Yachoo. Kogakukan: Tokyo.

[VP89] Viney, C., & K. Phillipps. 1989. Birds of Hong Kong 5^th ed. Government Printer: Hong Kong.

[W66] Walden, A. 1866. Notes on birds collected in Tennasserim and in the Andaman Islands. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 537-556.

Picoidini

Downy woodpecker Picoides pubescens, photographed by Dan Sudia.

Belongs within: Picidae.

The Picoidini are an assemblage of small to medium-sized woodpeckers proposed to unite the Afrotropical woodpeckers with the Holarctic barred woodpeckers of the genus Picoides. This group is often referred to as the Campetherini, but Bock (1994) indicated that the name Picoidini has priority. Many authors divide the Picoides species between two genera, Picoides and Dendrocopos.

<==Picoidini [Dendrodrocopini]
    |--Campethera Gray 1837 [Campetherini] B94
    |    |--C. abingoni [incl. Dendrobates striatus Layard 1871] B93
    |    |--C. bennettii B93
    |    |    |--C. b. bennettii B93
    |    |    `--C. b. buysi Winterbottom 1966 B93
    |    `--C. nivosa FP64
    `--Picoides Lacépède 1799 M02 (see below for synonymy)
         |--P. borealis C98 [=Dendrocopos borealis USDI77]
         |--P. canicapillus VP89
         |--P. kizuki [=Dendrocopos kizuki] T89
         |--P. leucotos VP89 [=Dendrocopos leucotos I92]
         |    |--P. l. leucotos I92
         |    `--‘Dendrocopos’ l. owstoni (Ogawa 1905) I92
         |--‘Dendrocopos’ mahrattensis S02
         |--P. major (Linnaeus 1758) [=Picus major, Dendrocopos major; incl. D. major submajor Jánossy 1974] M02
         |    |--P. m. major VP89
         |    `--‘Dendrocopos’ m. mandarinus VP89
         |--P. medius (Linnaeus 1758) [=Picus medius, Dendrocopos medius; incl. D. praemedius Jánossy 1974] M02
         |--P. minor CM07 [=Dendrocopos minor WBSJ82]
         |--‘Dendrocopos’ nanus RD02
         |--P. pubescens YH01 [=Dendrocopos pubescens FP64, Dryobates pubescens CM07]
         |--P. syriacus [=Dendrocopos syriacus] CM07
         |--P. tridactylus I92
         |    |--P. t. tridactylus I92
         |    `--P. t. inouyei Yamashina 1943 I92
         `--‘Dendrocopos’ villosus FP64

Picoides Lacépède 1799 M02 [incl. Apternus Swainson 1837 B94, Dendrocopos Koch 1816 M02, Dryobates Boie 1826 B94; Apternini, Dendrocopini, Dryobatini]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B94] Bock, W. J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281.

[B93] Brooke, R. K. 1993. Annotated catalogue of the Aves type specimens in the South African Museum. Annals of the South African Museum 102 (10): 327-349.

[C98] Cockburn, A. 1998. Evolution of helping behavior in cooperatively breeding birds. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 29: 141-177.

[CM07] Cokendolpher, J. C., & P. G. Mitov. 2007. Natural enemies. In Harvestmen: The Biology of Opiliones (R. Pinto-da-Rocha, G. Machado & G. Giribet, eds) pp. 339-373. Harvard University Press: Cambridge (Massachusetts).

[FP64] Fisher, J., & R. T. Peterson. 1964. The World of Birds: A comprehensive guide to general ornithology. Macdonald: London.

[I92] Iwahashi, J. (ed.) 1992. Reddo Deeta Animaruzu: a pictorial of Japanese fauna facing extinction. JICC: Tokyo.

[M02] Mlíkovský, J. 2002. Cenozoic Birds of the World. Part 1: Europe. Ninox Press: Praha.

[RD02] Robin, V. V., & P. Davidar. 2002. The vertical stratification of birds in mixed species flocks at Parambikulam, south India: a comparison between two habitats. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 99 (3): 389-399.

[S02] Santharam, V. 2002. Fruit and nectar resources in a moist deciduous forest and their use by birds – a preliminary report. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 99 (3): 537-543.

[T89] Takeshita, N. 1989. Nihon no Yachoo. Kogakukan: Tokyo.

[USDI77] USDI (United States Department of the Interior). 1977. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants - republication of list of species. Federal Register 42: 36420-36431.

[VP89] Viney, C., & K. Phillipps. 1989. Birds of Hong Kong 5^th ed. Government Printer: Hong Kong.

[WBSJ82] Wild Bird Society of Japan. 1982. A Field Guide to the Birds of Japan. Kodansha International Ltd.: Tokyo.

[YH01] Yamagishi, S., M. Honda, K. Eguchi & R. Thorstrom. 2001. Extreme endemic radiation of the Malagasy vangas (Aves: Passeriformes). Journal of Molecular Evolution 53: 39-46.

Otididae

Great bustards Otis tarda, photographed by Muchaxo.

Belongs within: Neoaves.

The Otididae are the bustards, large birds of open country in Eurasia, Africa and Australia. Males of many bustard species are known for their elaborate mating displays.

Synapomorphies (from Livezey 1998): Maxilla dorsoventrally compressed, lateromedially broad; free caudal vertebrae with laterally elongate transverse process; processus craniolateralis of corpus sterni with caudal deflection present; apex and margo ventralis of carina sterni typically laterally thickened relative to more dorsal parts of carina; extremitas omalis coracoidei, facies dorsalis immediately caudal to processus acrocoracoideus with foramina pneumatica present; extremitas proximalis carpometacarpi, os metacarpale alulare with processus extensorius prominent, typically rugose, dorsoventrally thickened into spur; extremitas proximalis carpometacarpi, os metacarpale minus, dorsoventral depth at synostosis proximalis narrowed, reduced dorsally, approximately half that of os metacarpale majus; extremitas distalis carpometacarpi, facies articularis digitalis major distally prominent; extremitas proximalis femoris, trochanter femoris, crista trochanteris, facies craniomedialis with great proximal elongation and foramen pneumaticum present; extremitas distalis tibiotarsi, incisura intercondylaris, area intercondylaris extending medially, especially deep immediately proximal to condylus medialis; plumage with dark bilateral throat stripes present.

<==Otididae [Otidae, Otides, Otidides]
    |--*Tetrax tetrax FP64
    |--Houbaropsis bengalensis BTT02
    |--Ardeotis australis AD02, ZJM03
    |--Lissotis Reichenbach 1848 [Lissotididae] B94
    |    `--L. melanogaster (Rüppell 1835) [=Otis melanogaster] S05
    |--Gryzaja Zubareva 1939 [Gryzajidae] M02
    |    `--*G. odessana Zubareva 1939 (see below for synonymy) M02
    |--Miootis Umans’ka 1979 M02
    |    `--*M. compactus Umans’ka 1979 M02
    |--Neotis Sharpe 1893 [Neotididae] B94
    |    |--N. denhami FP64
    |    `--N. ludwigii (Rüppell 1837) [=Otis ludwigii] S04
    |--Afrotis atra (Linnaeus 1766) ME04
    |    |--A. a. atra RN72
    |    `--A. a. afraoides RN72
    |--Choriotis HK08
    |    |--C. arabs FP64
    |    |--C. kori [=Ardeotis kori] HK08
    |    `--C. nigriceps FP64
    |--Chlamydotis Lesson 1839 M02
    |    |--C. mesetaria Sánchez Marco 1990 M02
    |    `--C. undulata (Jacquin 1784) (see below for synonymy) M02
    |         |--C. u. undulata AD02
    |         `--C. u. macqueenii AD02
    |--Eupodotis AD02
    |    |--E. afra L98
    |    |--E. australis BR65
    |    |--E. rueppellii FP64
    |    `--E. ruficrista AD02
    `--Otis Linnaeus 1758 M02
         |--O. affinis Lydekker 1891 [=Chlamydotis affinis] M02
         |--O. australis SJ85
         |--O. bessarabensis Kessler & Gál 1996 M02
         |--O. tarda Linnaeus 1758 [incl. O. brevipes Giebel 1847, O. lambrechti Kretzoi 1941] M02
         |    |--O. t. tarda I92
         |    `--O. t. dybowskii Taczanowski 1874 I92
         `--O. tetrax Linnaeus 1758 (see below for synonymy) M02

Nomen nudum: Otis agilis Milne-Edwards 1871 M02

Chlamydotis undulata (Jacquin 1784) [=Otis undulata; incl. O. khosatzkii beremendensis Jánossy 1991, O. khosatzkii Bocheński & Kuročkin 1987] M02

*Gryzaja odessana Zubareva 1939 [=Otis gryzaja Vojinstvens’kyj 1967; incl. Chlamydotis pliodeserti Serebrovs’kyj 1941] M02

Otis tetrax Linnaeus 1758 [incl. O. (Tetrax) kalmani Jánossy 1972, O. paratetrax Bocheński & Kuročkin 1987] M02

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[AD02] Anderson, S. J., & D. C. Deeming. 2002. Dimensions and composition of eggs from captive bustards (Gruiformes: Otididae): Houbara (Chlamydotis undulata), rufous-crested (Eupodotis ruficrista), and kori (Ardeotis kori). Zoo Biology 21: 337-346.

[BTT02] Baral, N., B. Tamang & N. Timilsina. 2002. Status of Bengal florican Houbaropsis bengalensis in Royal Bardia National Park, Nepal. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 99 (3): 413-417.

[BR65] Black, J. M., & E. L. Robertson. 1965. Flora of South Australia. Part IV. Oleaceae-Compositae. W. L. Hawes, Government Printer: Adelaide.

[B94] Bock, W. J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281.

[FP64] Fisher, J., & R. T. Peterson. 1964. The World of Birds: A comprehensive guide to general ornithology. Macdonald: London.

[HK08] Hackett, S. J., R. T. Kimball, S. Reddy, R. C. K. Bowie, E. L. Braun, M. J. Braun, J. L. Chojnowski, W. A. Cox, K.-L. Han, J. Harshman, C. J. Huddleston, B. D. Marks, K. J. Miglia, W. S. Moore, F. H. Sheldon, D. W. Steadman, C. C. Witt & T. Yuri. 2008. A phylogenomic study of birds reveals their evolutionary history. Science 320: 1763-1768.

[I92] Iwahashi, J. (ed.) 1992. Reddo Deeta Animaruzu: a pictorial of Japanese fauna facing extinction. JICC: Tokyo.

[L98] Livezey, B. C. 1998. A phylogenetic analysis of the Gruiformes (Aves) based on morphological characters, with an emphasis on the rails (Rallidae). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B – Biological Sciences 353: 2077-2151.

[ME04] Mayr, G., & P. G. P. Ericson. 2004. Evidence for a sister group relationship between the Madagascan mesites (Mesitornithidae) and the cuckoos (Cuculidae). Senckenbergiana Biologica 84 (1-2): 1-17.

[M02] Mlíkovský, J. 2002. Cenozoic Birds of the World. Part 1: Europe. Ninox Press: Praha.

[RN72] Rutgers, A., & K. A. Norris (eds.) 1972. Encyclopaedia of Aviculture vol. 2. Blandford Press: London.

[S05] Steinheimer, F. D. 2005. Eduard Rüppel’s avian types at the Natural History Museum, Tring (Aves). Senckenbergiana Biologica 85 (2): 233-264.

[SJ85] Storr, G. M., & R. E. Johnstone. 1985. Field Guide to the Birds of Western Australia 2^nd ed. Western Australian Museum: Perth (Australia).

[ZJM03] Zeffer, A., L. C. Johansson & Å. Marmebro. 2003. Functional correlation between habitat use and leg morphology in birds (Aves). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 79: 461-484.

Upupiformes

Common scimitarbill Rhinopomastus cyanomelas, photographed by Francesco Veronesi.

Belongs within: Anomalogonatae.

The Upupiformes contain the hoopoes, smaller birds with long, decurved bills. As well as the true hoopoes (Upupa; sometimes treated as a single species U. epops, sometimes divided between more species), living Upupiformes include the wood-hoopoes (Phoeniculus) and scimitarbills (Rhinopomastus) of Africa.

Characters (from Mayr 2000): Beak long, pointed, dorsoventrally high at base; large processus retroarticulares present on mandible; apophysis furculae absent; humerus stout; shaft of ulna with projection distal to cotyla dorsalis; carpometacarpus with osseous ridge from ventral margin of os metacarpale minus to processus pisiformis; caudal margin of os metacarpale minus undulated; hallux long.

<==Upupiformes [Epopinae, Epopomorphae, Epopsinae, Upupides]
    |--Laurillardia Milne-Edwards 1871 M02 [Laurillardiidae M05]
    |    |--*L. longirostris Milne-Edwards 1871 [incl. L. parisiensis Flot 1892] M02
    |    `--L. munieri Flot 1892 M02
    |--Messelirrisor Mayr 1998 M00, M02 [Messelirrisoridae]
    |    |--*M. parvus Mayr 1998 M02
    |    |--M. grandis Mayr 2000 M00
    |    `--M. halcyrostris Mayr 1998 M05
    `--+--Upupa Linnaeus 1758 HK08, M02 [incl. Epops Morris 1837 B94; Epopidae, Upupidae, Upupinae]
       |    |--U. epops Linnaeus 1758 [incl. U. phoeniculides Jánossy 1974] M02
       |    |--U. marginata S66
       |    `--U. nigripennis B66
       `--Phoeniculidae [Phoeniculinae] M02
            |--Phoeniculus Jarocki 1821 M02 [incl. Irrisor Lesson 1831 B94; Irrisoridae]
            |    `--P. purpureus HK08
            |--Phirriculus Mlíkovský & Göhlich 2000 M02
            |    `--*P. pinicola Mlíkovský & Göhlich 2000 M02
            `--Rhinopomastus Jardine 1828 [Rhinopomastidae] B94
                 |--R. cyanomelas EA06
                 `--R. minor (Rüppell 1845) [=Promerops minor, Epimachus minor] S05

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B94] Bock, W. J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281.

[B66] Bulger, G. E. 1866. List of birds observed at Wellington, Neilgherry Hills, about 6000 feet above the level of the sea, during the months of April and May, 1866. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 568-571.

[EA06] Ericson, P. G. P., C. L. Anderson, T. Britton, A. Elzanowski, U. S. Johansson, M. Källersjö, J. I. Ohlson, T. J. Parsons, D. Zuccon & G. Mayr. 2006. Diversification of Neoaves: integration of molecular sequence data and fossils. Biology Letters 2 (4): 543-547.

[HK08] Hackett, S. J., R. T. Kimball, S. Reddy, R. C. K. Bowie, E. L. Braun, M. J. Braun, J. L. Chojnowski, W. A. Cox, K.-L. Han, J. Harshman, C. J. Huddleston, B. D. Marks, K. J. Miglia, W. S. Moore, F. H. Sheldon, D. W. Steadman, C. C. Witt & T. Yuri. 2008. A phylogenomic study of birds reveals their evolutionary history. Science 320: 1763-1768.

[M00] Mayr, G. 2000. Tiny hoopoe-like birds from the Middle Eocene of Messel (Germany). Auk 117 (4): 964-970.

[M05] Mayr, G. 2005. The Paleogene fossil record of birds in Europe. Biological Reviews 80: 515-542.

[M02] Mlíkovský, J. 2002. Cenozoic Birds of the World. Part 1: Europe. Ninox Press: Praha.

[S66] Schlegel, H. 1866. Communication from, on mammals and birds collected in Madagascar. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 419-426.

[S05] Steinheimer, F. D. 2005. Eduard Rüppel’s avian types at the Natural History Museum, Tring (Aves). Senckenbergiana Biologica 85 (2): 233-264.

Cuculinae

Asian emerald cuckoo Chrysococcyx maculatus, photographed by J. J. Harrison.

Belongs within: Cuculidae.
Contains: Cuculus.

The Cuculinae are the Old World parasitic cuckoos. These insectivorous birds are best known for their trait of laying their eggs in the nests of passerine birds, which then raise the cuckoo chicks as if they were their own. Within the Cuculinae, the bronze cuckoos of the genus Chrysococcyx are distinctive for the metallic green coloration on their upper parts. The koels of the genus Eudynamys are large, long-tailed cuckoos found in southern and eastern Asia and northern Australasia; males are black in coloration whereas females are dark brown above with pale spots.

Characters (from Mason 1997): Small to large slender birds small to stout decurved bills with swollen rounded nostrils and vestigial rictal bristles; body feathering soft, sleek, and sometimes glossed brilliantly green or blue-black, close in varied tracts but without apterium between dorsal-cervical and interscapular tracts; no downs; aftershafts absent (vestigial?); uropygial gland well developed, naked. Feet relatively weak, adapted for arboreal perching, zygodactylous with outer toe permanently reversed; tarsi rather coarsely scutellate, toes with short claws; hypotarsus with two closed canals. Sexes dimorphic or similar, males usually larger than females. Wings rounded to commonly pointed: ten primaries plus remicle and nine to twelve eutaxic secondaries moulting erratically in 'transilient' mode; alula four-feathered. Tail short to long and graduated: ten rectrices. Nares holorhinal and impervious, nasal septum imperforate; desmognathous palate with vestigial, incomplete vomer, palatines with narrowly rounded shelf, maxillary processes swollen and straight, lachrymals moderately enlarged to vestigial, sometimes almost reaching jugal bar, free from thin, variably enlarged ectethmoids, uncinate bone consistently present; basipterygoid processes vestigial; interorbital septum with two or three principal perforations; atlas notched or perforated; 14 cervical vertebrae (13 in Clamator); sternum double-notched to almost entire on either side, both spina interna and externa present (fused in Clamator) or only spina externa (Eudynamys, Scythrops), furcula with or without prolong hypocleideum; fossae flanking preacetabular processes of pelvic girdle narrow to wide, shelf of preacetabular processes square to rounded, not overlapping ischium dorsally, lateral perforations along either side of iliac crest obsolete to pronounced. Musculus expansor secundariorum 'cuculine'; pelvic muscle formula ABXY to AXY (ABEXY in Clamator), M. ambiens present; deep plantar tendons Type I. Carotid arteries paired. Syrinx tracheo-bronchial. Tongue small, cartilaginous; no crop; caeca present, rather long. Diploid karyotype of 78-80 chromosomes, with six pairs of macrochromosomes.

<==Cuculinae CC10
    |--+--Scythrops Latham 1790 JT12, CC10 [Scythropinae]
    |  |    `--*S. novaehollandiae Latham 1790 CC10 [incl. S. novaehollandiae neglectus Mathews 1912 WS48]
    |  `--+--Microdynamis parva JT12
    |     `--Eudynamys Vigors & Horsfield 1826 JT12, CC10 [=Eudynamis Cabanis & Heine 1863 CC10; Eudynameinae]
    |          |--*E. orientalis (Linnaeus 1766) [=Cuculus orientalis] CC10
    |          |--E. melanorhynchus JT12
    |          `--E. scolopaceus (Linnaeus 1758) JT12, CC10 [=Cuculus scolopaceus WS48]
    |               |--E. s. scolopaceus WS48
    |               `--E. s. cyanocephala (Latham 1801) WS48 (see below for synonymy)
    `--+--+--Rhamphomantis megarhynchus JT12
       |  `--Chrysococcyx Boie 1826 JT12, CC10 (see below for synonymy)
       |       |  i. s.: C. crassirostris JT12
       |       |         C. intermedius D66
       |       |         C. maculatus JT12
       |       |         C. malayanus (Raffles 1822) J06, WS48 [=Cuculus malayanus WS48, Chalcites malayanus WS48]
       |       |         C. ruficollis JT12
       |       |         C. rufomerus J06
       |       |         C. russatus JT12 [=C. minutillus russatus M03]
       |       |         C. smaragdineus D66
       |       |         C. xanthorhynchus JT12 [=Cuculus xanthorhynchus CC10, *Chalcococcyx xanthorhynchus CC10]
       |       |--+--C. caprius JT12
       |       |  `--C. klass BKB15
       |       `--+--+--*C. cupreus CC10, JT12 [=Cuculus cupreus CC10]
       |          |  `--C. flavigularis BKB15
       |          `--+--+--C. basalis (Horsfield 1821) BKB15, WS48 [=Cuculus basalis WS48, Chalcites basalis WS48]
       |             |  |    |--C. b. basalis WS48
       |             |  |    `--‘Chalcites’ b. modesta (Diggles 1876) (see below for synonymy) WS48
       |             |  `--C. osculans BKB15
       |             `--+--C. lucidus (Gmelin 1788) BKB15, CC10 (see below for synonymy)
       |                |       |--C. l. lucidus (see below for synonymy) CC10
       |                |       |--‘Chalcites’ lucidus harterti RN72
       |                |       |--‘Chalcites’ lucidus layardi RN72
       |                |       `--C. l. plagosus Latham 1802 CC10 (see below for synonymy)
       |                `--+--C. meyeri JT12
       |                   `--C. minutillus Gould 1859 BKB15, WS48
       |                        |--C. m. minutillus (see below for synonymy) WS48
       |                        `--C. m. barnardi M03
       `--+--+--Cuculus JT12
          |  `--+--Hierococcyx BKB15
          |     |    |--H. fugax BKB15
          |     |    `--H. sparverioides S89
          |     `--Cercococcyx JT12
          |          |--C. mechowi JT12
          |          `--+--C. montanus JT12
          |             `--C. olivinus JT12
          `--+--Heteroscenes Cabanis & Heine 1863 CC10
             |    `--*H. pallidus (Latham 1802) CC10 (see below for synonymy)
             `--+--Surniculus Lesson 1830 BKB15, B94 [Surniculinae]
                |    |--S. lugubris JT12
                |    `--S. velutinus JT12
                `--Cacomantis Statius Müller 1843 JT12, CC10
                     |  i. s.: C. bronzinus S13
                     |         C. heinrichi JT12
                     |         C. passerinus JT12
                     |         C. schistaceigularis S13
                     |         C. sepulcralis JT12
                     |         C. simus S13
                     |         C. threnodes S89
                     |--+--C. castaneiventris JT12
                     |  |--C. flabelliformis (Latham 1802) JT12, CC10 (see below for synonymy)
                     |  `--C. pyrrhophanus Vieillot 1817 BKB15, WS48 [=Cuculus pyrrhophanus WS48]
                     `--+--C. sonneratii JT12
                        `--+--C. merulinus JT12 [incl. Cuculus flavus CC10, *Ca. flavus CC10]
                           `--C. variolosus (Vigors & Horsfield 1827) JT12, WS48 [=Cuculus variolosus WS48]
                                |--C. v. variolosus J06
                                |--C. v. dumetorum M03
                                `--C. v. infaustus J06

Cacomantis flabelliformis (Latham 1802) JT12, CC10 [=Cuculus flabelliformis CC10; incl. Cu. rubricatus albani Mathews 1912 WS48, Cu. prionurus Lichtenstein 1823 CC10, Cacomantis pyrrhophanus prionurus CC10, Cuculus pyrrhophanus prionurus CC10]

‘Chalcites’ basalis modesta (Diggles 1876) [=Lamprococcyx modesta; incl. Chrysococcyx basalis wyndhami Mathews 1912] WS48

Chrysococcyx Boie 1826 JT12, CC10 [incl. Chalcites Lesson 1830 CC10, Chalcococcyx Cabanis & Heine 1863 CC10, Lamprococcyx Cabanis & Heine 1863 CC10; Chrysococcyginae]

Chrysococcyx lucidus (Gmelin 1788) BKB15, CC10 [=Cuculus lucidus CC10, Chalcites lucidus CC10, *Lamprococcyx lucidus CC10]

Chrysococcyx lucidus lucidus (Gmelin 1788) [incl. Cuculus nitens Forster in Lichtenstein 1844, Lamprococcyx lucidus australis Mathews 1916] CC10

Chrysococcyx lucidus plagosus Latham 1802 CC10 [=Chalcites lucidus plagosus WS48, Chalcococcyx plagosus S13; incl. Chr. plagosus carteri Mathews 1912 WS48, Cuculus chalcites CC10, *Chalcites chalcites CC10]

Chrysococcyx minutillus minutillus [=Chalcites malayanus minutillus; incl. Chr. minutillus perplexus Mathews 1912] WS48

Eudynamys scolopaceus cyanocephala (Latham 1801) WS48 [=Cuculus cyanocephalus WS48; incl. E. orientalis subcyanocephalus Mathews 1912 WS48, E. scolopacea subcyanocephala M03]

*Heteroscenes pallidus (Latham 1802) CC10 [=Columba pallida CC10, Cacomantis pallidus BKB15, Cuculus pallidus CC10; incl. Heteroscenes occidentalis Cabanis & Heine 1864 WS48]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B94] Bock, W. J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1–281.

[BKB15] Burleigh, J. G., R. T. Kimball & E. L. Braun. 2015. Building the avian tree of life using a large-scale, sparse supermatrix. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 84: 53–63.

[CC10] Checklist Committee (OSNZ). 2010. Checklist of the Birds of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica 4^th ed. Ornithological Society of New Zealand and Te Papa Press: Wellington.

[D66] Dohrn, H. 1866. Synopsis of the birds of Ilha do Principe, with some remarks on their habits and descriptions of new species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 324–332.

[JT12] Jetz, W., G. H. Thomas, J. B. Joy, K. Hartmann & A. Ø. Mooers. 2012. The global diversity of birds in space and time. Nature 491: 444–448.

[J06] Johnstone, R. E. 2006. The birds of Gag Island, Western Papuan islands, Indonesia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 23 (2): 115–132.

Mason, I. J. 1997. Cuculidae. In: Zoological Catalogue of Australia vol. 37.2. Aves (Columbidae to Coraciidae) pp. 219-254. CSIRO Publishers.

[M03] Morcombe, M. 2003. Field Guide to Australian Birds 2^nd ed. Steve Parish Publishing.

[RN72] Rutgers, A., & K. A. Norris (eds.) 1972. Encyclopaedia of Aviculture vol. 2. Blandford Press: London.

[S89] Salvadori, T. 1889. Viaggio di Leonardo Fea nella Birmania e nelle regioni vicine. XIX.—Uccelli raccolti nei Monti Carin a nord-est di Tounghoo, nel Pegù presso Rangoon e Tounghoo e nel Tenasserim presso Malewoon. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova, Serie 2^a, 7: 369–438.

[S13] Sarasin, F. 1913. Die Vögel Neu-Caledoniens und der Loyalty-Inseln. In: Sarasin, F., & J. Roux (eds) Nova Caledonia: Forschungen in Neu-Caledonian und auf den Loyalty-Inseln. A. Zoologie vol. 1 pt 1 pp. 1–78, pls 1–3. C. W. Kreidels Verlag: Wiesbaden.

[WS48] Whittell, H. M., & D. L. Serventy. 1948. A systematic list of the birds of Western Australia. Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery of Western Australia, Special Publication 1: 1–126.

Last updated: 21 August 2019.

Cuculidae

Blue coua Coua caerulea, photographed by Alberto Garcia Rios.

Belongs within: Neoaves.
Contains: Centropus, Cuculinae.

The Cuculidae are the cuckoos and related birds, a family of mostly insectivorous birds with slender bodies, long wings and tails, and zygodactyl feet. Though cuckoos are widely known as brood parasites, most species outside the subfamily Cuculinae raise their own young.

<==Cuculidae [Apopempsidae, Cuculi, Veflintornithidae]
    |  i. s.: Ceuthmochares aereus ME04
    |         Dynamopterus Milne-Edwards 1892 M05
    |           |--*D. velox Milne-Edwards 1892 M02
    |           `--D. boulei Gaillard 1939 M02
    |         Rhamphococcyx erythrognathus ME04, S89
    |         Phaenicopterus tristis RD02
    |         Polyphasia tenuirostris (Gray 1833) [=Cuculus tenuirostris] W66
    |         Chalcococcyx plagosus S13
    |         Urodynamis taitiensis S13
    |         Veflintornis Kašin 1976 [=Apopempsis Brodkorb 1971 non Schenkling 1903] M02
    |           `--*V. meini (Ballmann 1969) [=Musophaga meini, *Apopempsis meini] M02
    |--+--Crotophaginae [Crotophagidae] B94
    |  |    |--Guira Lesson 1830 [Guirinae] B94
    |  |    |    |--*G. guira ME04
    |  |    |    `--G. piririgua B66
    |  |    `--Crotophaga Linnaeus 1758 HK08, B94
    |  |         |--C. ani ME04
    |  |         |--C. major ME04
    |  |         `--C. sulcirostris HK08
    |  `--Neomorphinae [Neomorphidae] B94
    |       |--Morococcyx MMJ03
    |       |--Dromococcyx phasianellus A61, ME04
    |       |--Carpococcyx Gray 1840 [Carpococcyginae] B94
    |       |--Geococcyx Wagler 1831 HK08, B94 [incl. Leptostoma Swainson 1837 B94; Geococcyginae, Leptostomatinae]
    |       |    `--G. californianus HK08
    |       |--Tapera Thunberg 1819 [incl. Diplopterus Boie 1826; Diplopterinae, Taperinae] B94
    |       |    `--T. naevia FP64
    |       `--Neomorphus Gloger 1827 [incl. Cultrides Pucheran 1851] S66
    |            |--N. geoffroyi [=Coccyzus geoffroyi, Cultrides geoffroyi, Neomorphus geoffroyii] S66
    |            |--‘Cultrides’ pucherani S66
    |            |--N. rufipennis (Gray 1849) [=Cultrides rufipennis] S66
    |            `--N. salvini Sclater 1866 S66
    `--+--+--Centropus HK08
       |  `--Coua Schinz 1821 HK08, B94 [incl. Sericosomus Swainson 1837 B94; Couinae, Sericosominae]
       |       |--C. caerulea PT03
       |       |--C. cristata ME04
       |       |--C. delalandei FP64
       |       |--C. primaeva VR72
       |       `--C. reynaudii PT03
       `--+--Cuculinae HK08
          `--Phaenicophaeinae B94
               |--Zanclostomus Swainson 1837 [Zanclostominae] B94
               |--Phaenicophaeus Stephen 1815 HK08, B94
               |    |--P. curvirostris HK08
               |    `--P. pyrrhocephalus USDI77
               |--Coccyzus Vieillot 1816 [Coccyzidae, Coccyzinae] B94
               |    |--C. americanus HK08
               |    |--C. erythropthalmus SO03
               |    |--C. melanocoryphus SS66
               |    `--C. minor SWK87
               |--Piaya Lesson 1830 [Piayinae] B94
               |    |--P. cayana FS55
               |    |    |--P. c. cayana FS55
               |    |    `--P. c. stirtoni FS55
               |    |--P. minuta SS66
               |    `--P. nigricrissa SS66
               `--Saurothera Vieillot 1816 [Saurotherinae] B94
                    |--S. merlini MS55
                    |    |--S. m. merlini MS55
                    |    `--S. m. bahamensis MS55
                    |--S. vetula MS55
                    `--S. vieilloti SWK87

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[A61] Austin, O. L., Jr. 1961. Birds of the World: A survey of the twenty-seven orders and one hundred and fifty-five families. Paul Hamlyn: London.

[B66] Bartlett, A. D. 1866. Notes on the breeding of several species of birds in the Society's gardens during the year 1865. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 76-79.

[B94] Bock, W. J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281.

[FS55] Felten, H., & J. Steinbacher. 1955. Zur Vogelfauna von El Salvador. Senckenbergiana Biologica 36 (1-2): 9-19.

[FP64] Fisher, J., & R. T. Peterson. 1964. The World of Birds: A comprehensive guide to general ornithology. Macdonald: London.

[HK08] Hackett, S. J., R. T. Kimball, S. Reddy, R. C. K. Bowie, E. L. Braun, M. J. Braun, J. L. Chojnowski, W. A. Cox, K.-L. Han, J. Harshman, C. J. Huddleston, B. D. Marks, K. J. Miglia, W. S. Moore, F. H. Sheldon, D. W. Steadman, C. C. Witt & T. Yuri. 2008. A phylogenomic study of birds reveals their evolutionary history. Science 320: 1763-1768.

[M05] Mayr, G. 2005. The Paleogene fossil record of birds in Europe. Biological Reviews 80: 515-542.

[ME04] Mayr, G., & P. G. P. Ericson. 2004. Evidence for a sister group relationship between the Madagascan mesites (Mesitornithidae) and the cuckoos (Cuculidae). Senckenbergiana Biologica 84 (1-2): 1-17.

[MMJ03] Mayr, G., A. Manegold & U. S. Johansson. 2003. Monophyletic groups within ‘higher land birds’ – comparison of morphological and molecular data. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 41: 233-248.

[MS55] Mertens, R., & J. Steinbacher. 1955. Die im Senckenberg-Museum vorhandenen Arten ausgestorbener, aussterbender oder seltener Vögel. Senckenbergiana Biologica 36 (3-4): 241-265.

[M02] Mlíkovský, J. 2002. Cenozoic Birds of the World. Part 1: Europe. Ninox Press: Praha.

[PT03] Prum, R. O., & R. Torres. 2003. Structural colouration of avian skin: Convergent evolution of coherently scattering dermal collagen arrays. Journal of Experimental Biology 206: 2409-2429.

[RD02] Robin, V. V., & P. Davidar. 2002. The vertical stratification of birds in mixed species flocks at Parambikulam, south India: a comparison between two habitats. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 99 (3): 389-399.

[S89] Salvadori, T. 1889. Viaggio di Leonardo Fea nella Birmania e nelle regioni vicine. XIX. – Uccelli raccolti nei Monti Carin a nord-est di Tounghoo, nel Pegù presso Rangoon e Tounghoo e nel Tenasserim presso Malewoon. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova, Serie 2a 7: 369-438.

[S13] Sarasin, F. 1913. Die Vögel Neu-Caledoniens und der Loyalty-Inseln. In Nova Caledonia: Forschungen in Neu-Caledonian und auf den Loyalty-Inseln. A. Zoologie vol. 1, Heft I (F. Sarasin & J. Roux, eds) pp. 1-78, pl. 1-3. C. W. Kreidels Verlag: Wiesbaden.

[S66] Sclater, P. L. 1866. On a new American cuckoo of the genus Neomorphus. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 59-60.

[SS66] Sclater, P. L., & O. Salvin. 1866. Catalogue of birds collected by Mr. E. Bartlett on the River Uyacali, Eastern Peru, with notes and descriptions of new species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 175-201.

[SWK87] Snyder, N. F. R., J. W. Wiley & C. B. Kepler. 1987. The Parrots of Luquillo: Natural history and conservation of the Puerto Rican parrot. Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology: Los Angeles.

[SO03] Sorenson, M. D., E. Oneal, J. García-Moreno & D. P. Mindell. 2003. More taxa, more characters: The hoatzin problem is still unresolved. Molecular Biology and Evolution 20 (9): 1484-1499.

[USDI77] USDI (United States Department of the Interior). 1977. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants - republication of list of species. Federal Register 42: 36420-36431.

[VR72] Vickers Rich, P. 1972. A fossil avifauna from the Upper Miocene Beglia Formation of Tunisia. Notes du Service Géologique 35: 29-66.

[W66] Walden, A. 1866. Notes on birds collected in Tennasserim and in the Andaman Islands. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 537-556.

Gallinula

Common moorhens Gallinula chloropus, photographed by Neil Phillips.

Belongs within: Rallidae.
Contains: Porzana, Fulica.

The genus Gallinula contains the moorhens, aquatic birds that are all fairly similar in appearance, with dark heads and bodies and commonly a red frontal shield. The typical moorhens of the subgenus Gallinula are found nearly worldwide; except for the dusky moorhen G. tenebrosa of Australasia and the lesser moorhen G. angulata of Africa, they are often treated as subspecies of a single widespread species, the common moorhen G. chloropus. The subgenus Porphyriornis includes two species from the islands of Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island in the South Atlantic (Livezey 1998), though the Tristan species (G. nesiotis) is now extinct. The native hens G. ventralis and G. mortierii of Australia are sometimes treated as a separate genus Tribonyx; they differ from the typical moorhens in having a green or yellow frontal shield. The spot-flanked gallinule G. melanops of South America has black and white-spotted sides and a yellow-green frontal shield; it is similar in overall appearance to the crakes of the genus Porzana and, indeed, may be more closely related to that genus than to other Gallinula species.

<==Gallinula Brisson 1760 (see below for synonymy) CC10
    |  i. s.: G. balcanica Boev 1999 M02
    |         G. disneyi Boles 2005 M09
    |         G. gigantea Tchernov 1980 M02
    |         G. hodgenorum (Scarlett 1955) CC10 (see below for synonymy)
    |         G. pacifica (Hartlaub & Finsch 1871) [=Pareudiastes pacificus] G-RGT14
    |         G. silvestris (Mayr 1933) G-RGT14 [=Edithornis silvestris G-RGT14, Pareudiastes silvestris L98]
    |--+--+--G. melanops (Vieillot 1819) [=Rallus melanops] G-RGT14
    |  |  `--Porzana G-RGT14
    |  `--+--G. ventralis Gould 1836 G-RGT14 (see below for synonymy)
    |     `--+--G. mortierii (DuBus 1840) G-RGT14 [=*Tribonyx mortierii CC10; incl. *Brachyptrallus ralloides CC10]
    |        `--‘Tribonyx’ repertus (De Vis 1888) L98
    `--+--G. (Porphyriornis Allen 1892) L98
       |    |--G. (P.) comeri (Allen 1892) L98 [=G. nesiotis comeri L81]
       |    `--G. (P.) nesiotis (Sclater 1861) L98
       `--G. (Gallinula) L98
            |--G. (G.) angulata Sundevall 1850 G-RGT14
            `--+--Fulica G-RGT14
               `--+--G. (G.) tenebrosa Gould 1836 G-RGT14 (see below for synonymy)
                  `--+--*G. (G.) chloropus (Linnaeus 1758) CC10, L98, CC10 (see below for synonymy)
                     |    |--G. c. chloropus FR98
                     |    |--G. c. guami FR98
                     |    `--G. c. meridionalis L81
                     |--G. (G.) cachinnans Bangs 1815 [incl. G. cerceris] L98
                     |--G. (G.) galeata (Lichtenstein 1818) [=Crex galeata] G-RGT14
                     |    |--G. g. galeata G-RGT14
                     |    `--G. g. sandvicensis Streets 1877 G-RGT14, L98 [=G. chloropus sandvicensis L81]
                     `--G. (G.) pyrrhorrhoa Newton 1861 [incl. G. seychellarum] L98

Inorganic: Gallinula chloropus minilorientalis Okamura 1987 O87

Gallinula Brisson 1760 [=Hydrogallina Lacépède 1799, Stagnicola Brehm 1831; incl. Brachyptrallus Lafresnaye 1840, Microtribonyx Sharpe 1893, Pareudiastes Hartlaub & Finsch 1871 L98, Pyramida Oliver 1955, Tribonyx du Bus de Gisignies 1840; Gallinulinae] CC10

Gallinula hodgenorum (Scarlett 1955) CC10 [=Rallus hodgeni CC10, Capellirallus hodgeni CC10, Gallinula (Tribonyx) hodgeni CC10, *Pyramida hodgeni CC10, Tribonyx hodgenorum L98; incl. Gallirallus hartreei Scarlett 1970 CC10]

Gallinula ventralis Gould 1836 G-RGT14 [=*Microtribonyx ventralis CC10, Tribonyx ventralis L98; incl. T. ventralis territorii Mathews 1912 CC10, T. ventralis whitei Mathews 1912 CC10]

*Gallinula (Gallinula) chloropus (Linnaeus 1758) CC10, L98, CC10 [=Fulica chloropus CC10, *Hydrogallina chloropus CC10, *Stagnicola chloropus CC10; incl. G. correiana L98, G. chloropus indica Blyth 1842 CC10, G. orientalis L98]

Gallinula (Gallinula) tenebrosa Gould 1836 G-RGTR14 [incl. G. tenebrosa magnirostris Mathews 1912 CC10, G. tenebrosa subfrontata Mathews 1912 CC10]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[CC10] Checklist Committee (OSNZ). 2010. Checklist of the Birds of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica 4^th ed. Ornithological Society of New Zealand and Te Papa Press: Wellington.

[FR98] Fritts, T. H., & G. H. Rodda. 1998. The role of introduced species in the degradation of island ecosystems: a case history of Guam. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 29: 113–140.

[G-RGT14] Garcia-R, J. C., G. C. Gibb & S. A. Trewick. 2014. Deep global evolutionary radiation in birds: diversification and trait evolution in the cosmopolitan bird family Rallidae. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 81: 96–108.

[L98] Livezey, B. C. 1998. A phylogenetic analysis of the Gruiformes (Aves) based on morphological characters, with an emphasis on the rails (Rallidae). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B—Biological Sciences 353: 2077–2151.

[L81] Long, J. L. 1981. Introduced Birds of the World: The worldwide history, distribution and influence of birds introduced to new environments. Reed: Sydney.

[M09] Mayr, G. 2009. Paleogene Fossil Birds. Springer.

[M02] Mlíkovský, J. 2002. Cenozoic Birds of the World. Part 1: Europe. Ninox Press: Praha.

[O87] Okamura, C. 1987. New facts: Homo and all Vertebrata were born simultaneously in the former Paleozoic in Japan. Original Report of the Okamura Fossil Laboratory 15: 347–573.

Last updated: 17 August 2019.