Alaudidae

Black-crowned sparrow-lark Eremopterix nigriceps, from Hanne & Jens Eriksen.

Belongs within: Sylvioidea.
Contains: 'Ammomanes' deserti, Mirafra, Spizocorys, Calandrella, Alauda, Galerida.

The Alaudidae are the larks, a family of insectivorous birds found primarily in the Old World (a single species, the horned lark Eremophila alpestris, is found in the Americas). Few larks are very colorful, but they generally have powerful songs which they perform in flight. The sparrow-larks of the genus Eremopterix are stout-billed birds that differ from most other larks in having marked sexual dimorphism, with the males more boldly patterned than the females

Characters (from Austin 1961): Wings long, pointed; ten primaries present, but tenth primary much reduced. Rear of tarsus rounded and scaled; hind toe with long, straight claw.

<==Alaudidae [Alaudina]
    |  i. s.: Pinarocorys JT12
    |           |--P. erythropygia JT12
    |           `--P. nigricans JT12
    |         Rhamphocoris clotbey JT12
    |         Pseudalaemon fremantlii JT12
    |         Heteromirafra JT12
    |           |--H. archeri JT12
    |           |--H. ruddi JT12
    |           `--H. sidamoensis JT12
    |--+--Eremopterix Kaup 1836 JT12, B94 [incl. Pyrrhulauda Smith 1839 B94; Pyrrhulaudidae]
    |  |    |--E. leucopareia JT12
    |  |    |--E. leucotis L03
    |  |    |    |--E. l. leucotis L03
    |  |    |    `--E. l. melanocephala (Lichtenstein 1823) [incl. Pyrrhulauda lacteidorsalis Shelley 1903] L03
    |  |    |--E. nigriceps JF06
    |  |    |    |--E. n. nigriceps L03
    |  |    |    `--E. n. albifrons (Sundevall 1850) [incl. Pyrrhulauda butleri Shelley 1903] L03
    |  |    |--E. signatus JT12
    |  |    `--E. verticalis JF06
    |  `--Ammomanes JT12
    |       |--A. cinctura JT12
    |       |    |--A. c. cinctura L03
    |       |    |--A. c. arenicolor (Sundevall 1851) [incl. Melanocorypha elegans Brehm 1855] L03
    |       |    `--A. c. zarudnyi Hartert 1902 [=A. cincturus zarudnyi] L03
    |       `--A. phoenicura JT12
    |            |--A. p. phoenicura L03
    |            `--A. p. testaceus K03
    `--+--‘Ammomanes’ deserti BKB15
       |--+--Calendulauda BKB15
       |  |    |--C. sabota BKB15
       |  |    `--+--C. albescens BKB15
       |  |       `--+--C. burra BKB15
       |  |          `--+--C. barlowi BKB15
       |  |             `--C. erythrochlamys BKB15
       |  `--+--Alaemon BKB15
       |     |    |--A. alaudipes (Desfontaine 1789) L03
       |     |    |    |--A. a. alaudipes [incl. Certhilauda meridionalis Brehm 1854] L03
       |     |    |    `--A. a. boavistae Hartert 1917 L03
       |     |    `--A. hamertoni JT12
       |     `--+--Certhilauda Swainson 1827 JT12, B94 [Certhilaudidae]
       |        |    |  i. s.: C. erythrochlamys JT12
       |        |    |--C. chuana JT12
       |        |    `--+--+--C. benguelensis JF06
       |        |       |  `--C. subcoronata JT12
       |        |       `--+--C. semitorquata JT12
       |        |          `--+--C. brevirostris JF06
       |        |             `--+--C. curvirostris JT12
       |        |                `--C. falcirostris BKB15
       |        `--+--Ammomanopsis grayi BKB15 [=Ammomanes grayi JT12]
       |           `--Chersomanes albofasciata JT12 [=Certhilauda albofasciata L03]
       |                |--C. a. albofasciata L03
       |                |--C. a. bathoeni (Winterbottom 1958) [=Certhilauda albofasciata bathoeni] B93
       |                |--C. a. erikssoni (Hartert 1907) [=Certhilauda albofasciata erikssoni] L03
       |                |--C. a. macdonaldi (Winterbottom 1958) [=Certhilauda albofasciata macdonaldi] B93
       |                `--C. a. obscurata (Hartert 1907) [=Certhilauda albofasciata obscurata] L03
       `--+--+--‘Mirafra’ sabota JT12
          |  `--+--‘Certhilauda’ albescens JT12
          |     `--+--‘Certhilauda’ barlowi JT12
          |        `--‘Certhilauda’ burra JT12
          `--+--Mirafra JT12
             `--+--‘Mirafra’ africana BKB15
                |    |--M. a. africana L03
                |    |--M. a. athi Hartert 1900 [incl. M. africana dohertyi Hartert 1907] L03
                |    |--M. a. harterti Neumann 1908 L03
                |    |--M. a. kabalii Wahite 1943 L03
                |    |--M. a. malbranti Chapin 1946 L03
                |    |--M. a. transvaalensis Hartert 1900 L03
                |    `--M. a. tropicalis Hartert 1900 L03
                |--‘Eremopterix’ australis BKB15
                `--+--Chersophilus duponti BKB15
                   `--+--+--Eremalauda dunni (Shelley 1904) BKB15, L03 (see below for synonymy)
                      |  `--+--‘Calandrella’ acutirostris BKB15
                      |     `--‘Calandrella’ rufescens (Vieillot 1820) JT12, L03 [=Alauda rufescens L03]
                      |          |--C. r. rufescens [incl. C. pispoletta canariensis Hartert 1901] L03
                      |          |--C. r. aharonii Hartert 1910 [=C. minor aharonii] L03
                      |          |--C. r. apetzii (Brehm 1857) (see below for synonymy) L03
                      |          |--C. r. nicolli Hartert 1909 [=C. minor nicolli] L03
                      |          `--C. r. polatzeki Hartert 1904 [=C. minor polatzeki] L03
                      `--+--Eremophila Boie 1828 JT12, BKB15
                         |    |--E. alpestris (Linnaeus 1758) L03
                         |    |    |--E. a. alpestris (see below for synonymy) L03
                         |    |    |--E. a. bicornis (Brehm 1842) [=Phileremos bicornis] L03
                         |    |    `--E. a. longirostris (Moore 1856) (see below for synonymy) L03
                         |    `--E. bilopha JF06
                         `--+--Spizocorys BKB15
                            `--+--+--Melanocorypha Boie 1828 BKB15, M02 [Melanocoryphidae]
                               |  |    |--M. calandra (Linné 1766) L03
                               |  |    |    |--M. c. calandra (see below for synonymy) L03
                               |  |    |    |--M. c. gaza Meinertzhagen 1919 [=M. bimaculata gaza] L03
                               |  |    |    |--M. c. hebraica Meinertzhagen 1920 L03
                               |  |    |    `--M. c. psammochroa Hartert 1904 L03
                               |  |    |--M. leucoptera JT12
                               |  |    |--M. maxima JT12
                               |  |    |--M. mongolica (Pall. 1776) [=Alauda mongolica] M01
                               |  |    `--M. yeltoniensis L03
                               |  `--+--+--Eremalauda starki JT12 [=Calandrella starki B93]
                               |     |  |    |--E. s. starki B93
                               |     |  |    `--E. s. gregaria (see below for synonymy) B93
                               |     |  `--‘Melanocorypha’ bimaculata BKB15
                               |     |       |--M. b. bimaculata L03
                               |     |       `--M. b. rufescens Brehm 1855 (see below for synonymy) L03
                               |     `--Calandrella BKB15
                               `--+--Lullula Kaup 1829 BKB15, M02
                                  |    `--L. arborea (Linnaeus 1758) [=Alauda arborea] M02
                                  `--+--Alauda JT12
                                     `--Galerida JT12

Calandrella rufescens apetzii (Brehm 1857) [=Melanocorypha apetzii; incl. C. baetica Dresser 1873] L03

Eremalauda starki gregaria [incl. Calandrella hamiltoni Sclater ex Brooke 1993 (n. n.)] B93

Eremalauda dunni (Shelley 1904) BKB15, L03 [incl. Calendula dunni pallidior Hartert 1921 L03]

Eremophila alpestris alpestris (Linnaeus 1758) [incl. Phileremos glacialis Brehm 1842, P. rufescens Brehm 1855] L03

Eremophila alpestris longirostris (Moore 1856) [incl. E. alpestris deosai Meinertzhagen & Meinertzhagen 1926] L03

Melanocorypha bimaculata rufescens Brehm 1855 non Alauda rufescens Vieillot 1820 (not preoc. if in dif. gen.) [=M. bimaculata meinertzhageni Wolters 1952] L03

Melanocorypha calandra calandra (Linné 1766) [incl. M. calandra megarhynchos Brehm 1856, Alauda calandra megarhynchos, M. semitorquata Brehm 1856] L03

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[JF06] Jønsson, K. A., & J. Fjeldså. 2006. A phylogenetic supertree of oscine passerine birds. Zoologica Scripta 35: 149–186.

[L03] LeCroy, M. 2003. Type specimens of birds in the American Museum of Natural History. Part 5. Passeriformes: Alaudidae, Hirundinidae, Motacillidae, Campephagidae, Pycnonotidae, Irenidae, Laniidae, Vangidae, Bombycillidae, Dulidae, Cinclidae, Troglodytidae, and Mimidae. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 278: 1–156.

[M01] Madarász, J. 1901. Madarak [Vögel]. In: Horváth, G. (ed.) Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazása [Dritte Asiatische Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] Band II. Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazásának Állattani Eredményei [Zoologische Ergebnisse der Dritten Asiatischen Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] pp. 21–39. Victor Hornyánszky: Budapest, and Karl W. Hierseman: Leipzig.

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

Galerida cristata

Crested lark Galerida cristata, photographed by Petr Mückstein.

Belongs within: Alaudidae.

The crested lark Galerida cristata is a polytypic species found in temperate Eurasia and northern Africa. It is mostly dark-streaked grey above and whitish below, with reddish underwings and an erectile crest.

<==Galerida cristata (Linnaeus 1758) L03 [=Alauda cristata M02]
    |--G. c. cristata (see below for synonymy) L03
    |--G. c. alexanderi Neumann 1908 L03
    |--G. c. altirostris (Brehm 1855) (see below for synonymy) L03
    |--G. c. cinnamomina Hartert 1904 L03
    |--G. c. festae Hartert 1922 L03
    |--G. c. halfae Nicoll 1921 L03
    |--G. c. isabellina Bonaparte 1850 (see below for synonymy) L03
    |--G. c. maculata (Brehm 1858) [=Galerita cristata maculata; incl. Galerida cristata imami Meinertzhagen 1923] L03
    |--G. c. meridionalis Brehm 1841 [=Galerita cristata planorum Brehm 1858] L03
    |--G. c. nigricans (Brehm 1855) [=Galerita nigricans; incl. Galerida cristata deltae Hartert 1897] L03
    |--G. c. pallida (Brehm 1858) [=Galerita cristata pallida; incl. Galerita cristata angustistriata Brehm 1858] L03
    |--G. c. riggenbachi Hartert 1902 L03
    `--G. c. zion Meinertzhegen 1920 L03

Galerida cristata altirostris (Brehm 1855) [=Galerita altirostris; incl. Galerida cristata brachyura, Galerida cristata caroli Hartert 1904, Galerida cristata tardinata Hartert 1904] L03

Galerida cristata cristata (Linnaeus 1758) [incl. Galerita cristata gallica Brehm 1858, Galerida karinthiaca Brehm 1841, Galerida major Brehm 1841, Galerida pagorum Brehm 1841, Galerita cristata tenuirostris Brehm 1858, Galerida viarum Brehm 1831] L03

Galerida cristata isabellina Bonaparte 1850 [incl. Galerita flava crassirostris Brehm 1858, Galerita flava Brehm 1854, Galerita lutea Brehm 1855, Galerita flava tenuirostris Brehm 1858 non G. cristata tenuirostris Brehm 1858] L03

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[L03] LeCroy, M. 2003. Type specimens of birds in the American Museum of Natural History. Part 5. Passeriformes: Alaudidae, Hirundinidae, Motacillidae, Campephagidae, Pycnonotidae, Irenidae, Laniidae, Vangidae, Bombycillidae, Dulidae, Cinclidae, Troglodytidae, and Mimidae. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 278: 1-156.

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

Hirundinidae

Tree swallow Tachycineta bicolor, photographed by Callie Bowdish.

Belongs within: Sylvioidea.
Contains: Psalidoprocne, Cecropis, Petrochelidon, Hirundo.

The Hirundinidae contains the swallows and martins, highly aerial insectivorous birds found worldwide. Swallows have long, pointed wings, and can only walk with some difficulty.

Characters (from Austin 1961): Small, about 10-23 cm long; body small, plumage compact. Bill small, triangular; gape wide; facial bristles present. Bronchial rings incompletely developed. Wings with nine primaries. Tail with twelve feathers.

<==Hirundinidae
    |  i. s.: Hylochelidon nigricans (Vieillot 1817) R85
    |         Iridoprocne bicolor A61
    |--Pseudochelidon Hartlaub 1861 [Pseudochelidoninae] B94
    |    |--P. eurystomina DL94
    |    `--P. sirintarae JF06
    `--Hirundininae B94
         |--+--+--+--Cheramoeca leucosternus (Gould 1841) JF06, L03 (see below for synonymy)
         |  |  |  `--Pseudhirundo griseopyga [=Hirundo griseopyga] JF06
         |  |  `--Psalidoprocne JF06
         |  `--+--+--Delichon Horsfield & Moore 1854 JF06, M02 [incl. Chelidon Boie 1822 B94]
         |     |  |    |--D. urbica (Linnaeus 1758) JF06, M02 [=Hirundo urbica M02]
         |     |  |    |    |--D. u. urbica L03
         |     |  |    |    `--D. u. meridionalis (Hartert 1910) [=Hirundo urbica meridionalis] L03
         |     |  |    `--+--D. dasypus JF06
         |     |  |       |    |--D. d. dasypus L03
         |     |  |       |    `--D. d. nigrimentalis (Hartert 1910) [=Hirundo urbica nigrimentalis] L03
         |     |  |       `--D. nipalense JF06
         |     |  |            |--D. n. nipalense L03
         |     |  |            `--D. n. cuttingi Mayr 1941 L03
         |     |  `--+--Cecropis JF06
         |     |     `--Petrochelidon JF06
         |     `--+--Hirundo JF06
         |        `--Ptyonoprogne Reichenbach 1850 JF06, B94 [incl. Biblis Lesson 1837 B94; Biblidinae]
         |             |--P. rupestris JF06
         |             `--+--P. concolor [=Hirundo concolor] JF06
         |                `--P. fuligula [=Hirundo fuligula] JF06
         |                     |--P. f. fuligula L03
         |                     |--‘Hirundo’ f. buchanani (Hartert 1921) [=Riparia obsoleta buchanani] L03
         |                     |--‘Hirundo’ f. perpallida Vaurie 1951 [=H. obsoleta perpallida] L03
         |                     `--‘Hirundo’ f. presaharica Vaurie 1953 [=H. obsoleta presaharica] L03
         `--+--+--‘Riparia’ cincta JF06
            |  |    |--R. c. cincta L03
            |  |    |--R. c. parvula Amadon 1954 L03
            |  |    `--R. c. suahelica van Someren 1922 L03
            |  `--Phedina JF06
            |       |--P. borbonica JF06
            |       `--P. brazzae JF06
            `--+--Riparia Forster 1817 JF06, M02 (see below for synonymy)
               |    |--R. riparia (Linnaeus 1758) [=Hirundo riparia] M02
               |    |--‘Cotyle’ concolor B66
               |    |--R. diluta S02
               |    |--‘Cotyle’ eques Hartlaub in Dohrn 1866 D66
               |    |--R. paludicola (Vieillot 1817) L03
               |    |    |--R. p. paludicola [incl. Cotile pembertoni Hartert 1902] L03
               |    |    `--R. p. ducis Reichenow 1908 [incl. R. p. dohertyi Hartert 1910] L03
               |    `--‘Cotyle’ palustris S66
               |--Tachycineta JF06
               |    |--+--T. bicolor JF06
               |    |  |--T. cyaneoviridis JF06
               |    |  `--+--T. euchrysea JF06
               |    |     `--T. thalassina JF06
               |    `--+--T. stolzmanni JF06
               |       |--+--T. albilinea (Lawrence 1863) JF06, L03 [=Petrochelidon albilinea L03]
               |       |  `--T. albiventer (Boddaert 1783) JF06, L03 (see below for synonymy)
               |       `--+--T. leucorrhoa JF06
               |          `--T. meyeni JF06
               `--+--+--Stelgidopteryx JF06
                  |  |    |--S. ruficollis (Vieillot 1817) L03
                  |  |    |    |--S. r. ruficollis [incl. Hirundo jugularis Wied 1820] L03
                  |  |    |    |--S. r. fulvipennis FS55
                  |  |    |    `--S. r. uropygialis (Lawrence 1863) [=Cotyle uropygialis] L03
                  |  |    `--S. serripennis SS66
                  |  `--Progne Boie 1826 JF06, B94 [Progninae]
                  |       |  i. s.: P. modesta L03
                  |       |         P. tapera (Linné 1766) (see below for synonymy) L03
                  |       |--P. murphyi Chapman 1925 JF06, L03 [=P. modesta murphyi L03]
                  |       |--P. subis JF06
                  |       |--+--P. chalybea JF06
                  |       |  `--P. elegans JF06
                  |       `--+--P. sinaloae JF06
                  |          `--+--P. cryptoleuca JF06
                  |             `--P. dominicensis JF06
                  `--+--+--‘Atticora’ fasciata JF06
                     |  `--+--Neochelidon tibialis JF06
                     |     |    |--N. t. tibialis L03
                     |     |    |--N. t. griseiventris Chapman 1924 L03
                     |     |    `--N. t. minima Chapman 1924 [=N. tibialis minimus] L03
                     |     `--‘Notiochelidon’ pileata JF06
                     `--+--+--Pygochelidon cyanoleuca (Vieillot 1817) JF06, L03 [=Notiochelidon cyanoleuca JF06]
                        |  |    |--P. c. cyanoleuca [incl. Hirundo minuta Wied 1821] L03
                        |  |    `--‘Notiochelidon’ c. peruviana (Chapman 1922) [=Pygochelidon patagonica peruviana] L03
                        |  `--Atticora JF06
                        |       |--A. cyanoleuca SS66
                        |       `--A. melanoleuca (Wied 1820) [=Hirundo melanoleuca] L03
                        `--+--Alopochelidon fucata [=Stelgidopteryx fucata] JF06
                           `--Notiochelidon JF06
                                |--N. flavipes (Chapman 1922) JF06, L03 [=Pygochelidon flavipes L03]
                                `--+--N. murina JF06
                                   `--Haplochelidon andecola [=Hirundo andecola] JF06

Cheramoeca leucosternus (Gould 1841) JF06, L03 [incl. C. leucosternum marngli Mathews 1912 L03, C. leucosternum stonei Mathews 1912 L03]

Progne tapera (Linné 1766) [incl. Phaeoprogne tapera immaculata Chapman 1912, Hirundo pascuum Wied 1830] L03

Riparia Forster 1817 JF06, M02 [incl. Clivicola Forster 1817 B94, Cotile Boie 1822 B94; Clivicolinae, Cotilinae]

Tachycineta albiventer (Boddaert 1783) JF06, L03 [=Hirundo albiventer L03, Iridoprocne albiventer L03; incl. Hirundo aequatorialis Lawrence 1866 L03, H. aequitorialis L03]

*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.

[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.

[DL94] Dinesen, L., T. Lehmberg, J. O. Svendsen, L. A. Hansen & J. Fjeldså. 1994. A new genus and species of perdicine bird (Phasianidae, Perdicini) from Tanzania, a relict form with Indo-Malayan affinities. Ibis 136: 2-11.

[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.

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

[JF06] Jønsson, K. A., & J. Fjeldså. 2006. A phylogenetic supertree of oscine passerine birds. Zoologica Scripta 35: 149-186.

[L03] LeCroy, M. 2003. Type specimens of birds in the American Museum of Natural History. Part 5. Passeriformes: Alaudidae, Hirundinidae, Motacillidae, Campephagidae, Pycnonotidae, Irenidae, Laniidae, Vangidae, Bombycillidae, Dulidae, Cinclidae, Troglodytidae, and Mimidae. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 278: 1-156.

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

[R85] Robertson, C. J. R. (ed.) 1985. Reader’s Digest Complete Book of New Zealand Birds. Reader’s Digest: Sydney.

[S02] Santharam, V. 2002. Sight records of the sand martin Riparia riparia in southern India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 99 (3): 529-530.

[S66] Sclater, P. L. 1866. Report on birds collected at Windvogelberg, South Africa, by Capt. G. E. Bulger, C. M. Z. S. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 21-23.

[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.

Hirundo

Barn swallow Hirundo rustica, photographed by Jiří Bohdal.

Belongs within: Hirundinidae.

The genus Hirundo includes the barn swallow H. rustica, welcome swallow H. neoxena, and related species. Authors have differed in the circumscription of this genus: at its broadest, it may include nearly all the hirundine swallows. Species of Hirundo as recognised here generally have blue upperparts, rufous throats and pale underparts, and build their nests from mud as open cups. A number of species that originally nested on rock faces have adapted to human development by using walls and beams of buildings as nesting sites. The barn swallow H. rustica is widespread in Eurasia, Africa and the Americas, breeding in northern parts of the range and overwintering in southern regions.

<==Hirundo Linnaeus 1758 CC10 [incl. Biblis Lesson 1837 B94; Biblidinae]
    |--H. dimidiata BKB15
    `--+--+--H. leucosoma BKB15
       |  `--+--H. cucullata JT12 [=Cecropis cucullata JF06]
       |     `--H. megaensis JT12
       `--+--+--H. atrocaerulea BKB15
          |  `--H. nigrorufa JT12
          `--+--+--H. neoxena Gould 1842 JT12, CC10
             |  |    |--H. n. neoxena [=H. tahitica neoxena] CC10
             |  |    |--H. n. carteri (Mathews 1912) [=Chelidon javanica carteri] L03
             |  |    `--H. n. parsonsi M03
             |  `--H. tahitica JT12
             |       |--H. t. tahitica L03
             |       |--H. t. ambiens Mayr 1934 L03
             |       `--H. t. javanica Sparrman 1789 [incl. H. t. viridissima Meise 1929] L03
             `--+--H. albigularis Strickland 1849 JT12, L03 [incl. H. albigularis microptera Hartert 1904 L03]
                `--+--H. smithii JT12
                   `--+--H. nigrita JT12
                      `--+--*H. rustica Linnaeus 1758 CC10, JT12, L03
                         |    |--H. r. rustica [incl. H. r. afghanica Koelz 1939] L03
                         |    |--H. r. erythrogaster FS55
                         |    `--H. r. gutturalis J06
                         `--+--H. angolensis JT12
                            `--+--H. aethiopica Blanford 1869 JT12, L03 (see below for synonymy)
                               `--H. lucida JT12
                                    |--H. l. lucida L03
                                    `--H. l. rothschildi Neumann 1904 L03

Hirundo incertae sedis:
  H. aprica Feduccia 1967 U93
  H. borbonica Sch66
  H. capensis Scl66
  H. domicola JT12
  H. fossilis Giebel 1847 M02
  H. frontalis N87
  H. fuliginosa JT12
  H. obsoleta JT12
  H. paludicola B93
  H. pelagica Linnaeus 1758 L58
  H. perdita JT12
  H. senegalensis JT12 [=Cecropis senegalensis L03]
    |--H. s. senegalensis L03
    `--H. s. monteiri Hartlaub 1862 [incl. H. s. hybrida van Someren 1921] L03
  H. subis Linnaeus 1758 L58

Hirundo aethiopica Blanford 1869 JT12, L03 [incl. H. aethiopica fulvipectus Amadon 1954 L03]

*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.

[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.

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

[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.

[JF06] Jønsson, K. A., & J. Fjeldså. 2006. A phylogenetic supertree of oscine passerine birds. Zoologica Scripta 35: 149–186.

[L03] LeCroy, M. 2003. Type specimens of birds in the American Museum of Natural History. Part 5. Passeriformes: Alaudidae, Hirundinidae, Motacillidae, Campephagidae, Pycnonotidae, Irenidae, Laniidae, Vangidae, Bombycillidae, Dulidae, Cinclidae, Troglodytidae, and Mimidae. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 278: 1–156.

[L58] Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii: Holmiae.

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

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

[N87] North, A. J. 1887. List of references to authentic descriptions of Australian birds' eggs. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, series 2, 1 (4): 1163–1174.

[Sch66] Schlegel, H. 1866. Communication from, on mammals and birds collected in Madagascar. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 419–426.

[Scl66] Sclater, P. L. 1866. Report on birds collected at Windvogelberg, South Africa, by Capt. G. E. Bulger, C. M. Z. S. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 21–23.

[U93] Unwin, D. M. 1993. Aves. In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Fossil Record 2 pp. 717–737. Chapman & Hall: London.

Last updated: 15 July 2019.

Acrocephalus

Clamorous reed warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus, photographed by John A. Thompson.

Belongs within: Acrocephalidae.

The genus Acrocephalus includes the reed warblers, a cosmopolitan group of insectivorous birds generally found in marshy habitats. Most Acrocephalus species are brown in colour. However, phylogenetic analysis also indicates the inclusion in this group of the papyrus yellow warbler Chloropeta gracilirostris, a more brightly coloured species with olive-brown upper parts and a yellow underbelly. Notable members of the genus include the great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus, the largest warbler species found in Europe, which breeds in temperate regions of the western Palaearctic and migrates to an overwintering range in southern Africa.

Acrocephalus Naumann & Naumann 1811 CC10 (see below for synonymy)
    |  i. s.: A. luscinius JT12
    |         A. orientalis JF06
    |         A. rehsei JT12
    |         A. rodericanus JT12
    |         A. sorghophilus JT12
    |         A. syrinx JT12 [=A. luscinia syrinx MS55]
    |--+--‘Chloropeta’ gracilirostris BKB15
    |  `--+--A. schoenobaenus BKB15
    |     `--+--A. paludicola BKB15
    |        `--+--A. bistrigiceps BKB15
    |           `--A. melanopogon BKB15
    `--+--+--+--A. agricola BKB15
       |  |  `--+--A. concinens JT12
       |  |     `--A. tangorum JT12
       |  `--+--+--A. dumetorum BKB15
       |     |  `--A. orinus JT12
       |     `--+--A. palustris (Bechstein 1811) BKB15, M02 [=Motacilla (Sylvia) palustris M02]
       |        `--+--A. baeticatus BKB15
       |           `--+--A. avicenniae BKB15
       |              `--A. scirpaceus BKB15
       `--+--A. griseldis BKB15
          `--+--+--+--A. newtoni JT12
             |  |  `--A. sechellensis JT12 [=Bebrornis sechellensis JF06]
             |  `--+--A. gracilirostris (Hartlaub in Gurney 1864) JT12, B93 [=Calamoherpe gracilirostris B93]
             |     `--+--A. brevipennis JT12
             |        `--A. rufescens JT12
             `--+--*A. arundinaceus (Linnaeus 1758) CC10, JT12, M02 [=Turdus arundinaceus CC10]
                |    |--A. a. arundinaceus AE06
                |    `--A. a. zarudnyi AE06
                `--+--A. stentoreus JT12
                   `--+--A. familiaris JT12
                      |    |--A. f. familiaris FP64
                      |    `--A. f. kingi FP64
                      `--+--+--A. mendanae BKB15
                         |  `--+--A. aequinoctialis BKB15
                         |     `--A. australis (Gould in Lewin 1838) JT12, CC10 (see below for synonymy)
                         `--+--+--A. kerearako BKB15
                            |  `--A. rimatarae JT12
                            `--+--A. atyphus BKB15
                               `--+--A. caffer BKB15
                                  `--+--A. taiti BKB15 [=A. vaughani taiti C98]
                                     `--A. vaughani JT12

Acrocephalus Naumann & Naumann 1811 CC10 [incl. Calamoherpe Boie 1822 B94, Tatare Lesson 1831 B94; Calamoherpinae, Tatarinae]

Acrocephalus australis (Gould in Lewin 1838) JT12, CC10 [=Calamoherpe australis CC10, A. arundinaceus australis WS48; incl. C. longirostris Gould 1845 WS48]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[AE06] Alström, P., P. G. P. Ericson, U. Olsson & P. Sundberg. 2006. Phylogeny and classification of the avian superfamily Sylvioidea. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 38: 381–397.

[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.

[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.

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

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

[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.

[JF06] Jønsson, K. A., & J. Fjeldså. 2006. A phylogenetic supertree of oscine passerine birds. Zoologica Scripta 35: 149–186.

[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.

[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: 15 July 2019.

Phylloscopus

Willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus, photographed by Jørgen Dam.

Belongs within: Sylvioidea.

Phylloscopus, the leaf-warblers, is a genus of small insectivorous birds found in Eurasia and Africa. Most Phylloscopus species are predominantly green or brown and may be difficult to distinguish by their appearance alone, though most have distinctive calls.

<==Phylloscopus Boie 1826 M02 [incl. Phyllopneuste Boie 1828 B94; Phyllopneustinae, Phylloscopinae]
    |  i. s.: P. brehmii HK02
    |         P. canariensis HK02
    |         P. davisoni VP89
    |           |--P. d. davisoni VP89
    |           `--P. d. ogilviegranti VP89
    |         P. plumbeitarsus VP89
    |         P. reguloides VP89
    |           |--P. r. reguloides VP89
    |           `--P. r. fokiensis VP89
    |         P. ricketti VP89
    |         P. subaffinis VP89
    |         P. tenellipes VP89
    |--+--P. trochiloides JF06
    |  `--+--P. chloronotus JF06
    |     |--+--P. bonelli JF06
    |     |  `--P. sibilatrix (Bechstein 1793) JF06, M02 [=Motacilla sibilatrix M02]
    |     |--+--+--P. inornatus JF06
    |     |  |  `--P. proregulus JF06 [=Reguloides proregulus S89]
    |     |  `--+--P. maculipennis JF06
    |     |     `--P. pulcher JF06
    |     `--+--P. fuscatus JF06
    |        |--P. schwarzi JF06
    |        `--+--P. affinis JF06
    |           |--P. collybita JF06
    |           |    |--P. c. collybita HK02
    |           |    |--P. c. abietinus HK02
    |           |    |--P. c. falvescens HK02
    |           |    `--P. c. tristis VP89
    |           `--P. trochilus JF06 [=Phyllopneuste trochilus D66]
    `--+--+--P. borealis JF06
       |  |    |--P. b. borealis VP89
       |  |    `--P. b. xanthodryas VP89
       |  `--P. magnirostris JF06
       `--+--+--P. occipitalis JF06
          |  `--‘Seicercus’ xanthoschistos JF06
          `--+--Seicercus JF06
             |    |--S. burkii JF06
             |    |    |--S. b. burkii VP89
             |    |    `--S. b. valentini VP89
             |    `--+--S. affinis JF06
             |       `--S. poliogenys JF06
             `--+--+--P. coronatus JF06
                |  `--P. ijimae (Stejneger 1892) JF06, I92
                |--+--P. ruficapilla JF06
                |  `--P. umbrovirens JF06
                `--+--‘Seicercus’ montis JF06
                   `--+--‘Seicercus’ castaniceps JF06
                      |    |--S. c. castaniceps VP89
                      |    `--S. c. sinensis VP89
                      `--‘Seicercus’ grammiceps JF06

*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.

[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.

[HK02] Helbig, A. J., A. G. Knox, D. T. Parkin, G. Sangster & M. Collinson. 2002. Guidelines for assigning species rank. Ibis 144: 518-525.

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

[JF06] Jønsson, K. A., & J. Fjeldså. 2006. A phylogenetic supertree of oscine passerine birds. Zoologica Scripta 35: 149-186.

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

[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.

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

Sylvia

Common whitethroat Sylvia communis, photographed by Christodoulos Makris.

Belongs within: Sylvioidea.

Sylvia is a genus of warblers found in Eurasia and Africa. Though long treated as the type genus of the 'warbler family' Sylviidae, more recent studies have indicated that Sylvia is not closely related to other 'warbler' genera.

<==Sylvia Scopoli 1769 M02 [incl. Alsoecus Kaup 1829 B94, Philomela Link 1806 B94; Alsoecinae]
    |  i. s.: S. aquatica N66
    |         S. bonelli Dr66
    |         S. cetti Dr66
    |         S. cinerea Do66
    |         S. trochiloides Do66
    |--+--S. atricapilla (Linnaeus 1758) JF06, M02 [=Motacilla atricapilla M02]
    |  `--S. borin JF06
    `--+--S. nisoria JF06
       |--Parisoma JF06
       |    |--P. boehmi [=Sylvia boehmi] JF06
       |    `--+--P. layardi Hartlaub 1862 JF06, B93 [=Sylvia layardi JF06]
       |       |    |--P. l. layardi B93
       |       |    `--P. l. aridicola Winterbottom 1958 B93
       |       `--P. subcaeruleum [=Sylvia subcaerulea] JF06
       |--+--+--S. curruca JF06
       |  |  `--+--S. althaea JF06
       |  |     |--S. margelanica JF06
       |  |     `--S. minula JF06
       |  `--+--S. leucomelaena JF06
       |     |--+--S. buryi JF06
       |     |  `--S. lugens JF06
       |     `--+--S. crassirostris JF06
       |        `--S. hortensis JF06
       `--+--+--S. deserti JF06
          |  `--S. nana JF06
          `--+--S. communis Latham 1787 JF06, M02
             |--+--+--S. balearica JF06
             |  |  `--S. sarda JF06
             |  `--+--S. deserticola JF06
             |     `--S. undata JF06
             `--+--+--S. melanothorax JF06
                |  `--S. rueppelli JF06
                `--+--S. cantillans JF06
                   `--+--S. melanocephala JF06
                      `--S. mystacea JF06

*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.

[Do66] 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.

[Dr66] Dresser, H. E. 1866. Notes on the breeding of the booted eagle (Aquila pennata). Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 377-380.

[JF06] Jønsson, K. A., & J. Fjeldså. 2006. A phylogenetic supertree of oscine passerine birds. Zoologica Scripta 35: 149-186.

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

[N66] Newton, A. 1866. Exhibition of a specimen of the Sylvia aquatica. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 210.