The genus Sayornis is a small group of medium-sized insect-eating birds, known as phoebes, in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae.
| Phoebes | |
|---|---|
| |
| Sayornis phoebe | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Tyrannidae |
| Genus: | Sayornis Bonaparte, 1854 |
| Type species | |
| Sayornis nigricans[1] Bonaparte, 1854
| |
| Species | |
|
See text. | |
Taxonomy
editThe genus Sayornis that was introduced by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1854 with black phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) as the type species.[2][3] The genus name is constructed from the specific part of Bonaparte's name for Say's phoebe, Muscicapa saya, and Ancient Greek ornis meaning "bird".[4] The English Phoebe is a name for the Roman moon-goddess Diana.[5]
Description and ecology
editThey are native to North and South America.
They prefer semi-open or open areas near water. These birds wait on a perch and then catch insects, usually in pairs. Their nest is an open cup sometimes placed on man-made structures.[6] They aren't fond of dense forests, and prefer low perches.[7][8]
They often slowly lower and raise their tails while perched.[9][10][11][12]
Species
editThe genus contains three species:[13]
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| |
Sayornis phoebe | Eastern phoebe | Eastern North America |
 |
Sayornis nigricans | Black phoebe | United States, Mexico and Central America, and parts of South America |
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Sayornis saya | Say's phoebe | United States and Canada |
References
edit
- ^ "Tyrannidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
- ^ Bonaparte, Charles Lucien (1854). "Notes sur les collections rapportées en 1853, par M. A. Delattre, de son voyage en Californie et dans le Nicaragua". Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de l'Académie des Sciences. 38: 1–11, 53–67, 258–266, 378–389, 533–541, 650–665 [657].
- ^ Traylor, Melvin A. Jr, ed. (1979). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 8. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 147.
- ^ Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 349. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- ^ "Phoebe". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- ^ "Black Phoebe - eBird".
- ^ "Eastern Phoebe - eBird".
- ^ "Say's Phoebe - eBird".
- ^ "Species Spotlight - Eastern Phoebe (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
- ^ "Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) :: Xeno-canto".
- ^ "Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) :: Xeno-canto".
- ^ "Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya) :: Xeno-canto".
- ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2019). "Tyrant flycatchers". World Bird List Version 9.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 29 June 2019.