Phoenicopterus
Genus of birds
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Phoenicopterus is a genus of birds in the flamingo family Phoenicopteridae.
| Phoenicopterus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Phoenicopteriformes |
| Family: | Phoenicopteridae |
| Genus: | Phoenicopterus Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Type species | |
| Phoenicopterus ruber Linnaeus, 1758 | |
| Species | |
Taxonomy
The genus Phoenicopterus was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae to accommodate a single species, the American flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber.[1][2] The genus name comes from Ancient Greek φοῖνιξ (phoînix), meaning "crimson", and πτερόν (pterón), meaning "feather".[3]
"Leguat's giant"
A large bird described from Mauritius and Rodrigues and illustrated by the traveller Francois Leguat in 1708 was speculated to represent a large rail by Hermann Schlegel in 1857 and named Leguatia gigantea, "Leguat's giant", but later research indicates that it was probably based on sightings of Phoenicopterus flamingos that are known to have lived there, possibly the greater flamingo.[4][5]
Species
The genus contains three extant species:[6]
| Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater flamingo
|
Phoenicopterus roseus Pallas, 1811 |
widespread in Africa and southwest, south-central Eurasia | Size: Habitat: Diet: |
LC
|
| American flamingo
|
Phoenicopterus ruber Linnaeus, 1758 |
northern Galápagos Islands and the Caribbean |
Size: Habitat: Diet: |
LC
|
| Chilean flamingo
|
Phoenicopterus chilensis Molina, 1782 |
central Peru to Tierra del Fuego east to south Brazil, Uruguay and central Argentina |
Size: Habitat: Diet: |
NT
|
