Melanocharis
Genus of birds
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Melanocharis is a genus of birds in the berrypecker and longbill family Melanocharitidae that are endemic to New Guinea.
| Melanocharis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Black berrypecker (Melanocharis nigra) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Melanocharitidae |
| Genus: | Melanocharis P.L. Sclater, 1858 |
| Type species | |
| Dicaeum niger[1] Lesson, 1830 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Rhamphocharis Salvadori, 1876 | |
Taxonomy
The genus Melanocharis was introduced in 1858 by the English zoologist Philip Sclater to accommodate a single species, Dicaeum niger Lesson, the black berrypecker. This is the type species.[2][3] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek μελας/melas, μελανος/melanos meaning "black" with χαρις/kharis, χαριτος/kharitos meaning "beauty".[4]
A molecular genetic study published in 2021 found that the spotted berrypecker, then placed in the genus Rhamphocharis, was embedded in Melanocharis.[5] Base on this result, the genus Rhamphocharis was subsumed into Melanocharis.[6]
Species
The genus contains the following eight species:[6]
- Obscure berrypecker, Melanocharis arfakiana
- Black berrypecker, Melanocharis nigra
- Mid-mountain berrypecker, Melanocharis longicauda
- Fan-tailed berrypecker, Melanocharis versteri
- Satin berrypecker, Melanocharis citreola
- Streaked berrypecker, Melanocharis striativentris
- Thick-billed berrypecker, Melanocharis crassirostris
- Spotted berrypecker, Melanocharis piperata
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