Leistes

Genus of birds

Leistes

Long-tailed meadowlark (Leistes loyca)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Aves
Order:  | Passeriformes
Family:  | Icteridae
Genus:  | Leistes
Vigors, 1825
Type species
Oriolus americanus

Gmelin, 1788

Species

* S. militaris
* S. superciliaris
* S. bellicosus
* S. defilippii
* S. loyca

The genus Leistes are predominantly South American grassland birds called meadowlarks. The genus was previously lumped with the North American meadowlarks in the genus Sturnella.

It includes five species of largely insectivorous grassland birds. In all species the male at least has a black or brown back and extensively red underparts.

## List of species

[edit]

There are five widely accepted members of the genus.[1]

Genus Leistes  – Vigors, 1825 – five species  Common name  | Scientific name and subspecies  | Range  | Size and ecology  | IUCN status and estimated population

|
|
|
|

Red-breasted meadowlark (formerly red-breasted blackbird)

Male

Female

| Leistes militaris
(Linnaeus, 1758) | south-western Costa Rica, and Trinidad, south to north-eastern Peru and central Brazil
| Size:

Habitat:

Diet:  |  LC

White-browed meadowlark (formerly white-browed blackbird)

Male

Female

| Leistes superciliaris
(Bonaparte, 1850) | south-western Brazil through Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina
| Size:

Habitat:

Diet:  |  LC

Peruvian meadowlark

| Leistes bellicosus
(De Filippi, 1847) | western Peru, Ecuador and far northern Chile.
| Size:

Habitat:

Diet:  |  LC

Pampas meadowlark

male

female

| Leistes defilippii
(Bonaparte, 1850) | Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.
| Size:

Habitat:

Diet:  |  VU

Long-tailed meadowlark

| Leistes loyca
(Molina, 1782) | southern South America and the Falkland Islands
| Size:

Habitat:

Diet:  |  LC

## Taxonomy

[edit]

By the early 20th century, the meadowlarks were split. Only the "yellow-breasted" meadowlarks (eastern and western meadowlarks, including Lilian's) remained in the genus Sturnella. The red-breasted and white-browed meadowlarks were moved to the genus Leistes, while the pampas meadowlark, Peruvian meadowlark and long-tailed meadowlark made up the genus Pezites, which was established by Cabanis in 1851. By the late 20th century, all meadowlarks were lumped in the genus Sturnella. In 2017, all the red-breasted meadowlarks were merged into the genus Leistes.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "ITIS Report: Sturnella". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 29 November 2014.

### Sources

[edit]

* del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Christie, David, eds. (2011). Handbook of Birds of the World, volume 16: Tanagers to New World Blackbirds. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-84-96553-78-1.
* New World Blackbirds by Jaramillo and Burke, ISBN 0-7136-4333-1

## Further reading

[edit]

* Powell, A.F.L.A.; Barker, F.K.; Lanyon, S.M.; Burns, K.J.; Klicka, J.; Lovette, I.J. (2014). "A comprehensive species-level molecular phylogeny of the New World blackbirds (Icteridae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 71: 94–112\. Bibcode:2014MolPE..71...94P. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2013.11.009. PMID 24291659.

## External links

[edit]

* Sturnella videos, photos and sounds on the Internet Bird Collection

* v
* t
* e

Genera of finches, sparrows and tanagers

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Chordata
* Class: Aves
* Suborder: Passeri
* Infraorder: Passerida
* Superfamily: Passeroidea

Passeroidea

| Estrildidae|

| Amandavinae|

* Amadina
* Amandava
* Ortygospiza

|

Erythrurinae|

* Chloebia
* Erythrura

Estrildinae|

* Brunhilda
* Coccopygia
* Cryptospiza
* Delacourella
* Estrilda
* Glaucestrilda
* Mandingoa
* Nesocharis
* Nigrita
* Parmoptila

Lagonostictinae|

* Clytospiza
* Euschistospiza
* Granatina
* Hypargos
* Lagonosticta
* Pyrenestes
* Pytilia
* Spermophaga
* Uraeginthus

Lonchurinae|

* Euodice
* Lepidopygia
* Lonchura
* Mayrimunia
* Padda
* Spermestes

Poephilinae|

* Aidemosyne
* Bathilda
* Emblema
* Heteromunia
* Neochmia
* Oreostruthus
* Poephila
* Stagonopleura
* Stizoptera
* Taeniopygia

Passeridae|

* Carpospiza
* Gymnoris
* Hypocryptadius
* Montifringilla
* Onychostruthus
* Passer
* Petronia
* Pyrgilauda

Ploceidae|

* Amblyospiza
* Anaplectes
* Brachycope
* Bubalornis
* Dinemellia
* Euplectes
* Foudia
* Histurgops
* Malimbus
* Philetairus
* Plocepasser
* Ploceus
* Pseudonigrita
* Quelea
* Sporopipes

Prunellidae|

* Prunella

Urocynchramidae|

* Urocynchramus

Viduidae|

* Anomalospiza
* Vidua

Nine-primaried oscines|

*     * See below ↓

Nine-primaried oscines

| Fringillidae|

| Carduelinae|

* Acanthis
* Agraphospiza
* †Aidemedia
* †Akialoa
* Bucanetes
* Callacanthis
* Carduelis
* Carpodacus
* †Chloridops
* Chloris
* Chlorodrepanis
* Chrysocorythus
* †Ciridops
* Coccothraustes
* Crithagra
* Drepanis
* †Dysmorodrepanis
* Eophona
* Haemorhous
* Hemignathus
* Hesperiphona
* Himatione
* Leucosticte
* Linaria
* Linurgus
* Loxia
* Loxioides
* Loxops
* Magumma
* †Melamprosops
* Mycerobas
* Oreomystis
* †Orthiospiza
* Palmeria
* Paroreomyza
* Pinicola
* Procarduelis
* Pseudonestor
* †Psittirostra
* Pyrrhula
* Pyrrhoplectes
* †Rhodacanthis
* Rhodopechys
* Rhodospiza
* Rhynchostruthus
* Serinus
* Spinus
* Telespiza
* †Vangulifer
* †Viridonia
* †Xestospiza

|

Euphoniinae|

* Chlorophonia
* Euphonia

Fringillinae|

* Fringilla

Motacillidae|

* Anthus
* Dendronanthus
* Macronyx
* Motacilla
* Tmetothylacus

Peucedramidae|

* Peucedramus

Emberizoidea|

*     * See below ↓

Emberizoidea

| Calcariidae|

* Calcarius
* Plectrophenax
* Rhynchophanes

|

Calyptophilidae|

* Calyptophilus

Cardinalidae|

* Amaurospiza
* Cardinalis
* Caryothraustes
* Chlorothraupis
* Cyanocompsa
* Cyanoloxia
* Granatellus
* Habia
* Passerina
* Periporphyrus
* Pheucticus
* Piranga
* Spiza

Emberizidae|

* Emberiza

Icteridae|

*     * See below ↓

Icteriidae|

* Icteria

Mitrospingidae|

* Lamprospiza
* Mitrospingus
* Orthogonys

Nesospingidae|

* Nesospingus

Parulidae|

* Basileuterus
* Cardellina
* Catharopeza
* Geothlypis
* Helmitheros
* Leucopeza
* Leiothlypis
* Limnothlypis
* Mniotilta
* Myioborus
* Myiothlypis
* Oporornis
* Oreothlypis
* Parkesia
* Protonotaria
* Seiurus
* Setophaga
* Vermivora

Passerellidae|

* Aimophila
* Ammodramus
* Ammospiza
* Amphispiza
* Amphispizopsis
* Arremon
* Arremonops
* Artemisiospiza
* Atlapetes
* Calamospiza
* Centronyx
* Chlorospingus
* Chondestes
* Junco
* Melospiza
* Melozone
* Oreothraupis
* Oriturus
* Passerculus
* Passerella
* †Pedinorhis
* Peucaea
* Pezopetes
* Pipilo
* Pooecetes
* Rhynchospiza
* Spizella
* Spizelloides
* Torreornis
* Xenospiza
* Zonotrichia

Phaenicophilidae|

* Microligea
* Phaenicophilus
* Xenoligea

Rhodinocichlidae|

* Rhodinocichla

Spindalidae|

* Spindalis

Teretistridae|

* Teretistris

Thraupidae|

*     * See below ↓

Icteridae

| incertae sedis|

* †Cremaster
* †Pandanaris
* †Pyelorhamphus

|

Agelaiinae|

* Agelaioides
* Agelaius
* Agelasticus
* Amblyramphus
* Anumara
* Chrysomus
* Curaeus
* Dives
* Euphagus
* Gnorimopsar
* Gymnomystax
* Hypopyrrhus
* Lampropsar
* Macroagelaius
* Molothrus
* Nesopsar
* Oreopsar
* Pseudoleistes
* Ptiloxena
* Quiscalus
* Xanthopsar

Amblycercinae|

* Amblycercus

Cassicinae|

* Cacicus
* Cassiculus
* Psarocolius

Dolichonychinae|

* Dolichonyx

Icterinae|

* Icterus

Sturnellinae|

* Leistes
* Sturnella

Xanthocephalinae|

* Xanthocephalus

Thraupidae

| Catamblyrhynchinae|

* Catamblyrhynchus

|

Charitospizinae|

* Charitospiza
* Parkerthraustes

Coerebinae|

* Asemospiza
* Camarhynchus
* Certhidea
* Coereba
* Euneornis
* Geospiza
* Loxigilla
* Loxipasser
* Melanospiza
* Melopyrrha
* Phonipara
* Pinaroloxias
* Platyspiza
* Tiaris

Dacninae|

* Cyanerpes
* Dacnis
* Tersina

Diglossinae|

* Acanthidops
* Catamenia
* Conirostrum
* Diglossa
* Geospizopsis
* Haplospiza
* Idiopsar
* Melanodera
* Nesospiza
* Phrygilus
* Rowettia
* Sicalis
* Xenodacnis

Emberizoidinae|

* Coryphaspiza
* Emberizoides
* Embernagra

Hemithraupinae|

* Chrysothlypis
* Chlorophanes
* Hemithraupis
* Heterospingus
* Iridophanes

Nemosiinae|

* Compsothraupis
* Cyanicterus
* Nemosia
* Sericossypha

Orchesticinae|

* Orchesticus

Poospizinae|

* Castanozoster
* Cnemoscopus
* Cypsnagra
* Donacospiza
* Kleinothraupis
* Microspingus
* Nephelornis
* Piezorina
* Poospiza
* Poospizopsis
* Pseudospingus
* Sphenopsis
* Thlypopsis
* Urothraupis
* Xenospingus

Porphyrospizinae|

* Incaspiza
* Rhopospina

Saltatorinae|

* Saltator
* Saltatricula

Sporophilinae|

* Sporophila

Tachyphoninae|

* Conothraupis
* Coryphospingus
* Creurgops
* Eucometis
* Heliothraupis
* Lanio
* Loriotus
* Ramphocelus
* Rhodospingus
* Tachyphonus
* Trichothraupis
* Volatinia

Thraupinae|

* Anisognathus
* Bangsia
* Buthraupis
* Calochaetes
* Chalcothraupis
* Chlorochrysa
* Chlorornis
* Cissopis
* Cnemathraupis
* Diuca
* Dubusia
* Iridosornis
* Ixothraupis
* Lophospingus
* Neothraupis
* Paroaria
* Pipraeidea
* Poecilostreptus
* Pseudosaltator
* Rauenia
* Schistochlamys
* Sporathraupis
* Stephanophorus
* Stilpnia
* Tangara
* Tephrophilus
* Thraupis
* Wetmorethraupis

Taxon identifiers

Leistes|

* Wikidata: Q21953133
* Wikispecies: Leistes
* BioLib: 128821
* BOLD: 857917
* EoL: 52571326
* GBIF: 4846742
* iNaturalist: 793307
* IRMNG: 1297952
* NBN: NHMSYS0021275336
* NCBI: 84808
* Open Tree of Life: 3597461

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[†]: Extinct