''Atlapetes'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of birds in the New World sparrow family
Passerellidae
New World sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds, forming the family Passerellidae. They are seed-eating birds with conical bills, brown or gray in color, and many species have distinctive head patterns.
Although they share t ...
. The species are mainly found in
montane forest
Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...
from Mexico to northwestern Argentina.
Taxonomy and species
The genus ''Atlapetes'' was introduced in 1831 by the German naturalist
Johann Georg Wagler
Johann Georg Wagler (28 March 1800 – 23 August 1832) was a German herpetologist and ornithologist.
Wagler was assistant to Johann Baptist von Spix, and gave lectures in zoology at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich after it was moved ...
to accommodate the
rufous-capped brushfinch
The rufous-capped brushfinch (''Atlapetes pileatus'') is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae. It is endemic to Mexico.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forest
Montane ecosystems are found on the slope ...
(''Atlapetes pileatus''). The genus name is from
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...
and combines the name of the mythical figure ''
Atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth.
Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geographic ...
'' with ''petēs'', meaning "flyer".
Within the New World sparrow family
Passerellidae
New World sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds, forming the family Passerellidae. They are seed-eating birds with conical bills, brown or gray in color, and many species have distinctive head patterns.
Although they share t ...
the genus ''Atlapetes'' is
sister
A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...
to the genus ''
Pipilo
''Pipilo'' is a genus of birds in the American sparrow family Passerellidae. It is one of two genera containing birds with the common name towhee.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Pipilo'' was introduced by the French ornithologist Louis Jean Pierre Vieill ...
''.
The genus contains 33 species:
*
Rufous-capped brushfinch
The rufous-capped brushfinch (''Atlapetes pileatus'') is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae. It is endemic to Mexico.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forest
Montane ecosystems are found on the slope ...
, ''Atlapetes pileatus''
*
Moustached brushfinch, ''Atlapetes albofrenatus''
*
Merida brushfinch, ''Atlapetes meridae''
*
Ochre-breasted brushfinch, ''Atlapetes semirufus''
*
Tepui brushfinch, ''Atlapetes personatus''
*
White-naped brushfinch, ''Atlapetes albinucha''
*
Santa Marta brushfinch, ''Atlapetes melanocephalus''
*
Pale-naped brushfinch, ''Atlapetes pallidinucha''
*
Yellow-headed brushfinch, ''Atlapetes flaviceps''
*
Dusky-headed brushfinch, ''Atlapetes fuscoolivaceus''
*
Choco brushfinch, ''Atlapetes crassus''
*
Tricolored brushfinch, ''Atlapetes tricolor''
*
White-rimmed brushfinch, ''Atlapetes leucopis''
*
Yellow-thighed brushfinch, ''Atlapetes tibialis''
*
Yellow-green brushfinch
The yellow-green brushfinch (''Atlapetes luteoviridis'') is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae.
It is endemic to Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is ...
, ''Atlapetes luteoviridis''
*
Yellow-breasted brushfinch, ''Atlapetes latinuchus''
*
Black-fronted brushfinch, ''Atlapetes nigifrons''
*
Antioquia brushfinch, ''Atlapetes blancae''
*
Rufous-eared brushfinch, ''Atlapetes rufigenis''
*
Apurímac brushfinch, ''Atlapetes forbesi''
*
Black-spectacled brushfinch, ''Atlapetes melanopsis''
*
Slaty brushfinch, ''Atlapetes schistaceus''
*
White-winged brushfinch, ''Atlapetes leucopterus''
*
White-headed brushfinch, ''Atlapetes albiceps''
*
Pale-headed brushfinch, ''Atlapetes pallidiceps''
*
Bay-crowned brushfinch, ''Atlapetes seebohmi''
*
Rusty-bellied brushfinch, ''Atlapetes nationi''
*
Cuzco brushfinch, ''Atlapetes canigenis''
*
Vilcabamba brushfinch, ''Atlapetes terborghi''
*
Grey-eared brushfinch, ''Atlapetes melanolaemus''
*
Bolivian brushfinch, ''Atlapetes rufinucha''
*
Fulvous-headed brushfinch, ''Atlapetes fulviceps''
*
Yellow-striped brushfinch, ''Atlapetes citrinellus''
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q780445
Bird genera
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Taxa named by Johann Georg Wagler