''Amazilia'' is a
hummingbird genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
in the
subfamily Trochilinae
Trochilinae is one of the six subfamilies that make up the hummingbird family Trochilidae.
The subfamily is divided into three tribes: Lampornithini (mountain gems) containing 18 species, Mellisugini (bees) containing 37 species and Trochili ...
. It is found in
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
Central and
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Amazilia'' was introduced in 1843 by the French naturalist
René Lesson. Lesson had used ''amazilia'' in 1827 as the specific epithet of the
amazilia hummingbird
The amazilia hummingbird (''Amazilis amazilia'') is a hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is the only species placed in the genus ''Amazilis''. It is found in Ecuador and Peru. Its six subspecies diffe ...
which is now the only species placed in the genus ''Amazilis''.
[ The name comes from the Inca heroine in Jean-François Marmontel's novel ''Les Incas, ou la destruction de l'Empire du Pérou''. The ]type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...
was subsequently designated as the cinnamon hummingbird
The cinnamon hummingbird (''Amazilia rutila'') is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found from northwestern Mexico to Costa Rica.
Taxonomy
The cinnamon hummingbird was formally descr ...
.
The genus contains five species:Cinnamon hummingbird
The cinnamon hummingbird (''Amazilia rutila'') is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found from northwestern Mexico to Costa Rica.
Taxonomy
The cinnamon hummingbird was formally descr ...
, ''Amazilia rutila''
* Mangrove hummingbird
The mangrove hummingbird (''Amazilia boucardi'') is an Endangered species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is endemic to Costa Rica.
Taxonomy
The mangrove hummingbird was formally described in 18 ...
, ''Amazilia boucardi''
* Honduran emerald
The Honduran emerald (''Amazilia luciae'') is a Vulnerable species of hummingbird in the "emeralds" tribe, Trochilini, of the subfamily Trochilinae. It is endemic to Honduras.
Taxonomy
The Honduran emerald was formally described in 1868 by t ...
, ''Amazilia luciae''
An additional species is sometimes included:
* Guanacaste hummingbird
The guanacaste hummingbird or Alfero's hummingbird (''Amazilia alfaroana'') is a possibly extinct species of hummingbird known only from a holotype collected in 1895 at the Miravalles Volcano in Costa Rica. Taxonomy
It is usually treated as a s ...
, ''Amazilia alfaroana'' (disputed)
This genus formerly included many more species. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that the large genus was polyphyletic
A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of conver ...
. In the revised classification to create monophyletic genera, species were moved to '' Leucolia'', ''Saucerottia
''Saucerottia'' is a genus of birds in the family Trochilidae, or hummingbirds.
Species
The species now placed in this genus were formerly placed in ''Amazilia''. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that the genus ''Amazilia' ...
'', ''Amazilis
The amazilia hummingbird (''Amazilis amazilia'') is a hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is the only species placed in the genus ''Amazilis''. It is found in Ecuador and Peru. Its six subspecies diffe ...
'', '' Uranomitra'', ''Chrysuronia
''Chrysuronia'' is a genus of hummingbirds in the family Trochilidae.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Chrysuronia'' was introduced in 1850 by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte. Bonaparte did not specify a type species but this was designated a ...
'', '' Polyerata'', ''Chionomesa
''Chionomesa'' is a genus of South American hummingbirds in the family Trochilidae.
Species
The genus contains two species:
*Glittering-throated emerald, ''Chionomesa fimbriata''
*Sapphire-spangled emerald, ''Chionomesa lactea''
These two speci ...
'', '' Elliotomyia '' and ''Chlorestes
''Chlorestes'' is a genus of hummingbirds.
Species
The genus contains five species:
* White-bellied emerald, ''Chlorestes candida'' (formerly placed in ''Amazilia'')
* Blue-throated sapphire, ''Chlorestes eliciae'' (formerly placed in ''Hyloch ...
''.
References
Bird genera
Taxa named by René Lesson
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
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