The genus ''Leistes'' are predominantly South American
grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
s called meadowlarks. The genus was previously lumped with the North American meadowlarks in the genus ''
Sturnella''.
It includes five species of largely
insectivorous
A robber fly eating a hoverfly
An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects.
The first vertebrate insectivores were ...
grassland birds. In all species the male at least has a black or brown back and extensively red underparts.
List of species
There are five widely accepted members of the genus.
Taxonomy
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 Cabanis is the surname of:
*George Cabanis (1815-1892), American politician
*Jean Cabanis (1816–1906), German ornithologist
*José Cabanis
José Cabanis (2 March 1922 – 6 October 2000) was a French novelist, essayist, historian and magistrate ...
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
Sources
*
* ''New World Blackbirds'' by Jaramillo and Burke,
Further reading
*
External links
Sturnella videos, photos and soundson the Internet Bird Collection
{{Taxonbar, from=Q21953133
Bird genera
Taxa named by Nicholas Aylward Vigors