''Melaenornis'' 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 small

passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...

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 in the large family

Muscicapidae The Old World flycatchers are a large family, the Muscicapidae, of small passerine birds restricted to the Old World (Europe, Africa and Asia), with the exception of several vagrants and two species, Bluethroat (''Luscinia svecica)'' and Norther ...

commonly known as the

Old World flycatcher The Old World flycatchers are a large family, the Muscicapidae, of small passerine birds restricted to the Old World (Europe, Africa and Asia), with the exception of several vagrants and two species, Bluethroat (''Luscinia svecica)'' and Norther ...

s. They are restricted to

sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...

Species

The genus contains the following species: * Angola slaty flycatcher, ''Melaenornis brunneus'' *

White-eyed slaty flycatcher The white-eyed slaty flycatcher (''Melaenornis fischeri'') is a small passerine bird of the genus '' Melaenornis'' in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is native to the African highlands from Ethiopia and Kenya through Rwanda to e ...

, ''Melaenornis fischeri'' * Abyssinian slaty flycatcher, ''Melaenornis chocolatinus'' *

Nimba flycatcher The Nimba flycatcher (''Melaenornis annamarulae'') is a small passerine bird of the genus '' Melaenornis'' in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is native to the West African countries of Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra ...

, ''Melaenornis annamarulae'' * Yellow-eyed black flycatcher, ''Melaenornis ardesiacus'' *

Northern black flycatcher The northern black flycatcher (''Melaenornis edolioides'') is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher, flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. Range This is an insectivorous species which is a resident breeder in tropical Africa from Seneg ...

, ''Melaenornis edolioides'' *

Southern black flycatcher The southern black flycatcher (''Melaenornis pammelaina'') is a small passerine bird of the genus ''Melaenornis'' in the flycatcher family, Muscicapidae, native to open and lightly wooded areas of eastern and southern Africa. This species has a ...

, ''Melaenornis pammelaina'' * Pale flycatcher, ''Melaenornis pallidus'' (previously in the genus ''Bradornis''; sometimes placed in ''Agricola'') * Chat flycatcher, ''Melaenornis infuscatus'' (previously in the genus ''Bradornis''; sometimes placed in ''Agricola'') * African grey flycatcher, ''Melaenornis microrhynchus'' (previously in the genus ''Bradornis'') * Marico flycatcher, ''Melaenornis mariquensis'' (previously in the genus ''Bradornis'') * Fiscal flycatcher, ''Melaenornis silens'' (previously in the genus ''Sigelus'') This genus formerly included fewer species. The results of a

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

study published in 2010 led to a reorganization of the Old World flycatchers family in which the four species in ''Bradornis'' and the single species in ''Sigelus'' were merged into ''Melaenornis''.

Species

References

Further reading