''Phaps'' 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 ...

bronzewing pigeon The bronzewing pigeons are a group of pigeons native to Australia which have distinctive iridescent wing patches that appear bronze or green-brown in dull light, but flash in many bright colours in the sun as the bird moves. Three species are al ...

s in the family

Columbidae Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

that are native to Australia. The genus was introduced in 1835 by the English naturalist

Prideaux John Selby Prideaux John Selby FRSE FLS (23 July 1788 – 27 March 1867) was an English ornithologist, botanist and natural history artist. Life Selby was born in Bondgate Street in Alnwick in Northumberland, the eldest son of George Selby of Beal a ...

with the

common bronzewing The common bronzewing (''Phaps chalcoptera'') is a species of medium-sized, heavily built pigeon. Native to Australia and one of the country's most common pigeons, the common bronzewing is able to live in almost any habitat, with the possible ex ...

(''Phaps chalcoptera'') as 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 specimen ...

. The genus name ''Phaps'' is the

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 ...

word for a pigeon. The genus contains three species: *

Common bronzewing The common bronzewing (''Phaps chalcoptera'') is a species of medium-sized, heavily built pigeon. Native to Australia and one of the country's most common pigeons, the common bronzewing is able to live in almost any habitat, with the possible ex ...

, ''P. chalcoptera'' *

Brush bronzewing The brush bronzewing (''Phaps elegans'') is a species of bird in the pigeon family, Columbidae. It is endemic to Australia, with two biogeographically distinct subspecies. Taxonomy The brush bronzewing is one of around 310 species in the fami ...

, ''P. elegans'' *

Flock bronzewing The flock bronzewing (''Phaps histrionica''), also known as the flock pigeon, harlequin bronzewing and the harlequin pigeonCrome, F., Shields, J. (1992). ''Parrots & Pigeons of Australia''. Angus & Robertson Publishers is a species of pigeon in t ...

, ''P. histrionica''

References

Bird genera Taxa named by Prideaux John Selby {{Columbiformes-stub