The genus ''Sturnella'' are North 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 lightweig ...
s called meadowlarks. The genus was previously lumped with the South American meadowlarks now placed in the genus ''
Leistes
The genus ''Leistes'' are predominantly South American grassland birds called meadowlarks. The genus was previously lumped with the North American meadowlarks in the genus ''Sturnella''.
It includes five species of largely insectivorous grasslan ...
''.
It includes two or three 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 yellow underparts.
Taxonomy and list of species
The genus ''Sturnella'' was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist
Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot
Louis Pierre Vieillot (10 May 1748, Yvetot – 24 August 1830, Sotteville-lès-Rouen) was a French ornithologist.
Vieillot is the author of the first scientific descriptions and Linnaean names of a number of birds, including species he colle ...
with the
eastern meadowlark
The eastern meadowlark (''Sturnella magna'') is a medium-sized blackbird (family: Icteridae), very similar in appearance to sister species western meadowlark. It occurs from eastern North America to northern South America, where it is also most w ...
(''Sturnella magna'') 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 name ''Sturnella'' is a diminutive of the Latin ''sturnus'' meaning "starling".
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
The genus ''Leistes'' are predominantly South American grassland birds called meadowlarks. The genus was previously lumped with the North American meadowlarks in the genus ''Sturnella''.
It includes five species of largely insectivorous grasslan ...
'', 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 (1922–2000), French writer, historian and magistrate
*Pierre Jean George Cabanis
Pierre Jean Georges ...
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''.
The genus contains three species:
*
Eastern meadowlark
The eastern meadowlark (''Sturnella magna'') is a medium-sized blackbird (family: Icteridae), very similar in appearance to sister species western meadowlark. It occurs from eastern North America to northern South America, where it is also most w ...
, ''Sturnella magna''
*
Chihuahuan meadowlark, ''Sturnella lilianae''
*
Western meadowlark
The western meadowlark (''Sturnella neglecta'') is a medium-sized icterid bird, about in length. It nests on the ground in open grasslands across western and central North America. It feeds mostly on bugs, but will also feed on seeds and berrie ...
, ''Sturnella neglecta''
References
Further reading
*
* ''New World Blackbirds'' by Jaramillo and Burke,
*
External links
Sturnella videos, photos and soundson the Internet Bird Collection
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1431050
Bird genera
Taxa named by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot