''Tanygnathus'' is a genus of

parrot Parrots, also known as psittacines (), are birds of the roughly 398 species in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoid ...

s in the

Psittaculini Psittaculini is a tribe of parrots of the family Psittaculidae. The subdivisions within the tribe are controversial. Tribe Psittaculini * Genus ''Psittinus'' ** Blue-rumped parrot, ''Psittinus cyanurus'' ** Simeulue parrot, ''Psittinus abbotti ...

tribe, of the superfamily of Psittacoidea (true parrots). Its species are native to

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

and

Melanesia Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from Indonesia's New Guinea in the west to Fiji in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea. The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, Va ...

Taxonomy

The

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 ...

''Tanygnathus'' was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Wagler in 1832. 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 ...

was subsequently designated as the

great-billed parrot The great-billed parrot (''Tanygnathus megalorynchos'') also known as Moluccan parrot or island parrot, is a medium-sized, approximately 38 cm long, green parrot with a massive red bill, cream iris, blackish shoulders, olive green back, pale ...

(''Tanygnathus megalorynchos'') by the English zoologist

George Robert Gray George Robert Gray FRS (8 July 1808 – 6 May 1872) was an English zoologist and author, and head of the ornithological section of the British Museum, now the Natural History Museum, in London for forty-one years. He was the younger brother o ...

in 1840. The name ''Tanygnathus'' combines 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 ...

words ''tanuō'' "to stretch out" and ''gnathos'' "jaw". The genus contains four species: *

Great-billed parrot The great-billed parrot (''Tanygnathus megalorynchos'') also known as Moluccan parrot or island parrot, is a medium-sized, approximately 38 cm long, green parrot with a massive red bill, cream iris, blackish shoulders, olive green back, pale ...

, ''Tanygnathus megalorynchos'' *

Blue-naped parrot The blue-naped parrot (''Tanygnathus lucionensis''), also known as the blue-crowned green parrot, Luzon parrot, the Philippine green parrot, and locally known as pikoy, is a parrot found throughout the Philippines. Taxonomy In 1760 the French zoo ...

, ''Tanygnathus lucionensis'' *

Blue-backed parrot The blue-backed parrot (''Tanygnathus everetti''), also known as Müller's (or Mueller's) parrot is a large, endangered species of parrot endemic to the Philippines. It is found in tropical moist lowland forests. Flocks are small and often acti ...

, ''Tanygnathus everetti'' *

Black-lored parrot The black-lored parrot (''Tanygnathus gramineus'') also known as the Buru green parrot, is a parrot endemic to the Indonesian island of Buru. It is a long green parrot with black lores, and a turquoise crown. Males have red beaks, and females a ...

, ''Tanygnathus gramineus'' *

Azure-rumped parrot The azure-rumped parrot (''Tanygnathus sumatranus''), is a large bird endemic to Indonesia. It is found in Sulawesi and the Sangir Islands. It was previously conspecific with the blue-backed parrot, which is differentiated with its red iris a ...

, ''Tanygnathus sumatranus''

Genetic analysis Genetic analysis is the overall process of studying and researching in fields of science that involve genetics and molecular biology. There are a number of applications that are developed from this research, and these are also considered parts of ...

has supported reclassifying all 4 species under ''

Psittacula Members of the parrot genus ''Psittacula'' or Afro-Asian ring-necked parrots they are commonly known in aviculture originate from Africa to South-East Asia. It is a widespread group with a clear concentration of species in south Asia, but also wi ...

'', making ''Tanygnathus'' a synonym of the former genus.

References

Psittaculini Bird genera {{parrot-stub