Brunhilda (bird)

Brunhilda is a genus of small seed-eating birds in the waxbill family Estrildidae. The species are found in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Brunhilda
Black-faced waxbill (Brunhilda erythronotos)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Estrildidae
Genus: Brunhilda
Reichenbach, 1862
Type species
Fringilla erythronotos
black-faced waxbill
Vieillot, 1817

Taxonomy

The genus Brunhilda was introduced in 1862 by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach for the black-faced waxbill.[1] Brunhild is a female character of Germanic and Norse legend.[2] The genus was considered as a junior synonym of Estrilda but was resurrected when a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2020 found that Estrilda was paraphyletic.[3][4]

Species

The genus contains two species:[4]

ImageCommon NameScientific nameDistribution
Black-cheeked waxbillBrunhilda charmosynaEthiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Tanzania
Black-faced waxbillBrunhilda erythronotosAngola, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe

References
  1. Reichenbach, Ludwig (1862). Die Singvögel als Fortsetzung de vollständigsten Naturgeschichte und zugleich als Central-Atlas für zoologische Gärten und für Thierfreunde. Ein durch zahlreiche illuminirte Abbildungen illustrirtes Handbuch zur richtigten Bestimmung und Pflege der Thiere aller Classen (in German). Dresden and Leipzig: Expedition Vollständigsten Naturgeschichte. p. 48.
  2. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 78. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  3. Olsson, Urban; Alström, Per (2020). "A comprehensive phylogeny and taxonomic evaluation of the waxbills (Aves: Estrildidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 146: 106757. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106757. PMID 32028027.
  4. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2021). "Waxbills, parrotfinches, munias, whydahs, Olive Warbler, accentors, pipits". IOC World Bird List Version 11.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
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