Lalage (bird)
Lalage is a genus of passerine birds belonging to the cuckooshrike family Campephagidae, many of which are commonly known as trillers. There are about 18 species which occur in southern Asia and Australasia with a number of species on Pacific islands. They feed mainly on insects and fruit. They build a neat cup-shaped nest high in a tree.
| Lalage | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male pied triller (Lalage nigra) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Campephagidae |
| Genus: | Lalage F. Boie, 1826 |
| Type species | |
| Turdus orientalis[1] Gmelin, 1788 | |
| Species | |
|
See text | |
They are fairly small birds, about 15 to 20 cm long. They are mainly black, grey and white in colour.
Most species are fairly common but the Samoan triller is considered to be near threatened and the Norfolk Island subspecies of the long-tailed triller has become extinct.
Taxonomy and systematics
Extant species
The genus now includes six species that were formerly assigned to the genus Coracina. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2010 found that the species form part of the clade that contain members of the genus Lalage.[2][3]
The genus contains 20 species:[3][4]
- Black-and-white triller, Lalage melanoleuca
- Pied triller, Lalage nigra
- White-rumped triller, Lalage leucopygialis
- White-shouldered triller, Lalage sueurii
- White-winged triller, Lalage tricolor
- Rufous-bellied triller, Lalage aurea
- White-browed triller, Lalage moesta
- Black-browed triller, Lalage atrovirens
- Biak triller, Lalage leucoptera
- Varied triller, Lalage leucomela
- Mussau triller, Lalage conjuncta
- Polynesian triller, Lalage maculosa
- Samoan triller, Lalage sharpei
- Long-tailed triller, Lalage leucopyga
- Norfolk triller, Lalage leucopyga leucopyga
- Black-winged cuckooshrike, Lalage melaschistos
- Black-headed cuckooshrike, Lalage melanoptera
- Indochinese cuckooshrike, Lalage polioptera
- Lesser cuckooshrike, Lalage fimbriata
- Mauritius cuckooshrike, Lalage typica
- Reunion cuckooshrike, Lalage newtoni
Former species
Formerly, some authorities also considered the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus Lalage:
- Buff-bellied monarch (as L. banksiana)[5]
- Black-throated shrikebill (as L. nigrogularis)[6]
References
- "Campephagidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
- Jønsson, K.A.; Bowie, R.C.K.; Nylander, J.A.A.; Christidis, L.; Norman, J.A.; Fjeldså, J. (2010). "Biogeographical history of cuckoo-shrikes (Aves: Passeriformes): transoceanic colonization of Africa from Australo-Papua". Journal of Biogeography. 37 (9): 1767–1781. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2699.2010.02328.x. S2CID 52105369.
- Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2019). "Bristlehead, butcherbirds, woodswallows, ioras, cuckooshrikes, Shriketit". World Bird List Version 9.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- "Species Updates – IOC World Bird List". Retrieved 2021-06-04.
- "Neolalage banksiana - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-01-12.
- "Clytorhynchus nigrogularis - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-01-12.
- Perrins, Christopher, ed. (2004) The New Encyclopedia of Birds, Oxford University Press, Oxford.