Melanotis is a genus of bird in the family Mimidae. It contains the following species:

Melanotis
Blue mockingbird (Melanotis caerulescens)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Mimidae
Genus: Melanotis
Bonaparte, 1850
Type species
Turdus melanotis[1]
Temminck, 1830
Species

M. caerulescens
M. hypoleucus

Image Common Name Scientific name Distribution
Blue mockingbird Melanotis caerulescens Mexico
Blue-and-white mockingbird Melanotis hypoleucus El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico

Etymology edit

The word Melanotis is derived from the Ancient Greek roots melano-/μελανο- "black" and ot-/ὠτ- "ear".[2]

Description edit

The two Melanotis species are the world's most brightly colored mockingbirds.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ "Mimidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  2. ^ Liddell, Henry George and Robert Scott (1980). A Greek-English Lexicon (Abridged ed.). United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. pp. 431, 507. ISBN 0-19-910207-4.
  3. ^ Alderfer, Jonathan (2009). National Geographic Complete Birds of the World. National Geographic Books. p. 310. ISBN 978-1-4262-0403-6.