| Poodytes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| New Zealand fernbird | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Locustellidae |
| Genus: | Poodytes Cabanis, 1851 |
| Type species | |
| Sphenoeacus gramineus Gould, 1845 | |
Poodytes is agenus of passerine birds in the grassbird familyLocustellidae.
Amolecular phylogenetic study of the grassbird familyLocustellidae published in 2018 found that some of the genera, as then defined, were non-monophyletic. In the resulting rearrangement to create monophyletic genera, five species were moved fromMegalurus to the resurrected genusPoodytes.[1][2] The genus had been introduced in 1851 by the German ornithologistJean Cabanis to accommodate thelittle grassbird which is therefore thetype species.[3][4] The genus name combines theAncient Greekpoa meaning "grass" withdutēs meaning "diver".[5]
The genus contains the following species:[2]