| Gould's shortwing | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Muscicapidae |
| Genus: | Heteroxenicus Sharpe, 1902 |
| Species: | H. stellatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Heteroxenicus stellatus (Gould, 1868) | |
| Synonyms | |
Brachypteryx stellatus | |
Gould's shortwing (Heteroxenicus stellatus) is a small species ofpasserine bird in the familyMuscicapidae. It is found in theHimalayas (mainlyUttarakhand,Sikkim andBhutan),Yunnan and northern parts ofMyanmar andVietnam. It breeds in the eastern Himalayas in rocky areas above the tree-line and winters at lower altitude in wooded valleys.
Gould's shortwing is the only species in thegenusHeteroxenicus. It was formerly placed in the genusBrachypteryx.
The common name commemorates the English ornithologist and bird artistJohn Gould (1804-1881).[2]
The firstformal description of Gould's shortwing was by the English ornithologist and bird artistJohn Gould in 1868 from a specimen collected in Nepal. He chose thebinomial nameBrachypteryx stellatus.[3]
Gould's shortwing is the only species in thegenusHeteroxenicus. It was formerly placed in the genusBrachypteryx and was assigned to the thrush familyTurdidae.[4] The genusHeteroxenicus had been introduced byRichard Bowdler Sharpe in 1902.[5] The genus nameHeteroxenicus combines the classical Greek wordsheteros for "different" andxenikos for "stranger". The specific epithetstellata is from the Latin wordstellatus meaning "starry" or "set with stars".[6]
There are two subspecies:[4]
Gould's shortwing is 12–13 cm (4.7–5.1 in) in length with a weight of 19–23 g (0.67–0.81 oz). It is chestnut coloured above and dark grey below with small white spots or stars on its belly. It has long brown legs and a black bill. The sexes are similar. Nothing is known about the nest or the eggs.[7][8]
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