| Liocichla | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scarlet-faced liocichla (Liocichla ripponi) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Leiothrichidae |
| Genus: | Liocichla R. Swinhoe, 1877 |
| Type species | |
| Liocichla steerii[1] Swinhoe, 1877 | |
| Species | |
See text | |
Theliocichlas are a group of birds in thegenus of the same name,Liocichla, from the familyLeiothrichidae. They are found inAsia fromIndia toChina. They belong to aclade also containing at least theLeiothrix, thebarwings, theminlas and thesibias. Among these, they are an early offshoot, orbasal lineage.[2]
Speciation in the group is thought to have begun with the ancestral species originating somewhere in southern China, makingL. steerii the basal species. The lineage consisting ofL. ripponi andL. phoenicea are thought to have had a split in the Pleistocene (0.07–1.88 Ma) with a similar split of the other lineage leading toL. bugunorum andL. omeiensis separated by the Hengduan mountains.[3]
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| Phylogeny of the genus.[3] |
The genus contains five species:[4]
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liocichla phoenicea | Red-faced liocichla | Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Northeast India, Nepal and western Yunnan. |
| Liocichla ripponi | Scarlet-faced liocichla | Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and southern China. | |
| Liocichla omeiensis | Emei Shan liocichla | Sichuan, China. | |
 | Liocichla bugunorum | Bugun liocichla | Arunachal Pradesh, India |
.jpg) | Liocichla steerii | Steere's liocichla | Taiwan. |
