| Stagonopleura | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Beautiful firetail (Stagonopleura bella) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Estrildidae |
| Genus: | Stagonopleura Reichenbach, 1850 |
| Type species | |
| Loxia guttata diamond firetail Shaw, 1796 | |
| Species | |
S. bella | |
Stagonopleura is agenus of small seed-eating birds in the familyEstrildidae that are native to Australia.
The species are similar in appearance, with short red bills, brown upperparts, red rumps and uppertail coverts, and barred or spotted underparts. The informal name offiretails refers to the rich crimson colour at the rump, a prominent characteristic of the genus.[1]
The genusStagonopleura was introduced by the German naturalistLudwig Reichenbach in 1850.[2] The genus name combines theAncient Greekstagōn meaning "spot" withpleura meaning "side" or "flank".[3] Thetype species was designated as thediamond firetail in 1851 byJean Cabanis.[4][5]
The three species in the genus are:[6]
| Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond firetail
| Stagonopleura guttata (Shaw, 1796) | Eastern Australia from the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, to south-eastern Queensland, often on the slopes of the Great Dividing Range | Size: Habitat: Diet: | VU |
| Beautiful firetail
| Stagonopleura bella (Latham, 1801) | Southeast of Australia; Tasmania | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
| Red-eared firetail
| Stagonopleura oculata (Quoy & Gaimard, 1832) | Southwest Australia | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
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