Melanocharis
| Melanocharis | |
|---|---|
| Black berrypecker (Melanocharis nigra) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Melanocharitidae |
| Genus: | Melanocharis P.L. Sclater, 1858 |
| Type species | |
| Dicaeum niger[1] Lesson, 1830
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Rhamphocharis Salvadori, 1876 | |
Melanocharis is a genus of birds in the berrypecker and longbill family Melanocharitidae that are endemic to New Guinea.
Taxonomy
The genus Melanocharis was introduced in 1858 by the English zoologist Philip Sclater to accommodate a single species, Dicaeum niger Lesson, the black berrypecker. This is the type species.[2][3] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek μελας/melas, μελανος/melanos meaning "black" with χαρις/kharis, χαριτος/kharitos meaning "beauty".[4]
A molecular genetic study published in 2021 found that the spotted berrypecker, then placed in the genus Rhamphocharis, was embedded in Melanocharis.[5] Base on this result, the genus Rhamphocharis was subsumed into Melanocharis.[6]
Species
The genus contains the following eight species:[6]
- Obscure berrypecker, Melanocharis arfakiana
- Black berrypecker, Melanocharis nigra
- Mid-mountain berrypecker, Melanocharis longicauda
- Fan-tailed berrypecker, Melanocharis versteri
- Satin berrypecker, Melanocharis citreola
- Streaked berrypecker, Melanocharis striativentris
- Thick-billed berrypecker, Melanocharis crassirostris
- Spotted berrypecker, Melanocharis piperata
References
- ^ "Melanocharitidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
- ^ Sclater, Philip (1858). "On the zoology of New Guinea". Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society. Zoology. 2: 149-170 [157].
- ^ Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1986). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 12. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 167.
- ^ Jobling, James A. "Melanocharis". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ Milá, B.; Bruxaux, J.; Friis, G.; Sam, K.; Ashari, H.; Thébaud, C. (2021). "A new, undescribed species of Melanocharis berrypecker from western New Guinea and the evolutionary history of the family Melanocharitidae". Ibis. 163 (4): 1310–1329. doi:10.1111/ibi.12981. hdl:10261/246638.
- ^ a b AviList Core Team (2025). "AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025". doi:10.2173/avilist.v2025. Retrieved 18 November 2025.