Mimus
Mimus is a bird genus in the family Mimidae. It contains the typical mockingbirds. In 2007, the genus Nesomimus was merged into Mimus by the American Ornithologists' Union.[1] The genus name is Latin for "mimic".[2]
| Mimus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chilean mockingbird (M. thenca) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Mimidae |
| Genus: | Mimus F. Boie, 1826 |
| Species | |
|
14 recognized species, see article. | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Nesomimus Ridgway, 1890 | |
The following species are placed here:
- Brown-backed mockingbird, Mimus dorsalis
- Bahama mockingbird, Mimus gundlachii
- Long-tailed mockingbird, Mimus longicaudatus
- Patagonian mockingbird, Mimus patagonicus
- Chilean mockingbird, Mimus thenca
- White-banded mockingbird, Mimus triurus
- Northern mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos
- Socorro mockingbird, Mimus graysoni
- Tropical mockingbird, Mimus gilvus
- Chalk-browed mockingbird, Mimus saturninus
The Nesomimus group includes the following species endemic to the Galápagos Islands:
- Hood mockingbird, Mimus macdonaldi
- Galápagos mockingbird, Mimus parvulus
- Floreana mockingbird or Charles mockingbird, Mimus trifasciatus
- San Cristóbal mockingbird, Mimus melanotis
The Nesomimus group is endemic to the Galápagos Islands. These mockingbirds were important in Charles Darwin's development of the theory of evolution by natural selection.
References
- American Ornithologists' Union, changes since 2005
- Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 255. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
External links
- Darwin's Mockingbirds; a site about the Nesomimus group run by Professor Robert L. Curry of Villanova University.
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