| Melanotis | |
|---|---|
) | |
| Blue mockingbird (Melanotis caerulescens) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Mimidae |
| Genus: | Melanotis Bonaparte, 1850 |
| Species | |
| M. caerulescens | |
Melanotis is a genus of bird in the family Mimidae. It contains the following species:
- Blue mockingbird (Melanotis caerulescens)
- Blue-and-white mockingbird (Melanotis hypoleucus)
Etymology
The word Melanotis is derived from the Ancient Greek roots melano-/μελανο- "black" and ot-/ὠτ- "ear".[1]
Description
The two Melanotis species are the world's most brightly colored mockingbirds.[2]
References
- ^ Liddell, Henry George and Robert Scott (1980). A Greek-English Lexicon (Abridged Edition). United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. pp. 431, 507. ISBN 0-19-910207-4.
- ^ Alderfer, Jonathan (2009). National Geographic Complete Birds of the World. National Geographic Books. p. 310. ISBN 1-4262-0403-5.