Liocichla


The liocichlas are a group of birds in the genus of the same name, Liocichla, from the family Leiothrichidae. They are found in Asia from India to China. They belong to a clade also containing at least the Leiothrix, the barwings, the minlas and the sibias. The Liocichla radiation likely began sometime between the mid-Miocene and the Miocene-Pliocene boundary.

Taxonomy

L. steerii, endemic to the island of Taiwan, is the sister species to all other species in the genus. Molecular evidence also indicates that an L. phoenicea/L. ripponi clade is sister to an L. bugunorum/L. omeiensis clade, and suggests a complex biogeographic history in the group.

Species

The genus contains five species:
ImageScientific nameCommon nameDistribution
Liocichla phoeniceaRed-faced liocichlaBangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Northeast India, Nepal and western Yunnan.
Liocichla ripponiScarlet-faced liocichlaMyanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and southern China.
Liocichla omeiensisEmei Shan liocichlaSichuan, China.
Liocichla bugunorumBugun liocichlaArunachal Pradesh, India
Liocichla steeriiSteere's liocichlaTaiwan.