Piprites


Piprites is a genus of bird currently placed in the family Tyrannidae. Prior to 1971, the genus was placed in the family Pipridae; its designation was initially changed based on morphological evidence, and genetic evidence confirmed its placement in 2009. In 2013, it was proposed that Piprites was to be placed in the unique family Pipritinae. The proposition was declined by the Comité de Clasificación de Sudamérica, a part of the American Ornithological Society, and the proposed family was changed to be a unique subfamily of the genus. The genus is composed of three species native to the neotropical realm, with distributions ranging from the Caribbean coast of Guatemala, Central America, and southeastern Argentina.

Etymology

The generic name Piprites is derived from the Greek πιπρα, meaning "small bird" and originally associated with the great spotted woodpecker and the various Neotropical manakins. The suffix ῑ́της is also Greek and denotes "resembling" or "similar to", denoting the genus' similarity to the manakins.

Species

The genus Piprites contains 3 species:
ImageScientific nameCommon nameDistribution
Piprites chlorisWing-barred pipritesArgentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Piprites griseicepsGrey-headed pipritesCosta Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
Piprites pileataBlack-capped pipritessoutheastern Brazil and northeastern Argentina