Nyctanassa Explained
See also: Nycticorax.
Nyctanassa is a genus of night herons from the Americas, especially (but not exclusively) warmer coastal regions. They were formerly included in the genus Nycticorax, but today all major authorities recognize them as distinct.
Taxonomy
The genus Nyctanassa was introduced in 1887 by the Norwegian born zoologist Leonhard Stejneger to accommodate a single species, the yellow-crowned night heron, which is therefore the type species.[1] [2] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek nux meaning "night" with anassa meaning "queen" or "lady".[3]
Species
The genus contains the following two species:[4]
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
|---|
| Nyctanassa carcinocatactes (extinct) | Bermuda night heron | Bermuda. |
| Nyctanassa violacea | Yellow-crowned night heron | south Florida, the Gulf Coast (Louisiana to Alabama), and the eastern Texas coast; Mexico, Central America, Galápagos - Ecuador, the Caribbean and northern South America (south to Peru and Brazil in coastal regions) |
|
Further reading
- Web site: Check-list of North American Birds . 1998–2006 . 2007-07-29 . American Ornithologists' Union . https://web.archive.org/web/20070723080155/http://www.aou.org/checklist/index.php3 . 2007-07-23.
- Book: Holloway, Joel Ellis . 2003 . Dictionary of Birds of the United States: Scientific and Common Names . Timber Press . 134 . 0-88192-600-0.
- Web site: The Internet Bird Collection . Handbook of the Birds of the World . 2007-07-29.
- Peterson, Alan P. (Editor). 1999. Zoological Nomenclature Resource (Zoonomen). Accessed 2007-7-29.
- Remsen, J. V., Jr., C. D. Cadena, A. Jaramillo, M. Nores, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, T. S. Schulenberg, F. G. Stiles, D. F. Stotz, and K. J. Zimmer. [Version 2007-07-29.] A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithologists' Union. Accessed 2007-04-10.
Notes and References
- Stejneger . Leonhard . Leonhard Stejneger . 1887 . Review of Japanese birds: V. Ibises, storks, and herons . Proceedings of the United States National Museum . 10 . 271–319 [295, Footnote] .
- Book: Mayr . Ernst . Ernst Mayr . Cottrell . G. William . 1979 . Check-List of Birds of the World . 1 . 2nd . Museum of Comparative Zoology . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 227 .
- Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 277 .
- Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela C. Rasmussen . December 2023 . Ibis, spoonbills, herons, Hamerkop, Shoebill, pelicans . IOC World Bird List Version 14.1 . International Ornithologists' Union . 4 August 2024 .
