Sunbittern

Sunbittern
Temporal range: Early Eocene to present
on Cristalino River
Southern Amazon, Brazil
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Eurypygiformes
Family: Eurypygidae
Selby, 1840
Genus: Eurypyga
Illiger, 1811
Species:
E. helias
Binomial name
Eurypyga helias
(Pallas, 1781)
Sunbittern range
Synonyms[2]
  • Ardea helias Pallas, 1781
  • Eurypyx helias

The sunbittern (Eurypyga helias) is a bittern-like bird of tropical regions of the Americas, and the sole member of the family Eurypygidae (sometimes spelled Eurypigidae) and genus Eurypyga. It is found in Central and South America, and has three subspecies. The sunbittern shows both morphological and molecular similarities with the kagu (Rhynochetos jubatus) of New Caledonia, indicating a Gondwanan origin, both species being placed in the clade Eurypygiformes.[3]

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2020). "Eurypyga helias". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22691893A163625651. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22691893A163625651.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Eurypyga helias (Pallas, 1781)". GBIF—the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  3. ^ del Hoyo, J. Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (editors). (1996) Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 3: Hoatzin to Auks. Lynx Edicions. ISBN 84-87334-20-2