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Nyctanassa

Nyctanassa
Yellow-crowned night heron (N. violacea)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae
Subfamily: Ardeinae
Genus: Nyctanassa
Stejneger, 1887
Type species
Ardea violacea
Linnaeus, 1758
Species

N. violacea
N. carcinocatactes

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

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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

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The genus contains the following two species, of which only one is still extant:[4]

Image Scientific name Common Name Distribution
Nyctanassa violacea Yellow-crowned night heron United States (South Florida, Gulf Coast, and eastern Texas), Mexico, Central America, Galápagos, the Caribbean and northern South America (south to Peru and Brazil)
Nyctanassa carcinocatactes Bermuda night heron Bermuda; extinct

References

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  1. ^ Stejneger, Leonhard (1887). "Review of Japanese birds: V. Ibises, storks, and herons". Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 10 (628): 271–319 [295, Footnote]. doi:10.5479/si.00963801.10-628.271.
  2. ^ Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1979). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 227.
  3. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 277. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  4. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (December 2023). "Ibis, spoonbills, herons, Hamerkop, Shoebill, pelicans". IOC World Bird List Version 14.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 4 August 2024.

Further reading

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