Stenostiridae – Fairy Flycatchers
Stenostiridae, or the fairy flycatchers, are a family of small passerine birds proposed as a result of recent discoveries in molecular systematics. They are also referred to as stenostirid warblers.They were formerly allotted to two different flycatcher and one warbler family but were re-assigned after DNA sequencing. This new clade is named after the fairy flycatcher, a distinct species placed formerly in the Old World flycatchers. This is united with the ‘sylvioid flycatchers’: the genus Elminia (formerly placed in the Monarchinae) and the closely allied former Old World flycatcher genus Culicicapa, as well as one species formerly believed to be an aberrant fantail.
Other African or Asian species might conceivably fall into this novel clade. The tit-flycatchers (Myioparus) are apparently true flycatchers morphologically somewhat convergent to Stenostira.
The Stenostiridae as a whole are related to penduline tits, titmice and chickadees. All these appear to be closer to the Sylvioidea than to other Passerida.
The list below contains all 9 species generally agreed to be in this group as at December 2016. They are:
Fairy Flycatcher Stenostira scita
Yellow-bellied Fantail Chelidorhynx hypoxantha
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis
Citrine Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa helianthea
African Blue-Flycatcher Elminia longicauda
White-tailed Blue-Flycatcher Elminia albicauda
Dusky Crested-Flycatcher Elminia nigromitrata
White-bellied Crested-Flycatcher Elminia albiventris
White-tailed Crested-Flycatcher Elminia albonotata
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African Blue-Flycatcher Elminia longicauda
Species AccountThe African blue flycatcher or Blue-crested flyctacher (Elminia longicauda) is a species of bird in the Stenostiridae family from western and central Sub-Saharan Africa. -
African Blue-Flycatcher Elminia longicauda
IUCN Species StatusThis species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion. -
African Blue-Flycatcher Elminia longicauda
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Citrine Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa helianthea
Species AccountThe citrine canary-flycatcher (Culicicapa helianthea) is a species of bird in the family Stenostiridae. The term citrine refers to its yellowish colouration. It is found in Indonesia and the Philippines. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. -
Citrine Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa helianthea
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Dusky Crested-flycatcher Elminia nigromitrata
Species AccountThe dusky crested flycatcher (Elminia nigromitrata) is a species of bird in the Stenostiridae family. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. -
Dusky Crested-flycatcher Elminia nigromitrata
IUCN Species StatusThe global population size has not been quantified, but the species is reported to be uncommon to frequent (Urban et al. 1997). -
Fairy Flycatcher Stenostira scita
ImagePhoto's -
Fairy Flycatcher Stenostira scita
Species AccountIt is an endemic resident breeder in southern Africa in Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho and Namibia, and a vagrant to Zimbabwe and Swaziland. -
Fairy Flycatcher Stenostira scita
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis
Species AccountThe grey-headed canary-flycatcher sometimes known as the grey-headed flycatcher (Culicicapa ceylonensis) is a species of small flycatcher-like bird found in tropical Asia. It has a square crest, a grey hood and yellow underparts... -
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
White-bellied Crested-Flycatcher Elminia albiventris
Species AccountThe white-bellied crested flycatcher (Elminia albiventris) is a bird species in the family Stenostiridae; it was formerly placed with the drongos in the Dicruridae. -
White-bellied Crested-Flycatcher Elminia albiventris
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
White-tailed Blue-Flycatcher Elminia albicauda
Species AccountThe white-tailed blue flycatcher (Elminia albicauda) is a species of bird in the Stenostiridae family. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. -
White-tailed Blue-Flycatcher Elminia albicauda
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
White-tailed Crested-Flycatcher Elminia albonotata
Species AccountThe white-tailed crested flycatcher (Elminia albonotata) is a species of bird in the flycatcher family Stenostiridae. It has a discontinuous distribution in eastern Africa. There are three subspecies, E. a. albonotata of central Kenya, and Uganda through to south west Tanzania; E. a. subvaerulea, which ranges from southern Kenya to Malawi and E. a. swynnertoni of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. -
White-tailed Crested-Flycatcher Elminia albonotata
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Yellow-bellied Fantail Chelidorhynx hypoxantha
Species AccountThe yellow-bellied fantail (Chelidorhynx hypoxantha), also known as the yellow-bellied fairy-fantail, is found in the Indian subcontinent, the Himalayas, and portions of Southeast Asia including Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar. -
Yellow-bellied Fantail Chelidorhynx hypoxantha
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map
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Number of bird species: 9