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.
Species List
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
Species Links
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African Blue-Flycatcher Elminia longicauda
BirdLife Species Account -
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
HBW Species AccountTaxonomy: Myiagra longicauda Swainson, 1838, Senegal.Forms a superspecies with E. albicauda; the two have been placed in a genus Errannornis, but differences considered insufficient to merit generic separation. Two subspecies recognized. -
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
BirdLife Species Account -
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
HBW Species AccountTaxonomy: Muscicapa helianthea Wallace, 1865, Manado, Sulawesi. Affinities unclear; some DNA studies have suggested that genus belongs with the Australasian robins in family Petroicidae. Birds in Sula Is (off E Sulawesi) provisionally included in nominate race but may represent a previously undescribed race. Five subspecies currently recognized. -
Citrine Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa helianthea
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Dusky Crested-Flycatcher Elminia nigromitrata
HBW Species AccountTaxonomy: Terpsiphone nigromitrata Reichenow, 1874, Cameroon River, Cameroon. Has been placed in genus Trochocercus. Forms a superspecies with E. albiventris and E. albonotata; has been considered conspecific with former. Two subspecies recognized. -
Dusky Crested-flycatcher Elminia nigromitrata
BirdLife Species Account -
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
BirdLife Species AccountThis species has a large range, with an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 240,000 km². The global population size has not been quantified, but it is believed to be large as the species is described as 'frequent' in at least parts of its range (Urban et al. 1997)… -
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
HBW Species Account -
Fairy Flycatcher Stenostira scita
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis
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
BirdLife Species Account -
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis
HBW Species AccountTaxonomy: Platyrhynchus Ceylonensis Swainson, 1820, Sri Lanka. Affinities unclear; some DNA studies have suggested that genus belongs with the Australasian robins in family Petroicidae. Racial identity of birds on Sumbawa and Lembata (Lesser Sundas) uncertain, provisionally included in sejuncta. Five subspecies recognized. -
White-bellied Crested-Flycatcher Elminia albiventris
BirdLife Species Account -
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
HBW Species AccountTaxonomy: Trochocercus albiventris Sjöstedt, 1893, Mount Cameroon, Cameroon. Has been placed in genus Trochocercus. Forms a superspecies with E. nigromitrata and E. albonotata; has been considered conspecific with former. Two subspecies recognized. -
White-bellied Crested-Flycatcher Elminia albiventris
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
White-tailed Blue-Flycatcher Elminia albicauda
HBW Species AccountMap. images etc -
White-tailed Blue-Flycatcher Elminia albicauda
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
BirdLife Species Account -
White-tailed Crested-Flycatcher Elminia albonotata
BirdLife Species Account -
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
HBW Species AccountTaxonomy: Trochocercus albonotatus Sharpe, 1891, Mount Elgon, Uganda and west Kenya.Has been placed in genus Trochocercus, but recent evidence indicates closer relationship with present genus. Forms a superspecies with E. nigromitrata and E. albiventris. Three subspecies recognized. -
White-tailed Crested-Flycatcher Elminia albonotata
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map -
Yellow-bellied Fantail Chelidorhynx hypoxantha
BirdLife Species Account -
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
HBW Species AccountTaxonomy: Rhipidura hypoxantha Blyth, 1843, Darjeeling, India.Sometimes segregated in its own genus Chelidorhynx. Monotypic. -
Yellow-bellied Fantail Chelidorhynx hypoxantha
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map
Number of Species
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Number of bird species: 9