Monarch Flycatchers
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Monarchidae
The Monarchinae are a relatively recent grouping of a number of seemingly very different birds, mostly from the southern hemisphere, which are more closely related than they at first appear. Many of the approximately 140 species making up the family were previously assigned to other groups, largely on the basis of general morphology or behaviour. With the new insights generated by the DNA-DNA hybridisation studies of Sibley and his co-workers toward the end of the 20th century, however, it became clear that these apparently unrelated birds were all descended from a common ancestor. The Monarchinae are small to medium-sized insectivorous passerines, many of which hunt by flycatching. 3 species endemic to Hawaii represents the group.
Kauai Elepaio, Chasiempis sclateri
Oahu Elepaio, Chasiempis ibidis
Hawaii Elepaio, Chasiempis sandwichensis
Read more about this topic: List Of Birds Of The United States
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