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Brachypteryx

Brachypteryx is a genus of birds, containing three species known as shortwings, that occurs in southeast Asia. They are colourful medium-sized mostly insectivorous birds. Brachypteryx was previously placed in the thrush family Turdidae but in 2010 two separate molecular phylogenetic studies found that species in the genus were more closely related to members of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.

The genus contains the following species:

  • Rusty-bellied shortwing, Brachypteryx hyperythra
  • Lesser shortwing, Brachypteryx leucophrys
  • White-browed shortwing, Brachypteryx montana
  • Gould's shortwing, Brachypteryx stellata

Whilst the white-browed and rusty-bellied shortwings show strong sexual plumage dimorphism, the lesser shortwing is sexually monomorphic.

Three other species were formerly placed in Brachypteryx:

  • Great shortwing, Heinrichia calligyna
  • Nilgiri blue robin or Nilgiri shortwing Myiomela major