Heterophasia, the sibias, is a genus of passerine birds in the laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae. They are found from the Himalayas to southern China and Sumatra.
Taxonomy The genus Heterophasia was introduced in 1842 by the English zoologist Edward Blyth to accommodate a single species, Heterophasia cuculopsis Blyth, 1842. This is the type species by monotypy. The species is a junior synonym of Sibia picaoides, the long-tailed sibia, that had been described by Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1839. The name Heterophasia combines the Ancient Greek ἑτερος/heteros meaning "different" with φασις/phasis meaning "appearance".
Species The genus contains seven species: Image Common name Scientific name DistributionLong-tailed sibiaHeterophasia picaoidesHimalayas to SumatraWhite-eared sibiaHeterophasia auricularismontane oak forest of TaiwanRufous sibiaHeterophasia capistrataHimalayasBeautiful sibiaHeterophasia pulchellanortheast India to southeast Tibet, north Myanmar and central south ChinaGrey sibiaHeterophasia gracilismontane forest of northeastern India, Myanmar, and southern China (western Yunnan)Dark-backed sibiaHeterophasia melanoleucaMainland Southeast AsiaBlack-headed sibiaHeterophasia desgodinsisouth China and north Vietnam
References
Collar, N. J. & Robson C. (2007). Family Picathartidae (Picathartes) pp. 70 – 291 in; del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Christie, D.A. eds. Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 12. Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.