Calyptophilus

Calyptophilus is a genus of birds that are endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

Calyptophilus
Eastern chat-tanager (Calyptophilus frugivorus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Superfamily:	Emberizoidea
Family:	Calyptophilidae Ridgway, 1907
Genus:	Calyptophilus Cory, 1884
Type species
Phoenicophilus frugivorus[1] Cory, 1883

Taxonomy

The genus formerly placed in the family Thraupidae. The group was found to be distinct enough to be placed in its own family, Calyptophilidae. Established by Charles Barney Cory in 1884, it contains the following species:^[2]

• Western chat-tanager, Calyptophilus tertius
• Eastern chat-tanager, Calyptophilus frugivorus

These two species were formerly considered conspecific under C. frugivorus (with the common name of chat-tanager).

The name Calyptophilus comes from the Greek words kaluptēs, meaning "hider" (derived from kaluptō, meaning "to cover") and philos, meaning "loving" (derived from phileō, meaning "to love"), referring to the birds' elusive nature.^[3]

Genetic Connection

Researchers conducted a study of molecular phylogeography by utilizing a coalescent study, which resulted in all four genetic markers demonstrating substantial allele sharing within each of the two groups. This indicates that several of the now separated montane groups are suggested not to have been isolated not too long ago.^[4]