Monarcha

Monarcha is a genus of bird in the family Monarchidae. They are found in Australia and Melanesia.

Monarcha
Black-faced monarch (Monarcha melanopsis)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Monarchidae
Genus:	Monarcha Vigors & Horsfield, 1827
Type species
Muscipeta carinata[1] Swainson, 1830
Synonyms
Monarcharses Monarches

Taxonomy and systematics

The genus Monarcha was introduced by naturalists Nicholas Vigors and Thomas Horsfield in 1827 with the black-faced monarch (Monarcha melanopsis) as the type species.^[2][3] The genus formerly included many more species. Based on the results of a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2005 nineteen species were moved to the resurrected genus Symposiachrus and three to Carterornis.^[4][5]

Extant species

The genus Monarcha contains the following seven species:^[5]

Image	Common Name	Scientific name	Distribution
	Island monarch	Monarcha cinerascens	Sulawesi to the Solomon Islands.
	Black-faced monarch	Monarcha melanopsis	Australia and New Guinea
	Black-winged monarch	Monarcha frater	Australia and New Guinea
	Chestnut-bellied monarch includes Bougainville monarch	Monarcha castaneiventris	Solomon Islands.
	White-capped monarch	Monarcha richardsii	Western Province in the Solomon Islands.
	Yap monarch	Monarcha godeffroyi	Yap Main Islands, Micronesia.
	Tinian monarch	Monarcha takatsukasae	Northern Mariana Islands.

Former species

Formerly, some authorities also considered the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus Monarcha:

• Black-naped monarch (as Monarcha azurea)^[6]
• Rarotonga monarch (as Monarches dimidiatus)^[7]
• Marquesan monarch (as Monarcha mendozae)^[8]
• Black monarch (as Monarcha axillaris)^[9]
• Black-bibbed monarch (as Monarcha mundus)^[10]
• Flores monarch (as Monarcha sacerdotum)^[11]
• Boano monarch (as Monarcha boanensis)^[12]
• Spectacled monarch (as Monarcha trivirgatus)^[13]
• Spectacled monarch (Seram) (as Monarcha nigrimentum)^[14]
• Spectacled monarch (bernsteinii) (as Monarcha bernsteini)^[15]
• Spectacled monarch (melanopterus) (as Monarcha melanoptera)^[16]
• Spectacled monarch (albiventris) (as Monarcha albiventris)^[17]
• Spectacled monarch (gouldii) (as Monarcha gouldii)^[18]
• Kai monarch (as Monarcha leucurus)^[19]
• Tanahjampea monarch (as Monarcha everetti)^[20]
• Kofiau monarch (as Monarcha julianae)^[21]
• Biak monarch (as Monarcha brehmii)^[22]
• Manus monarch (as Monarcha infelix)^[23]
• Mussau monarch (as Monarcha menckei)^[24]
• Black-tailed monarch (as Monarcha verticalis)^[25]
• Djaul monarch (as Monarcha ateralba)^[26]
• Solomons monarch (as Monarcha barbata)^[27]
• Malaita monarch (as Monarcha malaitae)^[28]
• Kolombangara monarch (as Monarcha browni or Monarcha kulambangrae)^[29]
• Kolombangara monarch (nigrotectus) (as Monarcha nigrotectus)^[30]
• White-collared monarch (as Monarcha vidua or Monarcha viduus)^[31]
• White-eared monarch (as Monarcha leucotis)^[32]
• White-naped monarch (as Monarcha pileatus)^[33]
• White-naped monarch (buruensis) (as Monarcha buruensis)^[34]
• Tanimbar monarch (as Monarcha castus)^[35]
• Golden monarch (as Monarcha chrysomela)^[36]
• Golden monarch (aruensis) (as Monarcha aruensis)^[37]
• Golden monarch (melanonotus) (as Monarcha melanonotus)^[38]
• Golden monarch (kordensis) (as Monarcha kordensis)^[39]
• Ochre-collared monarch (as Monarcha insularis)^[40]
• Shining flycatcher (as Monarcha alecto)^[41]
• Velvet flycatcher (as Monarcha hebetior)^[42]