Anthreptes

These small birds are found in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Greater Sunda Islands, the Philippines and western Wallacea. Most species show marked sexual dichromatism with the male having more brightly coloured plumage.

Taxonomy

The genus Anthreptes was introduced in 1832 by the English zoologist William Swainson with Cynniris javanica Swainson as the type species and only species in the genus. The name Cynniris javanica is a junior synonym of Certhia malacensis that had been introduced in 1786 by Austrian naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek ανθος/anthos meaning "flower" or "blossom" with θρεπτης/threptēs meaning "feeder".