The genus
Heleia was introduced in 1865 by the German ornithologist
Gustav Hartlaub to accommodate the
Timor heleia. The name is from
Ancient Greek eleia, an unidentified small bird mentioned by the Greek scholar
Callimachus. The genus contains ten species: •
Javan heleia,
Heleia javanica – montane
Java and
Bali •
Grey-hooded heleia,
Heleia pinaiae – montane central
Seram (central east
Moluccas) •
Pygmy heleia,
Heleia squamifrons –
Borneo •
Mindanao heleia,
Heleia goodfellowi – montane
Mindanao (south Philippines) •
Sulawesi heleia,
Heleia squamiceps – montane
Sulawesi •
Eyebrowed heleia,
Heleia superciliaris – montane
Sumbawa and
Flores (west, central
Lesser Sunda Islands) •
Crested heleia,
Heleia dohertyi –
Sumbawa to
Flores (west, central
Lesser Sunda Islands) •
Timor heleia,
Heleia muelleri –
Timor (east
Lesser Sunda Islands) •
Thick-billed heleia,
Heleia crassirostris –
Sumbawa and
Flores (west, central
Lesser Sunda Islands) •
Yellow-spectacled heleia,
Heleia wallacei –
Sumbawa to
Sumba and
Lembata (west, central
Lesser Sunda Islands) ==References==