NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
White-breasted Mesite
Mesitornis variegatus (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1838)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The white-breasted mesite or white-breasted roatelo (Mesitornis variegatus) is a ground-dwelling bird endemic to Madagascar. One of three species in the mesite family, Mesitornithidae, it is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It has a small population and is restricted to five sites in the north and west of the island, and one in the east.
Wikipedia contributors, White-breasted mesite; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:51:00.010212+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Mesitornis variegatus (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1838)
- Name authority
- (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1838)
- Common name
- White-breasted Mesite
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Mesitornithiformes
- Family
- Mesitornithidae
- Genus
- Mesitornis
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderMesitornithiformes
- familyMesitornithidae
- genusMesitornis Bonaparte, 1855
- speciesMesitornis variegatus (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1838)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Mesitornis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Brown MesiteMesitornis unicolor (des Murs, 1845) | MesitornithidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Mesites variegata I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1838 I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1838 | synonym |
| Mesitornis variegata (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1838) (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1838) | synonym |
| Mesoenas variegata (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1838) (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1838) | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=707807 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3ZZRP. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.