Leiothrix is a genus of passerine birds in the family Leiothrichidae. They belong to a clade also containing at least the liocichlas, barwings, minlas and sibias. The sibias are possibly their closest living relatives.
Taxonomy The genus Leiothrix was introduced in 1832 by the English naturalist William Swainson with the red-billed leiothrix as the type species. The title page bears the year 1831 but the volume was not published until 1832. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek leios meaning "smooth" and thrix meaning "hair".
The genus contains two species:
Some authors have split silver-eared mesia into two species, L. argentauris in mainland Asia, and Sumatram mesia L. laurinae (with rookmakeri as a subspecies of it) on Sumatra, but this has not been followed by either the IOC World Bird List or the AviList.
Because of their plumage and song, they are frequently kept as cagebirds..
References
Collar, N. J. & Robson C. 2007. Family Timaliidae (Babblers) pp. 70 – 291 in; del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Christie, D.A. eds. Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 12. Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.