font settings

Font Size: Large | Normal | Small
Font Face: Verdana | Geneva | Georgia

Fringillidae

(Family)

Overview

[ Back to top ]

The true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to the Northern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily ? monotypic at genus level ? is found only in the Palaearctic. The scientific name Fringillidae comes from the Latin word fringilla for the Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) ? a member of that last subfamily ? which is common in Europe.

Many birds in other families are also commonly called "finches", including some species in the very similar-looking waxbills or estrildid finches (family Passeridae, subfamily ) of the Old World tropics and Australia; several groups of the bunting and American sparrow family (Emberizidae); and Darwin's finches of the Galapagos islands, which provided evidence of natural selection and are now recognized to be peculiar tanagers (Thraupidae).[1]

Description

[ Back to top ]
Beak and tongue shapes of the Drepanidinae

The "classical" true finches range in size from the Andean Siskin (Carduelis spinescens) at 9.5 cm (3.8 in) and 8.4 g (0.3 oz) to the Collared Grosbeak (Mycerobas affinis) with its nearly 23 cm (9 in) and 80 g (3 oz). They typically have strong, stubby beaks, which in some species can be quite large; however, Hawaiian honeycreepers are famous for the wide range of bill shapes and sizes brought about by adaptive radiation. All true finches have 12 remiges and 9 primary rectrices. The basic plumage color is brownish, sometimes greenish; many have considerable amounts of black, while white plumage is generally absent except as wing-bars or other signalling marks. Bright yellow and red carotenoid pigments are commonplace in this family, and thus blue structural colors are rather rare, as the yellow pigments turn the blue color into green. Many, but by no means all true finches have strong sexual dichromatism, the females typically lacking the bright carotenoid markings of males.[1]

Finches are typically inhabitants of well-wooded areas, but some can be found on mountains or even in deserts. They are primarily granivorous, but euphoniines include considerable amounts of arthropods and berries in their diet, and Hawaiian honeycreepers evolved to utilize a wide range of food sources, including nectar. The diet of Fringillidae nestlings includes a varying amount of small arthropods. True finches have a bouncing flight like most small passerines, alternating bouts of flapping with gliding on closed wings. Most sing well and several are commonly seen cagebirds; foremost among these is the domesticated Canary (Serinus canaria domestica). The nests are basket-shaped and usually built in trees, more rarely in bushes, between rocks or on similar substrate.[1]

Systematics and taxonomy

[ Back to top ]
Finch egg next to American dime for size comparison

The taxonomic structure of the true finch family, Fringillidae, has been fairly disputed in the past, with some upranking the Hawaiian honeycreepers (Drepanidinae) as family Drepanididae and/or uniting the cardueline and fringilline finches as tribes (Carduelini and Fringillini) in one subfamily; the euphonious finches (Euphoniinae) were thought to be tanagers due to general similarity in appearance and mode of life until their real affinities were realized. In particular North American auth ors have often merged the buntings and American sparrow family (Emberizidae) ? and sometimes the bulk of the nine-primaried oscines ? with the split-up Fringillidae as subfamilies of a single massive family. But the current understanding of Passeroidea phylogeny is better reflected in keeping the fundamental nine-primaried oscine clades as distinct families. However, Przewalski's "Rosefinch" (Urocynchramus pylzowi) is now classified as a distinct family, monotypic as to genus and species, and with no particularly close relatives among the Passeroidea.[2]

Fossil remains of true finches are rare, and those that are known can mostly be assigned to extant genera at least. Like the other Passeroidea families, the true finches seem to be of roughly Middle Miocene origin, around 20-10 million years ago (Ma). An unidentifable finch fossil from the Messinian age, around 12 to 7.3 million years ago (Ma) during the Late Miocene subepoch, has been found at Polg?rdi in Hungary.[3]

Subfamilies and genera

Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes), one of the Holarctic grosbeaks
Cassin's Finch ("Carpodacus" cassinii) is not part of the genus Carpodacus proper
Pallas' Rosefinch (Carpodacus roseus), a true rosefinch
Hooded Siskin (Carduelis (Spinus) magellanica)
?I?iwi (Vestiaria coccinea), a Hawaiian honeycreeper
Male Violaceous Euphonia (Euphonia violacea)

The systematics of the cardueline finches are contentious. The layout presented here follows the recent decades' molecular phylogenetic studies, and takes into account the traditional splitting of the genus Carduelis. The exact position of several genera in the cardueline sequence is tentative.[4]

Footnotes

[ Back to top ]
  1. ^ a b c Newton (1973), Clement et al. (1993)
  2. ^ Clement et al. (1993), Groth (2000), J?nsson & Fjelds? (2006), Arnaiz-Villena et al. (2007)
  3. ^ H?r et al. (2001), Ml?kovsk? (2002)
  4. ^ Marten & Johnson (1986), Arnaiz-Villena et al. (1998, 2001, 2007, 2008)
p>

The true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to the Northern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily ? monotypic at genus level ? is found only in the Palaearctic. The scientific name Fringillidae comes from the Latin word fringilla for the Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) ? a member of that last subfamily ? which is common in Europe.

Many birds in other families are also commonly called "finches", including some species in the very similar-looking waxbills or estrildid finches (family Passeridae, subfamily ) of the Old World tropics and Australia; several groups of the bunting and American sparrow family (Emberizidae); and Darwin's finches of the Galapagos islands, which provided evidence of natural selection and are now recognized to be peculiar tanagers (Thraupidae).[1]

Description

[ Back to top ]
Beak and tongue shapes of the Drepanidinae

The "classical" true finches range in size from the Andean Siskin (Carduelis spinescens) at 9.5 cm (3.8 in) and 8.4 g (0.3 oz) to the Collared Grosbeak (Mycerobas affinis) with its nearly 23 cm (9 in) and 80 g (3 oz). They typically have strong, stubby beaks, which in some species can be quite large; however, Hawaiian honeycreepers are famous for the wide range of bill shapes and sizes brought about by adaptive radiation. All true finches have 12 remiges and 9 primary rectrices. The basic plumage color is brownish, sometimes greenish; many have considerable amounts of black, while white plumage is generally absent except as wing-bars or other signalling marks. Bright yellow and red carotenoid pigments are commonplace in this family, and thus blue structural colors are rather rare, as the yellow pigments turn the blue color into green. Many, but by no means all true finches have strong sexual dichromatism, the females typically lacking the bright carotenoid markings of males.[1]

Finches are typically inhabitants of well-wooded areas, but some can be found on mountains or even in deserts. They are primarily granivorous, but euphoniines include considerable amounts of arthropods and berries in their diet, and Hawaiian honeycreepers evolved to utilize a wide range of food sources, including nectar. The diet of Fringillidae nestlings includes a varying amount of small arthropods. True finches have a bouncing flight like most small passerines, alternating bouts of flapping with gliding on closed wings. Most sing well and several are commonly seen cagebirds; foremost among these is the domesticated Canary (Serinus canaria domestica). The nests are basket-shaped and usually built in trees, more rarely in bushes, between rocks or on similar substrate.[1]

Systematics and taxonomy

[ Back to top ]
Finch egg next to American dime for size comparison

The taxonomic structure of the true finch family, Fringillidae, has been fairly disputed in the past, with some upranking the Hawaiian honeycreepers (Drepanidinae) as family Drepanididae and/or uniting the cardueline and fringilline finches as tribes (Carduelini and Fringillini) in one subfamily; the euphonious finches (Euphoniinae) were thought to be tanagers due to general similarity in appearance and mode of life until their real affinities were realized. In particular North American auth ors have often merged the buntings and American sparrow family (Emberizidae) ? and sometimes the bulk of the nine-primaried oscines ? with the split-up Fringillidae as subfamilies of a single massive family. But the current understanding of Passeroidea phylogeny is better reflected in keeping the fundamental nine-primaried oscine clades as distinct families. However, Przewalski's "Rosefinch" (Urocynchramus pylzowi) is now classified as a distinct family, monotypic as to genus and species, and with no particularly close relatives among the Passeroidea.[2]

Fossil remains of true finches are rare, and those that are known can mostly be assigned to extant genera at least. Like the other Passeroidea families, the true finches seem to be of roughly Middle Miocene origin, around 20-10 million years ago (Ma). An unidentifable finch fossil from the Messinian age, around 12 to 7.3 million years ago (Ma) during the Late Miocene subepoch, has been found at Polg?rdi in Hungary.[3]

Subfamilies and genera

Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes), one of the Holarctic grosbeaks
Cassin's Finch ("Carpodacus" cassinii) is not part of the genus Carpodacus proper
Pallas' Rosefinch (Carpodacus roseus), a true rosefinch
Hooded Siskin (Carduelis (Spinus) magellanica)
?I?iwi (Vestiaria coccinea), a Hawaiian honeycreeper
Male Violaceous Euphonia (Euphonia violacea)

The systematics of the cardueline finches are contentious. The layout presented here follows the recent decades' molecular phylogenetic studies, and takes into account the traditional splitting of the genus Carduelis. The exact position of several genera in the cardueline sequence is tentative.[4]

Footnotes

[ Back to top ]
  1. ^ a b c Newton (1973), Clement et al. (1993)
  2. ^ Clement et al. (1993), Groth (2000), J?nsson & Fjelds? (2006), Arnaiz-Villena et al. (2007)
  3. ^ H?r et al. (2001), Ml?kovsk? (2002)
  4. ^ Marten & Johnson (1986), Arnaiz-Villena et al. (1998, 2001, 2007, 2008)

References

[ Back to top ]

Taxonomy

[ Back to top ]

The Family Fringillidae is a member of the Superfamily Passeroidea. Here is the complete "parentage" of Fringillidae:

The Family Fringillidae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

[ Back to top ]

Acanthis

Acanthis (not to be confused with Acanthus) may be: [more]

Aidemedia

[more]

Akialoa

Hemignathus is a Hawaiian honeycreeper genus in the finch family, Fringillidae. These birds are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. [more]

Astragalinus

[more]

Bucanetes

[more]

Callacanthis

The Spectacled Finch (Callacanthis burtoni) is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family. It is found in Afghanistan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Its natural habitat is temperate forests with a lush landscape. [more]

Carduelis

The genus Carduelis is a large group of birds in the finch family Fringillidae. It includes the greenfinches, redpolls, goldfinches, linnets, the twite, and the non-African siskins. No species of this group ranges far into Africa (where they are replaced by the related genus Serinus), and the centers of evolution were probably Eurasia and North America, with a secondary radiation in the Neotropics. [more]

Carpodacus

The rosefinches are birds in the finch family Fringillidae. Most Carpodacus species are called "rosefinches", but the three North American species are simply called "finches". As the names imply, various shades of red are the characteristic plumage colors of this group. The Common Rosefinch is frequently called the "rosefinch". [more]

Catamblyrhynchus

The Plushcap (Catamblyrhynchus diadema) is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family. It is the only member of its genus Catamblyrhynchus. [more]

Chaunoproctus

The Bonin Grosbeak or Bonin Islands Grosbeak (Chaunoproctus ferreorostris) is an extinct finch, the only species of the genus Chaunoproctus. It is one of the diverse bird taxa that are vernacularly called "grosbeaks", but it is not closely related to the grosbeaks sensu stricto. It was a retiring, although not shy bird, and was usually found singly or in pairs. It fed on fruits and buds which were primarily picked up from the ground or low shrubs; it rarely was observed to perch in trees, being apparently rather phlegmatic and somewhat reluctant to fly. Only one kind of vocalization has been described: a soft, pure and high note, sometimes short, sometimes drawn out; sometimes given singly, sometimes in a short series. [more]

Chloridops

Chloridops is an extinct genus of birds. It comprised three species: two on the Big Island of Hawaii and one that inhabited Kauai, Oahu and Maui. The genus includes the following three species: [more]

Chlorophonia

Chlorophonia is the name of a genus of endemic to the Neotropics. The English group name for the five species that constitute the genus is also chlorophonia. The collective (plural) term for the genus is chlorophonias. Chlorophonias share the subfamily Euphoniinae with the euphonias. [more]

Chlorothraupis

Chlorothraupis is a genus of in the family Cardinalidae. It was long considered to be tanagers as their common names suggest, but this is false. They are close relatives of the habias or ant-"tanagers" [more]

Chlorura

[more]

Ciridops

Ciridops is an extinct genus of Hawaiian honeycreeper species that occurred in prehistoric and historic times on the Hawaiian islands of Hawai'i, Molokai, Kauai and Oahu. This genus was created in 1892 by Alfred Newton in an article published by the journal Nature on the basis of the ?Ula-?ai-Hawane, which was named Fringilla anna by Sanford B. Dole in 1879. [more]

Citrinella

[more]

Coccothraustes

Coccothraustes is a genus of large containing three species: [more]

Coccothraustres

[more]

Corpodacus

[more]

Crithagra

[more]

Crucirostra

[more]

Drepanis

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[1] [more]

Dysmorodrepanis

The Lanai Hookbill (Dysmorodrepanis munroi) is an extinct species of finch in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae. It was endemic to the island of Lana?i in Hawai?i, and became extinct due to habitat loss. It was last seen in the Kaiholena Valley and Waiakeakua area of the island. G.C. Munro collected a single specimen of this species on in 1913, which is housed in the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu. No specimens have been seen since 1918. [more]

Eophona

The Oriental grosbeaks (Eophona) are a genus of finches containing two species: [more]

Eremopsaltria

Fringilla

The genus Fringilla is a small group of , which are the only species in the subfamily Fringillinae The three species, which feed their young on insects rather than seeds, are: [more]

Granatellus

Granatellus is a genus of bird previously placed in the family Parulidae, although biochemical evidence suggests it belongs in Cardinalidae., a move followed by the American Ornithologists' Union in 2009. [more]

Haematospiza

The Scarlet Finch (Haematospiza sipahi) is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family. It is found in the Himalayas from central Nepal eastwards to Vietnam and is found spottily in the adjacent hills of Northeast India and Southeast Asia as far south as Thailand. It is resident in the Himalayas, but many birds winter to the immediate south. Its natural habitat is temperate forests. [more]

Hemignathus

Hesperiphona

Coccothraustes is a genus of large containing three species: [more]

Himatione

Kozlowia

Leucosticte

The mountain finches are birds in the genus Leucosticte from the true finch family, Fringillidae. This genus also includes the rosy finches, named from their pinkish plumage. They are apparently closely related to the bullfinches (Marten & Johnson, 1986) and to the Pine Grosbeak (Arnaiz-Villena et al., 2001), diverging from them not quite a dozen million years ago, at the end of the Middle Miocene. [more]

Linurgus

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[2] [more]

Loxia

The crossbill is a bird in the finch family (Fringillidae). The three to five (or possibly many more) species are all classified in the genus Loxia. These birds are characterised by the mandibles crossing at their tips, which gives the group its English name. Adult males tend to be red or orange in color, and females green or yellow, but there is much variation. [more]

Loxioides

Loxioides is a genus of in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae. It contains the following species: [more]

Loxops

Loxops is a genus in the finch family, Fringillidae. [more]

Melamprosops

The Poouli or Black-faced Honeycreeper (Melamprosops phaeosoma ) is a critically endangered and possibly extinct bird species that is endemic to Hawai?i. It is considered to be a member of the Drepanidinae (Hawaiian honeycreeper) subfamily, and is the only member of its genus Melamprosops. Po'ouli are brown above, greyish-white below, with broad black mask extending behind eye. Adults are silvery-grey above mask, shading into brown of crown, with bold, pale patch just behind mask. Juveniles are similar but buffier below with smaller mask and without grey above. Most earlier published images of the Po'ouli were of the juvenile plumage. [more]

Mycerobas

The Mycerobas grosbeaks are a genus of finch in the Fringillidae family. They are colorful finches and are (at 20?23 cm) the largest species in the family. The genus contains the following species: [more]

Neospiza

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[3] [more]

Oreomystis

Oreomystis is a genus of in the Fringillidae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Orthiospiza

The Highland Finch (Orthiospiza howarthi) is an extinct member of the Fringillidae. It has traditionally been considered a member of the sub-family Drepanidinae, but this has been questioned recently with some preferring Incertae sedis instead. It is the only member of the genus Orthiospiza. It was endemic to the Hawaiian island of Maui. It has been speculated that they were pushed to extinction because of habitat loss. It is only known from fossil remains and likely became extinct before the first Europeans arrived in 1778. [more]

Palmeria

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[4] [more]

Paroreomyza

Paroreomyza is a genus of in the Fringillidae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Phaenicophilus

Phaenicophilus is a genus of in the Thraupidae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Pinicola

Pinicola is a possibly monotypic genus of "grosbeaks" of the true finch family, Fringillidae. It is closely related to the true bullfinches (Pyrrhula) and the Holarctic mountain finches (Leucosticte). [more]

Pseudonestor

Pseudonestor is a genus of in the Fringillidae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Psittirostra

The o?u " class="IPA">['?o??u?]) (Psittirostra psittacea), is a critically endangered species of finch in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae, that is endemic to the Hawaiian islands. There are no recent records, and it may be extinct. [more]

Pyrrhoplectes

The Golden-naped Finch (Pyrrhoplectes epauletta) is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family. It is in the is monotypic genus Pyrrhoplectes. [more]

Pyrrhula

Pyrrhula is a small genus of passerine birds, commonly called Bullfinches, belonging to the finch family (Fringillidae). [more]

Rhodacanthis

Rhodacanthis is an extinct genus of finches in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae. All four species were endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Members of this genus were granivores, with bills adapted to the seeds and pods of legumes. The two species that became extinct in the 1890s, R. flaviceps and R. palmeri, inhabited upper elevation mesic forests dominated by koa (Acacia koa) on the island of Hawaii. Both were large birds; R. flaviceps measured 19 cm (7.5 in), while R. palmeri was 23 cm (9.1 in) in length. The combination of a giant bill with brightly-colored plumage (yellow for R. flaviceps, orange for R. palmeri) gave the males a very striking appearance. Koa seeds were the preferred food for the two species, but caterpillars were taken if necessary. The two prehistoric species, R. forfex and R. litotes, were denizens of more lowland tropical dry forests and shrublands on Kaua?i, Maui, and O?ahu. It is speculated that koai?a (Acacia koaia) was an important food source for both species, as their range did not overlap with that of koa. Kanaloa (Kanaloa spp.) pods and ?a?ali?i (Dodonaea viscosa) berries were probably also eaten in addition to the occasional caterpillar. [more]

Rhodinocichla

The Rosy Thrush-tanager (Rhodinocichla rosea) is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family, where it belongs to the presently monotypic genus Rhodinocichla.[] [more]

Rhodopechys

Rhodopechys is a genus of finches containing the following species: [more]

Rhodospiza

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[5] [more]

Rhynchostruthus

The genus Rhynchostruthus is a small group of finches in the family Fringillinae. Commonly known as golden-winged grosbeaks, they are attractive, chunky, medium-sized, robust-billed songbirds restricted to the southern Arabian and northern Somalian regions. [more]

Serinus

The genus Serinus is a large genus of birds in the finch family Fringillidae found mostly in the Afrotropical region with some outlying species in Europe and Asia. The genus contains several species groups including canaries, seedeaters and the African siskins. The majority of species are small to medium sized birds with green and yellow, often streaky plumage though there are a few notable exceptions. [more]

Spindalis

Spindalis is a genus consisting of 4 non-migratory bird species. The genus is considered endemic to the Greater Antilles; a population on Cozumel Island, off the Yucat?n Peninsula's east coast, is part of that island's West Indian fauna. Traditionally considered aberrant tanagers they are in the family Cardinalidae [more]

Spinus

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[6] [more]

Telespiza

Telespiza is a genus of in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanididae. All species in it are or were endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. [more]

Uragus

The Long-tailed Rosefinch (Uragus sibiricus) is a species of finch of the Fringillidae family, in the presently monotypic genus Uragus. Some other rosefinches might eventually be moved there, however. [more]

Vangulifer

[more]

Vestiaria

The I?iwi or Scarlet Hawaiian Honeycreeper (Vestiaria coccinea) is a Hawaiian "hummingbird-niched" species, of the Hawaiian honeycreepers, subfamily, Drepanidinae, and the only member of the genus Vestiaria. It is one of the most plentiful species of this family, many of which are endangered or extinct. The ?i?iwi is a highly recognizable symbol of Hawai?i. The ?i?iwi is the third most common native land bird in the Hawaiian Islands. Large colonies of ?i?iwi inhabit the islands of Hawai?i and Kaua?i, with smaller colonies on Moloka?i and O?ahu. ?I?iwi were extirpated from Lana?i in 1929. Altogether, the remaining populations total 350,000 individuals, but are decreasing. [more]

Viridonia

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[7] [more]

Xestospiza

Xestospiza is a genus containing two species of birds with cone-shaped bills that were described on the basis of fossils. They were possibly insectivores. It consists of the following: [more]

More info about the Genus Xestospiza may be found here.

References

[ Back to top ]

Further reading

[ Back to top ]

External links

[ Back to top ]

Bibliography

[ Back to top ]

Footnotes

[ Back to top ]
  1. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=993
  2. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=962
  3. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=961
  4. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=994
  5. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=22706
  6. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=22700
  7. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=22281
  1. ^ a b c Newton (1973), Clement et al. (1993)
  2. ^ Clement et al. (1993), Groth (2000), Jønsson & Fjeldså (2006), Arnaiz-Villena et al. (2007)
  3. ^ Hír et al. (2001), Mlíkovský (2002)
  4. ^ Marten & Johnson (1986), Arnaiz-Villena et al. (1998, 2001, 2007, 2008)

Further Reading

[ Back to top ]

External links

[ Back to top ]

Sources

[ Back to top ]
Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 13:32:02