''Amadina'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
estrildid finch
Estrildidae, or estrildid finches, is a family (taxonomy), family of small seed-eating passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They comprise species commonly known as munias, mannikins, firefinches, parrotfinches and waxbills.
...
es that are found in Africa.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Amadina'' was introduced in 1827 by the English naturalist
William Swainson
William Swainson Fellow of the Linnean Society, FLS, Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (8 October 1789 – 6 December 1855), was an English ornithologist, Malacology, malacologist, Conchology, conchologist, entomologist and artist.
Life
Swains ...
with the
cut-throat finch as the
type species
In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...
.
The name ''Amadina'' is a corrupted diminutive of the genus name ''
Ammodramus
''Ammodramus'' is a genus of birds in the family Passerellidae, in the group known as American sparrows. Birds of this genus are known commonly as grassland sparrows.[Estrilda
''Estrilda'' is a genus of estrildid finch in the family Estrildidae.
Most of the genus is found in Africa with one species, the Arabian waxbill, ranging into Asia.
Some species are kept as pets and have introduced species, been accidentally in ...]
'', and created the name to reflect that linkage.
Species
The genus contains two species:
References
Bird genera
Estrildidae
Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa
Taxa named by William Swainson
{{Estrildidae-stub