HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The true finches are small to medium-sized
passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped') which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines generally have an anisodactyl arrangement of their ...
bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
s in the
family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Fringillidae. Finches generally have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where they are usually resident and do not
migrate Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration * Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another ** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
. They have a worldwide native distribution except for Australia and the polar regions. The family Fringillidae contains more than two hundred species divided into fifty
genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...
. It includes the canaries,
siskin The name siskin when referring to a bird is derived from an adaptation of the German dialect words ''sisschen'', ''zeischen'', which are diminutive forms of Middle High German (''zîsec'') and Middle Low German (''ziseke'', ''sisek'') words, wit ...
s,
redpolls The redpoll (''Acanthis flammea'') is a species of small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is the only species placed in the genus ''Acanthis''. It breeds in the Arctic and north temperate Holarctic tundra and taiga. The redp ...
, serins, grosbeaks and
euphonia Euphonias are members of the genus ''Euphonia'', a group of Neotropical birds in the finch family. They and the chlorophonias comprise the subfamily Euphoniinae. The genus name is of Greek origin and refers to the birds' pleasing song, meaning ...
s, as well as the morphologically divergent
Hawaiian honeycreeper Hawaiian honeycreepers are a group of small birds endemic to Hawaii. They are members of the finch family Fringillidae, closely related to the rosefinches (''Carpodacus''), but many species have evolved features unlike those present in any othe ...
s. Many birds in other families are also commonly called "finches". These groups include the
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 (
Estrildidae Estrildidae, or estrildid finches, is a 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. They are gregarious ...
) of the Old World tropics and
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
; some members of the Old World bunting family ( Emberizidae) and the New World sparrow family (
Passerellidae New World sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds, forming the family Passerellidae. They are seed-eating birds with conical bills, brown or gray in color, and many species have distinctive head patterns. Although they share th ...
); and the
Darwin's finches Darwin's finches (also known as the Galápagos finches) are a group of about 18 species of passerine birds. They are well known for being a classic example of adaptive radiation and for their remarkable diversity in beak form and function. They ...
of the Galapagos islands, now considered members of the
tanager The tanagers (singular ) comprise the bird family (biology), family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has a Neotropical distribution and is the second-largest family of birds. It represents about 4% of all avian species and 12 ...
family (
Thraupidae The tanagers (singular ) comprise the bird family (biology), family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has a Neotropical distribution and is the second-largest family of birds. It represents about 4% of all avian species and 12 ...
).Newton (1973), Clement ''et al.'' (1993) Finches and canaries were used in the UK, US and Canada in the
coal mining Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...
industry to detect
carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a poisonous, flammable gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the si ...
from the eighteenth to twentieth century. This practice ceased in the UK in 1986.


Systematics and taxonomy

The name Fringillidae for the finch
family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
was introduced in 1819 by the English
zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...
William Elford Leach William Elford Leach (2 February 1791 – 25 August 1836) was an English zoologist and marine biologist. Life and work Elford Leach was born at Hoe Gate, Plymouth, the son of an attorney. At the age of twelve he began a medical apprenticesh ...
in a guide to the contents of the
British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...
. The taxonomy of the family, in particular the cardueline finches, has a long and complicated history. The study of the relationship between the
taxa In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; : taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular name and ...
has been confounded by the recurrence of similar morphologies due to the
convergence Convergence may refer to: Arts and media Literature *''Convergence'' (book series), edited by Ruth Nanda Anshen *Convergence (comics), "Convergence" (comics), two separate story lines published by DC Comics: **A four-part crossover storyline that ...
of species occupying similar niches. In 1968 the American ornithologist Raymond Andrew Paynter, Jr. wrote:
Limits of the genera and relationships among the species are less understood – and subject to more controversy – in the carduelines than in any other species of passerines, with the possible exception of the estrildines axbills
Beginning around 1990 a series of phylogenetic studies based on
mitochondrial A mitochondrion () is an organelle found in the cells of most eukaryotes, such as animals, plants and fungi. Mitochondria have a double membrane structure and use aerobic respiration to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used ...
and nuclear DNA sequences resulted in substantial revisions in the taxonomy. Several groups of birds that had previously been assigned to other families were found to be related to the finches. The
Neotropical The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In biogeogra ...
''
Euphonia Euphonias are members of the genus ''Euphonia'', a group of Neotropical birds in the finch family. They and the chlorophonias comprise the subfamily Euphoniinae. The genus name is of Greek origin and refers to the birds' pleasing song, meaning ...
'' and the ''Chlorophonia'' were formerly placed in the tanager family
Thraupidae The tanagers (singular ) comprise the bird family (biology), family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has a Neotropical distribution and is the second-largest family of birds. It represents about 4% of all avian species and 12 ...
due to their similar appearance but analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences revealed that both genera were more closely related to the finches. They are now placed in a separate subfamily Euphoniinae within the Fringillidae. The
Hawaiian honeycreeper Hawaiian honeycreepers are a group of small birds endemic to Hawaii. They are members of the finch family Fringillidae, closely related to the rosefinches (''Carpodacus''), but many species have evolved features unlike those present in any othe ...
s were at one time placed in their own family, Drepanididae but were found to be closely related to the ''
Carpodacus The rosefinches are a genus, ''Carpodacus'', of passerine birds in the finch family Fringillidae. Most are called "rosefinches" and as the word implies, have various shades of red in their plumage. The common rosefinch is frequently called the " ...
'' rosefinches and are now placed within the Carduelinae subfamily. The three largest genera, ''
Carpodacus The rosefinches are a genus, ''Carpodacus'', of passerine birds in the finch family Fringillidae. Most are called "rosefinches" and as the word implies, have various shades of red in their plumage. The common rosefinch is frequently called the " ...
'', ''
Carduelis The genus ''Carduelis'' is a group of birds in the finch family (biology), family Fringillidae. The genus ''Carduelis'' was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 by Tautonym, tautonomy based on Carl Linnaeus's Spe ...
'' and ''
Serinus ''Serinus'' is a genus of small birds in the finch family Fringillidae found in West Asia, Europe and Africa. The birds usually have some yellow in their plumage. The genus was introduced in 1816 by the German naturalist Carl Ludwig Koch. Its n ...
'' were found to be
polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage that includes organisms with mixed evolutionary origin but does not include their most recent common ancestor. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as Homoplasy, homoplasies ...
. Each was split into
monophyletic In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...
genera. The American rosefinches were moved from ''Carpodacus'' to ''
Haemorhous The American rosefinches that form the genus ''Haemorhous'' are a group of passerine birds in the finch family Fringillidae. As the name implies ("haemo" means "blood" in Greek), various shades of red are characteristic plumage colors of this gro ...
''. ''Carduelis'' was split by moving the greenfinches to ''
Chloris In Greek mythology, the name Chloris (; Greek Χλωρίς ''Chlōrís'', from χλωρός ''chlōrós'', meaning "greenish-yellow", "pale green", "pale", "pallid", or "fresh") appears in a variety of contexts. Some clearly refer to different ch ...
'' and a large clade into '' Spinus'' leaving just three species in the original genus. Thirty seven species were moved from ''Serinus'' to '' Crithagra'' leaving eight species in the original genus. Today the family Fringillidae is divided into three
subfamilies In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zool ...
, the
Fringillinae The genus ''Fringilla'' is a small group of eight species of finches from the Old World. It is the only genus in the subfamily Fringillinae. Taxonomy The genus ''Fringilla'' was described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the ...
containing a single
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 ...
with the chaffinches, the
Carduelinae The cardueline finches are a subfamily, Carduelinae, one of three subfamilies of the finch family Fringillidae, the others being the Fringillinae and the Euphoniinae. The Hawaiian honeycreepers are now included in this subfamily. Except for the ...
containing 183 species divided into 49 genera, and the Euphoniinae containing the ''Euphonia'' and the '' Chlorophonia''. Although Przewalski's "rosefinch" (''Urocynchramus pylzowi'') has ten primary flight feathers rather than the nine primaries of other finches, it was sometimes classified in the Carduelinae. It is now assigned to a distinct family, Urocynchramidae, monotypic as to genus and species, and with no particularly close relatives among the Passeroidea.


Fossil record

Fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...
remains of true finches are rare, and those that are known can mostly be assigned to extant
genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...
at least. Like the other Passeroidea families, the true finches seem to be of roughly
Middle Miocene The Middle Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), epoch made up of two Stage (stratigraphy), stages: the Langhian and Serravallian stages. The Middle Miocene is preceded by the Early Miocene. The sub-epoch lasted from 15.97 ± 0. ...
origin, around 20 to 10
million years ago Million years ago, abbreviated as Mya, Myr (megayear) or Ma (megaannum), is a unit of time equal to (i.e. years), or approximately 31.6 teraseconds. Usage Myr is in common use in fields such as Earth science and cosmology. Myr is also used w ...
(Ma). An unidentifable finch fossil from the
Messinian The Messinian is in the geologic timescale the last age or uppermost stage of the Miocene. It spans the time between 7.246 ± 0.005 Ma and 5.333 ± 0.005 Ma (million years ago). It follows the Tortonian and is followed by the Zanclean, the fir ...
age Age or AGE may refer to: Time and its effects * Age, the amount of time someone has been alive or something has existed ** East Asian age reckoning, an Asian system of marking age starting at 1 * Ageing or aging, the process of becoming older ...
, around 12 to 7.3
million years ago Million years ago, abbreviated as Mya, Myr (megayear) or Ma (megaannum), is a unit of time equal to (i.e. years), or approximately 31.6 teraseconds. Usage Myr is in common use in fields such as Earth science and cosmology. Myr is also used w ...
(Ma) during the
Late Miocene The Late Miocene (also known as Upper Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages. The Tortonian and Messinian stages comprise the Late Miocene sub-epoch, which lasted from 11.63 Ma (million ye ...
subepoch, has been found at Polgárdi in
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
.


Description

The smallest "classical" true finches are the Andean siskin (''Spinus spinescens'') at as little as 9.5 cm (3.8 in) and the lesser goldfinch (''Spinus psaltria'') at as little as . The largest species is probably the collared grosbeak (''Mycerobas affinis'') at up to and , although larger lengths, to in the pine grosbeak (''Pinicola enucleator''), and weights, to in the
evening grosbeak The evening grosbeak (''Hesperiphona vespertina'') is a passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae found in North America. The evening grosbeak is bulky, with a large bill and short tail. The bird has a distinct appearance, with the adult ma ...
(''Hesperiphona vespertina''), have been recorded in species which are slightly smaller on average.''Finches and Sparrows'' by Peter Clement. Princeton University Press (1999). .''CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses'' by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), . They typically have strong, stubby
beak The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure found mostly in birds, but also in turtles, non-avian dinosaurs and a few mammals. A beak is used for pecking, grasping, and holding (in probing for food, eating, manipulating and ...
s, which in some species can be quite large; however,
Hawaiian honeycreeper Hawaiian honeycreepers are a group of small birds endemic to Hawaii. They are members of the finch family Fringillidae, closely related to the rosefinches (''Carpodacus''), but many species have evolved features unlike those present in any othe ...
s are famous for the wide range of bill shapes and sizes brought about by
adaptive radiation In evolutionary biology, adaptive radiation is a process in which organisms diversify rapidly from an ancestral species into a multitude of new forms, particularly when a change in the environment makes new resources available, alters biotic int ...
. All true finches have 9 primary
remiges Flight feathers (''Pennae volatus'') are the long, stiff, asymmetrically shaped, but symmetrically paired pennaceous feathers on the wings or tail of a bird; those on the wings are called remiges (), singular remex (), while those on the ta ...
and 12
rectrices Flight feathers (''Pennae volatus'') are the long, stiff, asymmetrically shaped, but symmetrically paired pennaceous feathers on the Bird wing, wings or tail of a bird; those on the wings are called remiges (), singular remex (), while those ...
. The basic
plumage Plumage () is a layer of feathers that covers a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage differ between species and subspecies and may vary with age classes. Within species, there can b ...
colour 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 Carotenoids () are yellow, orange, and red organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, archaea, and fungi. Carotenoids give the characteristic color to pumpkins, carrots, parsnips, corn, tomatoes, cana ...
pigment A pigment is a powder used to add or alter color or change visual appearance. Pigments are completely or nearly solubility, insoluble and reactivity (chemistry), chemically unreactive in water or another medium; in contrast, dyes are colored sub ...
s are commonplace in this family, and thus blue structural colours 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 Sexual dimorphism is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecious species, which consis ...
, the females typically lacking the bright carotenoid markings of males.


Distribution and habitat

The finches have a near-global distribution, being found across the Americas, Eurasia and Africa, as well as some island groups such as the Hawaiian islands. They are absent from Australasia, Antarctica, the Southern Pacific and the islands of the Indian Ocean, although some European species have been widely introduced in Australia and New Zealand. Finches are typically inhabitants of well-wooded areas, but some can be found on mountains or even in
desert A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the la ...
s.


Behaviour

The finches are primarily granivorous, but euphoniines include considerable amounts of
arthropod Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...
s and
berries A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone fruit, stone or pit (fruit), pit although many wikt:pip#Etymology 2, pips or seeds may be p ...
in their diet, and Hawaiian honeycreepers evolved to utilize a wide range of food sources, including
nectar Nectar is a viscous, sugar-rich liquid produced by Plant, plants in glands called nectaries, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollination, pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to an ...
. The diet of Fringillidae nestlings includes a varying amount of small arthropods. True finches have a bouncing flight like most small
passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped') which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines generally have an anisodactyl arrangement of their ...
s, alternating bouts of flapping with gliding on closed wings. Most sing well and several are commonly seen
cagebird Aviculture is the practice of keeping and breeding birds, especially of wild birds in captivity. Aviculture Aviculture is the practice of keeping birds (class ''Aves'') in captivity in controlled conditions, normally within the confines of a c ...
s; foremost among these is the
domesticated Domestication is a multi-generational mutualistic relationship in which an animal species, such as humans or leafcutter ants, takes over control and care of another species, such as sheep or fungi, to obtain from them a steady supply of reso ...
canary (''Serinus canaria domestica''). The nests are basket-shaped and usually built in trees, more rarely in bushes, between rocks or on similar substrate.


List of genera

The family Fringillidae contains 235 species divided into 50 genera and three subfamilies. The subfamily
Carduelinae The cardueline finches are a subfamily, Carduelinae, one of three subfamilies of the finch family Fringillidae, the others being the Fringillinae and the Euphoniinae. The Hawaiian honeycreepers are now included in this subfamily. Except for the ...
includes 18 extinct Hawaiian honeycreepers and the extinct Bonin grosbeak. See List of Fringillidae species for further details. Subfamily Fringillinae * ''
Fringilla The genus ''Fringilla'' is a small group of eight species of finches from the Old World. It is the only genus in the subfamily Fringillinae. Taxonomy The genus ''Fringilla'' was described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the 1 ...
'' – 5 species of chaffinch, 2 species of blue chaffinch, and the brambling Subfamily Carduelinae * '' Mycerobas'' – 4 Palearctic
grosbeak Grosbeak is a form taxon containing various species of seed-eating passerine birds with large beaks. Although they all belong to the superfamily Passeroidea, these birds are not part of a natural group but rather a polyphyletic assemblage of d ...
s * ''
Coccothraustes The hawfinch (''Coccothraustes coccothraustes'') is a passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is the only extant species placed in the genus ''Coccothraustes''. Its closest living relatives are the genus '' Eophona'' of East Asia, a ...
'' – 3 species * '' Eophona'' – 2 oriental grosbeaks, the Chinese and the Japanese grosbeak * '' Pinicola'' – pine grosbeak * '' Pyrrhula'' – 8 bullfinch species * '' Rhodopechys'' – 2 species, the Asian crimson-winged finch and the African crimson-winged finch * '' Bucanetes'' –
trumpeter The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...
and the Mongolian finch * '' Agraphospiza'' – Blanford's rosefinch * '' Callacanthis'' – spectacled finch * '' Pyrrhoplectes'' – golden-naped finch * '' Procarduelis'' – dark-breasted rosefinch * '' Leucosticte'' – 6 species of mountain and rosy finches * ''
Carpodacus The rosefinches are a genus, ''Carpodacus'', of passerine birds in the finch family Fringillidae. Most are called "rosefinches" and as the word implies, have various shades of red in their plumage. The common rosefinch is frequently called the " ...
'' – 28
Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a biogeographic realm of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to the Eastern Hemisphere, it stretches across Europe and Asia, north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. Th ...
rosefinch species *
Hawaiian honeycreeper Hawaiian honeycreepers are a group of small birds endemic to Hawaii. They are members of the finch family Fringillidae, closely related to the rosefinches (''Carpodacus''), but many species have evolved features unlike those present in any othe ...
group (tribe Drepanidini) **''Melamprosops'' – contains a single extinct species, the po'ouli ** '' Paroreomyza'' – 3 species, the Oahu alauahio, the Maui alauahio and the extinct kakawahie ** ''Oreomystis'' – akikiki ** '' Telespiza'' – 4 species, the
Laysan finch The Laysan finch (''Telespiza cantans'') is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper, that is endemic to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It is one of four remaining finch-billed Hawaiian honeycreepers and is closely related to the smaller Nihoa fin ...
, the Nihoa finch, and 2 prehistoric species ** '' Loxioides'' – 2 species, the palila and a prehistoric species ** '' Rhodacanthis'' – 2 recently extinct species, the lesser and the greater koa finch, and 2 prehistoric species ** ''Chloridops'' – extinct species, the Kona grosbeak ** ''Psittirostra'' – ou ** ''Dysmorodrepanis'' – extinct species, the Lanai hookbill ** '' Drepanis'' – 2 extinct species, the Hawaii mamo and the black mamo, and the extant iiwi ** '' Ciridops'' – single recently extinct species, the Ula-ai-hawane, and 3 prehistoric species ** '' Palmeria'' – contains a single species, the akohekohe ** ''
Himatione ''Himatione'' is a genus of Hawaiian honeycreepers in the subfamily Carduelinae of the family Fringillidae. Species It contains the following species: * Laysan honeycreeper (''Himatione fraithii'') (extinct) * ʻApapane (''Himatione sanguin ...
'' – 2 species, the apapane and the extinct
Laysan honeycreeper The Laysan honeycreeper (''Himatione fraithii''), also known as the Laysan apapane or Laysan honeyeater, is an extinct species of finch that was Endemism, endemic to the island of Laysan in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The bird was first ...
** ''Viridonia'' – single extinct species, the greater amakihi ** '' Akialoa'' – 4 recently extinct species, and 2 prehistoric species ** ''
Hemignathus ''Hemignathus'' is a genus of Hawaiian honeycreepers in the subfamily Carduelinae of the family Fringillidae. All species are endemic to Hawaii. Extinctions Many of its species became extinct during the 19th and 20th centuries due to a combina ...
'' – 4 species, only one of which is extant ** '' Pseudonestor'' – Maui parrotbill ** '' Magumma'' – anianiau ** '' Loxops'' – 5 species, of which one is extinct ** '' Chlorodrepanis'' – 3 species, the
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
,
Oahu Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwe ...
and Kauai amakihi * ''
Haemorhous The American rosefinches that form the genus ''Haemorhous'' are a group of passerine birds in the finch family Fringillidae. As the name implies ("haemo" means "blood" in Greek), various shades of red are characteristic plumage colors of this gro ...
'' – 3 North America rosefinches * ''
Chloris In Greek mythology, the name Chloris (; Greek Χλωρίς ''Chlōrís'', from χλωρός ''chlōrós'', meaning "greenish-yellow", "pale green", "pale", "pallid", or "fresh") appears in a variety of contexts. Some clearly refer to different ch ...
'' – 6 greenfinches * '' Rhodospiza'' – desert finch * '' Rhynchostruthus'' – 3 golden-winged grosbeaks * '' Linurgus'' – oriole finch * '' Crithagra'' – 37 species of canaries, serins and siskins from Africa and the Arabian Peninsula * ''
Linaria ''Linaria'' is a genus of almost 200 species of flowering plants, one of several related groups commonly called toadflax. They are annuals and herbaceous perennials, and the largest genus in the Antirrhineae tribe of the plantain family Plant ...
'' – 4 species including the twite and three linnets * '' Acanthis'' – 3 redpolls * ''
Loxia Crossbills are birds of the genus ''Loxia'' within the finch family (Fringillidae), with six species. These birds are characterized by the mandibles with crossed tips, which gives the group its English name. Adult males tend to be red or orange ...
'' – 6 crossbills * '' Chrysocorythus'' – 2 species * ''
Carduelis The genus ''Carduelis'' is a group of birds in the finch family (biology), family Fringillidae. The genus ''Carduelis'' was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 by Tautonym, tautonomy based on Carl Linnaeus's Spe ...
'' – 3 species including the
European goldfinch The European goldfinch or simply the goldfinch (''Carduelis carduelis'') is a small passerine bird in the finch Family (biology), family that is native to the Palearctic zone in Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. It has been introduced t ...
* ''
Serinus ''Serinus'' is a genus of small birds in the finch family Fringillidae found in West Asia, Europe and Africa. The birds usually have some yellow in their plumage. The genus was introduced in 1816 by the German naturalist Carl Ludwig Koch. Its n ...
'' – 8 species including the
European serin The European serin, or simply the serin (''Serinus serinus''), is the smallest species of the family of finches (Fringillidae) and is closely related to the Atlantic canary. Its diet consists mainly of a combination of buds and seeds. Taxonomy T ...
* '' Spinus'' – 20 species including the North American goldfinches and the Eurasian siskin Subfamily Euphoniinae * ''
Euphonia Euphonias are members of the genus ''Euphonia'', a group of Neotropical birds in the finch family. They and the chlorophonias comprise the subfamily Euphoniinae. The genus name is of Greek origin and refers to the birds' pleasing song, meaning ...
'' – 27 species all with euphonia in their English name * '' Chlorophonia'' – 5 species all with chlorophonia in their English name


Gallery

File:Coccothraustes coccothraustes 1 (Marek Szczepanek).jpg,
Hawfinch The hawfinch (''Coccothraustes coccothraustes'') is a passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is the only extant species placed in the genus ''Coccothraustes''. Its closest living relatives are the genus '' Eophona'' of East Asia, a ...
(''Coccothraustes coccothraustes''), one of the
Holarctic The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found throughout the continents in the Northern Hemisphere. It corresponds to the floristic Boreal Kingdom. It includes both the Nearctic zoogeographical reg ...
grosbeak Grosbeak is a form taxon containing various species of seed-eating passerine birds with large beaks. Although they all belong to the superfamily Passeroidea, these birds are not part of a natural group but rather a polyphyletic assemblage of d ...
s File:Cassin's Finch (male).jpg,
Cassin's finch Cassin's finch (''Haemorhous cassinii'') is a bird in the finch family, Fringillidae. This species and the other "American rosefinches" are placed in the genus ''Haemorhous''. Description Measurements: * Length: 6.3 in (16 cm) * Weight: 0.8� ...
(''Haemorhous cassinii''), an American rosefinch File:Carpodacus roseus.jpg, Pallas' rosefinch (''Carpodacus roseus''), a true rosefinch File:PINTASSILGO ( Carduelis magellanica ).jpg,
Hooded siskin The hooded siskin (''Spinus magellanicus'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family (biology), family (Fringillidae), native to South America. It belongs to the putative clade of neotropical siskins in the genus ''Spinus (genus), Spinus sen ...
(''Spinus magellanicus'') File:Vestiaria coccinea -Hawaii -adult-8 (4).jpg,
ʻIʻiwi The iiwi (pronounced , ''ee-EE-vee'') (''Drepanis coccinea'') or scarlet honeycreeper is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. The iiwi is a highly recognizable symbol of Hawaii. Etymology Linguists derive the Hawaiian language word ''iiwi'' ...
(''Drepanis coccinea''), a
Hawaiian honeycreeper Hawaiian honeycreepers are a group of small birds endemic to Hawaii. They are members of the finch family Fringillidae, closely related to the rosefinches (''Carpodacus''), but many species have evolved features unlike those present in any othe ...
File:Euphonia violacea-2.jpg, Male violaceous euphonia (''Euphonia violacea'') File:Carduelis carduelis close up.jpg,
European goldfinch The European goldfinch or simply the goldfinch (''Carduelis carduelis'') is a small passerine bird in the finch Family (biology), family that is native to the Palearctic zone in Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. It has been introduced t ...
(''Carduelis carduelis'') File:Chloris chloris.jpg, European greenfinch (''Chloris chloris'') File:Pinzón azul de Gran Canaria (macho), M. A. Peña.jpg, Gran Canaria blue chaffinch (''Fringilla polatzeki'') File:Teidefink.jpg, Tenerife blue chaffinch (''Fringilla teydea'') File:Euphonia elegantissima.jpg, Elegant euphonia (''Chlorophonia elegantissima'') File:Desert Finch - Uzbekistan S4E7626-2 (23039952955).jpg, Desert finch (''Rhodospiza obsoleta'') File:Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator) (13667564073).jpg, Pine grosbeak (''Pinicola enucleator'') File:Hesperiphona vespertina CT3.jpg,
Evening grosbeak The evening grosbeak (''Hesperiphona vespertina'') is a passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae found in North America. The evening grosbeak is bulky, with a large bill and short tail. The bird has a distinct appearance, with the adult ma ...
(''Hesperiphona vespertina'') File:Chloris spinoides.jpg, Yellow-breasted greenfinch (''Chloris spinoides'') File:Serinus flaviventris 2013 03 09.jpg,
Yellow canary The yellow canary (''Crithagra flaviventris'') is a small passerine bird in the true finch family. It is a resident breeder in much of the western and central regions of southern Africa and has been introduced to Ascension and St Helena islan ...
(''Crithagra flaviventris'') File:Streaky Seedeater, Ngorongoro Crater (8495906768).jpg, Streaky seedeater (''Crithagra striolata'') File:Fringilla coelebs moreletti.png, Azores chaffinch (''Fringilla coelebs moreletti'')


See also

* The Finch Society of Australia


References


Sources

* Clement, Peter; Harris, Alan & Davis, John (1993): ''Finches and Sparrows: an identification guide''. Christopher Helm, London. * * * * Newton, Ian (1973): ''Finches'' (New Naturalist series). Taplinger Publishing.


External links


Internet Bird Collection.com: Finch videos, photos, and soundsNational Finch and Softbill Society website
— ''organization promoting finch breeding''. * {{Authority control Miocene birds Quaternary birds Extant Miocene first appearances Taxa named by William Elford Leach