Finch
Finches are passerine songbirds in the family Fringillidae.[1] They are mostly seed-eaters. The scientific name Fringillidae comes from the Latin word fringilla for the Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), which is common in Europe.
| True finch | |
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| Adult male Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) of the Fringillinae | |
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| Family: | Fringillidae Vigors, 1825
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Most species are native to the Southern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one genus is found only in the Palaearctic (Eurasia and north Africa).
Many birds in other families are also commonly called "finches" They include
- • some species in the very similar-looking waxbills (family Passeridae, of the Old World tropics and Australia;
- • several groups of the bunting and American sparrow family (Emberizidae);
- • Darwin's 'finches' of the Galapagos Islands, which provided evidence of natural selection. They are now recognized to be peculiar tanagers (Thraupidae).[2][3]
Some species are being imported or smuggled into other countries and sold as exotic pets.
Sub-families
- Fringillinae: Fringilla
- Carduelinae:
- Grosbeaks
- American rosefinches
- Bullfinches
- Arid-zone clade
- Asian rosefinches
- Goldfinch-canary-crossbill clade
- Drepanidinae: Hawaiian honeycreepers
- Euphoniinae: Euphonious finches
Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes), one of the northern grosbeaks
ʻIʻiwi (Vestiaria coccinea), a Hawaiian honeycreeper
Male Violaceous Euphonia (Euphonia violacea)
Pallas' Rosefinch (Carpodacus roseus), a true rosefinch
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Finch Media
Euphonias, like this thick-billed euphonia, were once treated as tanagers instead of finches.
American goldfinch (Spinus tristis) male (left) and female (right) in Johnston County, North Carolina, USA
American goldfinch eating coneflower seeds and taking flight, including slow motion.
Cassin's finch (Haemorhous cassinii), an American rosefinch
Hooded siskin (Spinus magellanicus)
ʻIʻiwi (Drepanis coccinea), a Hawaiian honeycreeper
European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
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References
- ↑ Though the word 'finch' is sometimes used for birds from other families.
- ↑ Newton, Ian 1973. Finches (New Naturalist series). Taplinger. ISBN 0-8008-2720-1
- ↑ Clement, Peter; Harris, Alan & Davis, John 1993. Finches and Sparrows: an identification guide. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0-7136-8017-2