Grosbeak is a

form taxon Form classification is the classification of organisms based on their morphology, which does not necessarily reflect their biological relationships. Form classification, generally restricted to palaeontology, reflects uncertainty; the goal of s ...

containing various

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of seed-eating

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 are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...

birds with large

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 eating, preening, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food ...

s. Although they all belong to the

superfamily SUPERFAMILY is a database and search platform of structural and functional annotation for all proteins and genomes. It classifies amino acid sequences into known structural domains, especially into SCOP superfamilies. Domains are functional, str ...

Passeroidea Passerida is, under the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, one of two parvorders contained within the suborder Passeri (standard taxonomic practice would place them at the rank of infraorder). While more recent research suggests that its sister parvorde ...

, these birds are not part of a natural group but rather a

polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of converg ...

assemblage of distantly related

songbird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 500 ...

s. Some are

cardueline finch 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 ...

es in the family

Fringillidae The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches 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 usua ...

, while others are cardinals in the family

Cardinalidae Cardinalidae (often referred to as the "cardinal-grosbeaks" or simply the "cardinals") is a family of New World-endemic passerine birds that consists of cardinals, grosbeaks, and buntings. It also includes several birds such as the tanager-like ...

; one is a member of the weaver family

Ploceidae Ploceidae is a family of small passerine birds, many of which are called weavers, weaverbirds, weaver finches and bishops. These names come from the nests of intricately woven vegetation created by birds in this family. In most recent classifica ...

. The word "grosbeak", first applied in the late 1670s, is a partial translation of the French ''grosbec'', where ''gros'' means "large" and ''bec'' means "beak". The following is a list of grosbeak species, arranged in groups of closely related

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

. These genera are more closely related to smaller-billed birds than to other grosbeaks. Exceptions are the three genera of "typical grosbeak finches", which form a group of closest living relatives and might thus be considered the "true" grosbeaks.

Grosbeak finches

The finch

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

(

) contains 13 living species named "grosbeak", which are all part of the large

subfamily 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 subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

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 ...

: Typical grosbeak finches * The two

Nearctic The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America t ...

species in the genus ''

Hesperiphona ''Hesperiphona'' is a genus in the finch family Fringillidae. The genus was introduced in 1850 by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte with the evening grosbeak as the type species. The name combines the Ancient Greek ''hesperos'' meani ...

'' (formerly in ''Coccothraustes''): **

Evening grosbeak The evening grosbeak (''Hesperiphona vespertina'') is a passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae found in North America. Taxonomy The IOC checklist and the '' Handbook of the Birds of the World'' place the evening grosbeak and the clos ...

, ''H. vespertina'' **

Hooded grosbeak The hooded grosbeak (''Hesperiphona abeillei'') is a passerine bird in the finch family found in the highlands of Central America, principally in Mexico and Guatemala. This is a medium large grosbeak with a large bill. The male has a black head ...

, ''H. abeillei'' * The two species in the

East Asian East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea a ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

Eophona The Oriental grosbeaks (''Eophona'') are a genus of finches containing two species: The genus was introduced in 1851 by the English ornithologist and bird artist John Gould John Gould (; 14 September 1804 – 3 February 1881) was an Engl ...

'': **

Japanese grosbeak The Japanese grosbeak (''Eophona personata'') or Ikaru is a finch native to the East Palearctic. It is also sometimes referred to as the Japanese or masked hawfinch due to superficial similarities to the well-known Hawfinch, Eurasian species. ...

, ''E. personata'' **

Chinese grosbeak The Chinese grosbeak or yellow-billed grosbeak (''Eophona migratoria'') is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. Taxonomy Subspecies include:

or yellow-billed grosbeak, ''E. migratoria'' * The four species in the

South Asian South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geography, geographical and culture, ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, ...

Mycerobas The ''Mycerobas'' grosbeaks are a genus of finch in the family Fringillidae The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often h ...

'': **

Black-and-yellow grosbeak The black-and-yellow grosbeak (''Mycerobas icterioides'') is a species of finch native to the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, primarily the lower and middle Himalayas. It is in the family Fringillidae. The species ranges across Afgha ...

, ''M. icterioides'' **

Collared grosbeak The collared grosbeak (''Mycerobas affinis'') is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. Its range encompasses the northern regions of the Indian Subcontinent, mainly the Himalayas, along with some adjoining regions. It is found in Bhuta ...

, ''M. affinis'' ** Spot-winged grosbeak, ''M. melanozanthos'' **

White-winged grosbeak The white-winged grosbeak (''Mycerobas carnipes'') is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. It is found in Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Iran, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Its natural ...

, ''M. carnipes'' grosbeak bullfinch * The

pine grosbeak The pine grosbeak (''Pinicola enucleator'') is a large member of the true finch family, Fringillidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Pinicola''. It is found in coniferous woods across Alaska, the western mountains of the United States, Can ...

, ''Pinicola enucleator'', a

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 region ...

pine forest species grosbeak goldfinches * The three

golden-winged grosbeak 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 So ...

s in the genus '' Rhynchostruthus'', found in

Somaliland Somaliland,; ar, صوماليلاند ', ' officially the Republic of Somaliland,, ar, جمهورية صوماليلاند, link=no ''Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd'' is a ''de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still conside ...

, mountains of south-west

Arabia The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...

and on the island of

Socotra Socotra or Soqotra (; ar, سُقُطْرَىٰ ; so, Suqadara) is an island of the Republic of Yemen in the Indian Ocean, under the ''de facto'' control of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, a secessionist participant in Yemen’s ...

and often considered a single species: ** Somali golden-winged grosbeak, ''R. louisae'' ** Arabian golden-winged grosbeak, ''R. percivali'' Exthakona

** Socotra golden-winged grosbeak, ''R. socotranus'' Genus Crithagra Two species in the genus ''

Crithagra ''Crithagra'' is a genus of small passerine birds in the finch family (Fringillidae). They live in Africa and Arabia. The species in this genus were formerly assigned to the genus ''Serinus'', but phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial and nucle ...

'' are named "grosbeak-canaries" and one is called a grosbeak: * The

São Tomé grosbeak The São Tomé grosbeak (''Crithagra concolor'') is the largest member of the canary genus ''Crithagra'', 50% heavier than the next largest canary species, and possesses a massive bill for a member of that genus. It is endemic to the island of S� ...

, ''Crithagra concolor'' (formerly ''Neospiza concolor''), a critically endangered

restricted-range endemic An Endemic Bird Area (EBA) is an area of land identified by BirdLife International as being important for habitat-based bird conservation because it contains the habitats of restricted-range bird species (''see below for definition''), which are th ...

found only in forests on the island of

São Tomé São Tomé is the capital and largest city of the Central African island country of São Tomé and Príncipe. Its name is Portuguese for " Saint Thomas". Founded in the 15th century, it is one of Africa's oldest colonial cities. History Álva ...

off the

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

n coast, believed extinct until rediscovered in 1991 * The

Northern grosbeak-canary The northern grosbeak-canary or Abyssinian grosbeak canary (''Crithagra donaldsoni'') is a species of passerine bird in the finch family (biology), family Fringillidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. Its binomial name commemorates t ...

or Abyssinian grosbeak-canary, ''Crithagra donaldsoni'' * The

Southern grosbeak-canary The southern grosbeak-canary, also known as Kenya grosbeak-canary (''Crithagra buchanani'') is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. The so ...

or Kenya grosbeak-canary, ''Crithagra buchanani'' In addition, there are two extinct Fringillidae "grosbeaks": * The

Bonin grosbeak The Bonin grosbeak or Bonin Islands grosbeak (''Carpodacus ferreorostris'') is an extinct finch. It is one of the diverse bird taxa that are vernacularly called "grosbeaks", but it is not closely related to the grosbeaks ''sensu stricto''. Many ...

(''Chaunoproctus ferreorostris''), found only on the

Ogasawara Islands The Bonin Islands, also known as the , are an archipelago of over 30 subtropical and tropical islands, some directly south of Tokyo, Japan and northwest of Guam. The name "Bonin Islands" comes from the Japanese word ''bunin'' (an archaic readi ...

, which was last recorded in 1832. Its relationships are obscure, but it was probably another member of the cardueline finches. * The

Kona grosbeak The Kona grosbeak (''Chloridops kona'') is an extinct species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. The Kona grosbeak was endemic to naio ('' Myoporum sandwicense'') forests on ʻaʻā lava flows at elevations of near the Kona District on the island of H ...

or grosbeak finch (''Chloridops kona''), last recorded in 1896. It was a

Hawaiian honeycreeper Hawaiian honeycreepers are a group of small, passerine birds endemic to Hawaii. They are closely related to the rosefinches in the genus ''Carpodacus'', but many species have evolved features unlike those present in any other finch. Their great ...

, subfamily Drepanidinae.

Cardinal-grosbeaks

The cardinal family (

) of the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

contains the following 17 "grosbeaks": Typical cardinal-grosbeaks * The six species in the

Pheucticus ''Pheucticus'' is a genus of grosbeaks containing six species. The genus was introduced by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach in 1850. The type species was subsequently designated as the black-backed grosbeak. Species The name of the gen ...

'' ** Mexican yellow grosbeak, ''P. chrysopeplus'' ** Southern yellow grosbeak, ''P. chrysogaster'' ** Black-thighed grosbeak, ''P. tibialis'', a

found only in the highlands of

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

and

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

** Black-backed grosbeak, ''P. aureoventris'' **

Rose-breasted grosbeak The rose-breasted grosbeak (''Pheucticus ludovicianus''), colloquially called "cut-throat" due to its coloration, is a large, seed-eating grosbeak in the cardinal family ( Cardinalidae). It is primarily a foliage gleaner. Males have black heads, ...

, ''P. ludovicianus'' **

Black-headed grosbeak The black-headed grosbeak (''Pheucticus melanocephalus'') is a medium-sized, seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is sometimes considered conspecific with the rose-breasted grosbeak (''P. ludovicianus'') with which it hybridizes on ...

, ''P. melanocephalus'' Masked cardinal-grosbeaks * The red-and-black grosbeak, ''Periporphyrus erythromelas'' of northern

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

* The two species in 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 bioge ...

Caryothraustes ''Caryothraustes'' is a genus of grosbeak in the family Cardinalidae. The genus was introduced by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach in 1850. The type species was subsequently designated as the yellow-green grosbeak. The name ''Caryothrau ...

'': **

Black-faced grosbeak The black-faced grosbeak (''Caryothraustes poliogaster'') is a large seed-eating bird in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae), which is a resident breeding species from south-eastern Mexico to eastern Panama. Description The adult black-faced gr ...

, ''C. poliogaster'' **

Yellow-green grosbeak The yellow-green grosbeak (''Caryothraustes canadensis'') is a species of grosbeak in the family Cardinalidae. Taxonomy In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the yellow-green grosbeak in his ''Ornitholog ...

, ''C. canadensis'' * The crimson-collared grosbeak, ''Rhodothraupis celaeno'', a

found only in eastern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Blue cardinal-grosbeaks * Two species in the

genus ''

Cyanocompsa The blue bunting (''Cyanocompsa parellina'') is a species of passerine in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. It is found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Taxonomy and systematics F ...

'' which also contains the

blue bunting The blue bunting (''Cyanocompsa parellina'') is a species of passerine in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. It is found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Taxonomy and systematics ...

(''C. parellina''): **

Ultramarine grosbeak The ultramarine grosbeak (''Cyanoloxia brissonii'') is a species of grosbeak in the family Cardinalidae. It is found in a wide range of semi-open habitats in eastern and central South America South America is a continent entirely in the ...

, ''C. brissonii'' **

Blue-black grosbeak The blue-black grosbeak (''Cyanoloxia cyanoides'') is a species of songbird in the family Cardinalidae. The South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society places this species in genus ''Cyanoloxia''. In addition, ...

, ''C. cyanoides'' * The glaucous-blue grosbeak (''Cyanoloxia glaucocaerulea'') of eastern

* One species (sometimes separated in ''Guiraca'') in the genus ''

Passerina The genus ''Passerina'' is a group of birds in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). Although not directly related to Bunting (bird), buntings in the family Emberizidae, they are sometimes known as the North American buntings (the North American ...

'', which also contains the North American buntings: **

Blue grosbeak The blue grosbeak (''Passerina caerulea''), is a medium-sized North American passerine bird in the cardinal family Cardinalidae. It is mainly migratory, wintering in Central America and breeding in northern Mexico and the southern United States. ...

, ''Passerina caerulea''

Grosbeak tanagers

Three additional species of "grosbeaks" have long been placed in the Cardinalidae, but actually seem to be closer to the tanager family (

Thraupidae The tanagers (singular ) comprise the bird 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% of the Neotropica ...

): * Two species in the

Saltator ''Saltator'' is a genus of passerine birds in the tanager family Thraupidae that are found in Central and South America. They have thick bills, relatively long tails and strong legs and feet. Before the introduction of molecular genetic methods in ...

'', which also contains the saltators: ** Slate-coloured grosbeak, ''S. grossus'' **

Black-throated grosbeak The black-throated grosbeak (''Saltator fuliginosus'') is a seed-eating passerine bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is found in humid Atlantic Forest in far northeastern Argentina ( Misiones), eastern and southeastern Brazil, and far ea ...

, ''S. fuliginosus'' * The yellow-shouldered grosbeak, ''Parkerthraustes humeralis'' of

Thick-billed weaver

Finally, the weaver family (

) contains a species called the thick-billed weaver (''Amblyospiza albifrons'').

References

Cited texts

* {{Wikisource1911Enc, Grosbeak * Bird common names