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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 usually resident and do not migrate. They have a worldwide distribution except for Australia and the polar regions. The family Fringillidae contains more than two hundred species divided into fifty
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 ...
. It includes species known as siskins, canaries, redpolls, serins, grosbeaks and euphonias. Many birds in other families are also commonly called "finches". These groups include the estrildid finches ( Estrildidae) of the Old World tropics and
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
; some members of the Old World
bunting Bunting may refer to: Animals Birds * Bunting (bird) or Emberizidae, a family of Eurasian and African passerine birds * New World buntings or ''Passerina'', a genus of American passerine birds in the family Cardinalidae * Blue bunting, a species ...
family ( Emberizidae) and the New World sparrow family ( Passerellidae); and the Darwin's finches of the Galapagos islands, now considered members of the tanager family ( Thraupidae).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 extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
industry to detect carbon monoxide from the eighteenth to twentieth century. This practice ceased in the UK in 1986.


Systematics and taxonomy

The taxonomy of the finch family, in particular the cardueline finches, has a long and complicated history. The study of the relationship between the taxa has been confounded by the recurrence of similar morphologies due to the convergence of species occupying similar niches. In 1968 the American ornithologist
Raymond Andrew Paynter, Jr. Raymond Andrew Paynter Jr. (29 November 1925 – 10 July 2003) was an American ornithologist and curator at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University (1961–1999). Biography Paynter was born in New York City where he was educated at ...
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 use ...
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 '' Euphonia'' and the ''Chlorophonia'' were formerly placed in the tanager family Thraupidae 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 honeycreepers 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'' and '' Serinus'' were found to be polyphyletic. Each was split into
monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...
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 g ...
''. ''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 char ...
'' 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 subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...
, the Fringillinae containing a single genus with the chaffinches, the Carduelinae containing 183 species divided into 49 genera, and the Euphoniinae containing the ''Euphonia'' and the ''
Chlorophonia ''Chlorophonia'' is a genus of finches in the family Fringillidae. The Chlorophonias are endemic to the Neotropics. They are small, mostly bright green birds that inhabit humid forests and nearby habitats, especially in highlands. The genus ' ...
''. 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 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 ...
.


Fossil record

Fossil remains of true finches are rare, and those that are known can mostly be assigned to extant
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 ...
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 made up of two stages: the Langhian and Serravallian stages. The Middle Miocene is preceded by the Early Miocene. The sub-epoch lasted from 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma to 11.608 ± 0.005 Ma (million y ...
origin, around 20 to 10 million years ago (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 first ...
age Age or AGE may refer to: Time and its effects * Age, the amount of time someone or something has been alive or 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 (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 Polgárdi is a town in Fejér county, Hungary, reportedly the site where the Sevso Treasure was discovered. Geography Polgárdi is located at an altitude of about 144 metres, about 12 kilometres northeast of Lake Balaton, a resort area in wester ...
in Hungary.


Etymology

The
scientific name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
Fringillidae comes from the Latin word ''fringilla'' for the common chaffinch (''Fringilla coelebs''), a member of the family which is common in Europe. The name was coined (as Fringilladæ) by the English zoologist William Elford Leach in a guide to the contents of the British Museum published in 1820. The name of the author is not specified in the document but Leach was the Keeper of Zoology at the time. The study of this family is known as Fringillology.


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. Taxonomy The IOC checklist and the ''Handbook of the Birds of the World'' place the evening grosbeak and the closel ...
(''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 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 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 tail ...
and 12 rectrices. The basic
plumage Plumage ( "feather") 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, ...
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 (), also called tetraterpenoids, are yellow, orange, and red organic compound, organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, and Fungus, fungi. Carotenoids give the characteristic color to pumpki ...
pigments are commonplace in this family, and thus blue
structural colour Structural coloration in animals, and a few plants, is the production of colour by microscopically structured surfaces fine enough to interfere with visible light instead of pigments, although some structural coloration occurs in combination wit ...
s 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 the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...
, 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 barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...
s.


Behaviour

The finches are primarily
granivorous Seed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of plants as a main or exclusive food source,Hulme, P.E. and Benkman, C.W. (2002) "Granivory", pp. 132 ...
, 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 Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...
. 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 Canary originally referred to the island of Gran Canaria on the west coast of Africa, and the group of surrounding islands (the Canary Islands). It may also refer to: Animals Birds * Canaries, birds in the genera ''Serinus'' and ''Crithagra'' i ...
(''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 231 species divided into 50 genera and three subfamilies. The subfamily Carduelinae includes 18 extinct Hawaiian honeycreepers and the extinct Bonin grosbeak. See
List of Fringillidae species The family Fringillidae are the "true" finches. The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) recognizes these 234 species in the family, distributed among three subfamilies and 50 genera. Confusingly, only 74 of the species include "finch" in ...
for further details. Subfamily Fringillinae * '' Fringilla'' – 3 species of chaffinch and the brambling Subfamily Carduelinae * '' Mycerobas'' – 4 Palearctic grosbeaks * '' Coccothraustes'' – 3 species * '' Eophona'' – 2 oriental grosbeaks, the
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
and the Japanese grosbeak * '' Pinicola'' – pine grosbeak * '' Pyrrhula'' – 8 bullfinch species * ''
Rhodopechys Rhodopechys is a genus of finches containing the following two species: The desert finch, ''Carduelis obsoleta'' (formerly ''Rhodopechys obsoleta''), has turned out to belong to the (sub)genus ''Chloris'' in the genus ''Carduelis'' as indicate ...
'' – 2 species, the Asian crimson-winged finch and the
African crimson-winged finch The African crimson-winged finch (''Rhodopechys alienus'') is a pale-colored thickset finch with a heavy, dull yellowish bill. It is found in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and Algeria. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the Asian crims ...
* ''
Bucanetes Bucanetes is a genus of passerine birds in the finch family. It contains two species: The genus name is from Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from arou ...
'' – trumpeter and the Mongolian finch * '' Agraphospiza'' –
Blanford's rosefinch Blanford's rosefinch (''Agraphospiza rubescens'') or the crimson rosefinch, is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, and Nepal. Its natural habitat is boreal forest. Blanford's rosefinch was formerly ...
* ''
Callacanthis The spectacled finch (''Callacanthis burtoni'') is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. It is found in temperate northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, ranging across Afghanistan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Its natural habitat is ...
'' – spectacled finch * ''
Pyrrhoplectes The golden-naped finch (''Pyrrhoplectes epauletta'') is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. It is in monotypic genus ''Pyrrhoplectes''. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. Its natural habitat is temperate forest. ...
'' –
golden-naped finch The golden-naped finch (''Pyrrhoplectes epauletta'') is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. It is in monotypic genus ''Pyrrhoplectes''. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. Its natural habitat is temperate forest. ...
* '' 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 the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...
rosefinch species * Hawaiian honeycreeper group (tribe Drepanidini) **''Melamprosops'' – contains a single extinct species, the po'ouli ** ''
Paroreomyza ''Paroreomyza'' is a genus of Hawaiian honeycreeper in the subfamily Carduelinae of the family Fringillidae. These birds are endemic to Hawaii. Taxonomy ''Paroreomyza'', along with '' Oreomystis'' (although their alliance is disputed), is the ...
'' – 3 species, the Oahu alauahio, the Maui alauahio and the extinct kakawahie ** ''Oreomystis'' – akikiki ** '' Telespiza'' – 4 species, the Laysan finch, the Nihoa finch, and 2 prehistoric species ** ''
Loxioides ''Loxioides'' is a genus of Hawaiian honeycreeper, in the subfamily Carduelinae. The birds are endemic to Hawaii. Species It contains the following species: * '' Loxioides bailleui'' Oustalet, 1877 - palila * '' Loxioides kikuichi'' James & ...
'' – 2 species, the palila and a prehistoric species ** '' Rhodacanthis'' – 2 recently extinct species, the
lesser Lesser, from Eliezer (, "Help/Court of my God"), is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Adolf Lesser (1851–1926), German physician * Aleksander Lesser (1814–1884), Polish painter and art critic * Anton Lesser (born 1952), Bri ...
and the greater koa finch, and 2 prehistoric species ** ''Chloridops'' – extinct species, the Kona grosbeak ** ''Psittirostra'' – ou ** ''Dysmorodrepanis'' – extinct species, the Lanai hookbill ** ''
Drepanis ''Drepanis'' is a genus of Hawaiian honeycreeper in the subfamily Carduelinae of the family Fringillidae. The birds are endemic to Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific ...
'' – 2 extinct species, the
Hawaii mamo The Hawaii mamo (''Drepanis pacifica'') is an extinct species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. It was endemic to Hawaii. It became extinct due to habitat loss, mosquitoes, introduced predators such as mongoose, and overcollecting. Description This bi ...
and the
black mamo The black mamo (''Drepanis funerea''), also known as the hoa, is an extinction, extinct species of bird once Endemism, endemic to the island of Molokai; there is also subfossil evidence of it having lived on Maui. Description It measured fr ...
, and the extant iiwi ** ''
Ciridops ''Ciridops'' is an extinct genus of Hawaiian honeycreeper species that occurred in prehistoric and historic times on the Hawaiian islands of Hawaii, Molokai, Kauai and Oahu. This genus was created in 1892 by Alfred Newton in an article published ...
'' – 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 The apapane (''Himatio ...
'' – 2 species, the apapane and the extinct Laysan honeycreeper ** ''Viridonia'' – single extinct species, the
greater amakihi Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality * ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record * "Greater" (song), by MercyMe, 2014 *Greater Bank, an Australian ...
** ''
Akialoa ''Akialoa'' is an extinct genus of Hawaiian honeycreeper in the subfamily Carduelinae of the family Fringillidae. The birds were endemic to Hawaii. Species It contains the following species: * Lesser ʻakialoa or Hawai'i ʻakialoa, ''Akialoa ...
'' – 4 recently extinct species, and 2 prehistoric species ** ''
Hemignathus ''Hemignathus'' is a Hawaiian honeycreeper genus in the subfamily Carduelinae of the finch family, Fringillidae. These birds are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Extinctions Many of its species became extinct during the 19th and 20th centurie ...
'' – 4 species, only one of which is extant ** ''
Pseudonestor The Maui parrotbill or kiwikiu (''Pseudonestor xanthophrys'') is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper endemic to the island of Maui in Hawaii. It can only be found in of mesic and wet forests at on the windward slopes of Haleakalā. This speci ...
'' –
Maui parrotbill The Maui parrotbill or kiwikiu (''Pseudonestor xanthophrys'') is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper endemic to the island of Maui in Hawaii. It can only be found in of mesic and wet forests at on the windward slopes of Haleakalā. This spec ...
** '' Magumma'' – anianiau ** '' Loxops'' – 5 species, of which one is extinct ** '' Chlorodrepanis'' – 3 species, the Hawaii, Oahu and
Kauai amakihi Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...
* ''
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 g ...
'' – 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 char ...
'' – 6 greenfinches * ''
Rhodospiza The desert finch (''Rhodospiza obsoleta''), sometimes called Lichtenstein's desert finch, is a large brown true finch found in southern Eurasia. Its taxonomy is confused, and it has formerly been placed in ''Fringilla'', '' Bucanetes'', ''Cardue ...
'' – desert finch * '' Rhynchostruthus'' – 3 golden-winged grosbeaks * '' Linurgus'' –
oriole finch The oriole finch (''Linurgus olivaceus'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is found in Africa and is native to Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Suda ...
* '' Crithagra'' – 37 species of canaries, serins and siskins from Africa and the Arabian Peninsula * '' Linaria'' – 4 species including the
twite The twite (''Linaria flavirostris'') is a small brown passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is similar in size and shape to a linnet, at long. It lacks the red head patch and breast shown by the linnet and the redpolls. It is bro ...
and three linnets * '' Acanthis'' – 3 redpolls * ''
Loxia The crossbill is a genus, ''Loxia'', of birds in the finch family (Fringillidae), with six species. These birds are characterised by the mandibles with crossed tips, which gives the group its English name. Adult males tend to be red or orange in ...
'' – 6 crossbills * '' Chrysocorythus'' – 2 species * '' Carduelis'' – 3 species including the European goldfinch * '' Serinus'' – 8 species including the
European serin The European serin, or simply the serin (''Serinus serinus''), is the smallest European 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. ...
* '' Spinus'' – 20 species including the North American goldfinches and the Eurasian siskin Subfamily Euphoniinae * '' Euphonia'' – 27 species all with euphonia in their English name * ''
Chlorophonia ''Chlorophonia'' is a genus of finches in the family Fringillidae. The Chlorophonias are endemic to the Neotropics. They are small, mostly bright green birds that inhabit humid forests and nearby habitats, especially in highlands. The genus ' ...
'' – 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 species placed in the genus ''Coccothraustes''. Its closest living relatives are the Chinese grosbeak (''Eophona migratoria'') ...
(''Coccothraustes coccothraustes''), one of the Holarctic grosbeaks 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: 0.8-1 ...
(''Haemorhous cassinii''), an American rosefinch File:Carpodacus roseus.jpg,
Pallas' rosefinch Pallas's rosefinch (''Carpodacus roseus'') is a species of bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is found in China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mongolia, and Russia. Birds are occasionally reported from further west and there are records from ...
(''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 (Fringillidae), native to South America. It belongs to the putative clade of neotropical siskins in the genus '' Spinus sensu lato''. There are 11 subspeci ...
(''Spinus magellanicus'') File:Vestiaria coccinea -Hawaii -adult-8 (4).jpg, ʻIʻiwi (''Drepanis coccinea''), a Hawaiian honeycreeper File:Euphonia violacea-2.jpg, Male violaceous euphonia (''Euphonia violacea'') File:Carduelis carduelis close up.jpg, European goldfinch (''Carduelis carduelis'') File:Chloris chloris.jpg,
European greenfinch The European greenfinch or simply the greenfinch (''Chloris chloris'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. This bird is widespread throughout Europe, North Africa and Southwest Asia. It is mainly resident, but some north ...
(''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 The Tenerife blue chaffinch (''Fringilla teydea'') is a species of passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is endemic to Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands. This bird is the natural symbol of this island, together with the Canary Is ...
(''Fringilla teydea'') File:Euphonia elegantissima.jpg, Elegant euphonia (''Euphonia 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. Taxonomy The IOC checklist and the ''Handbook of the Birds of the World'' place the evening grosbeak and the closel ...
(''Hesperiphona vespertina'') File:Chloris spinoides.jpg,
Yellow-breasted greenfinch The yellow-breasted greenfinch (''Chloris spinoides'') is a small passerine bird in the family Fringillidae that is native to the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. Taxonomy The yellow-breasted greenfinch was described by the Irish z ...
(''Chloris spinoides'') File:Serinus flaviventris 2013 03 09.jpg, Yellow canary (''Crithagra flaviventris'') File:Streaky Seedeater, Ngorongoro Crater (8495906768).jpg, Streaky seedeater (''Crithagra striolata'') File:Fringilla coelebs moreletti.png,
Azores chaffinch The Azores chaffinch (''Fringilla coelebs moreletti'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is a subspecies of the common chaffinch that is endemic to the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, part of Macaronesia in the ...
(''Fringilla coelebs moreletti'')


See also

*
The Finch Society of Australia The Finch Society of Australia Inc. is an established organisation designed as a forum to connect "finch fanciers". The society is a part of the animal fancy movement, supporting and promoting animal welfare. The Finch Society of Australia is more ...


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