Golden-winged Grosbeak

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Golden-winged Grosbeak

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Fringillidae
Genus:	Rhynchostruthus Sclater & Hartlaub, 1881
Species:	R. socotranus

Binomial name

Rhynchostruthus socotranus
(Sclater & Hartlaub, 1881)

The only member of the genus Rhynchostruthus the Golden-winged Grosbeak is an attractive, chunky, medium-sized, robust-billed finch endemic to the southern Arabian and Somalian regions, specifically Socotra Island, northern Somalia, Dhofar in Oman, and the mountains of north Yemen to Saudi Arabia as far north as Al Hara near Ta'if. It can be found in Juniperus procera in Somalia and south-west Saudi Arabia, mixed Euphorbia and Acacia species in Yemen, and it is the fruit of these species that appear to form the bulk of its diet.
The large bill suggests a relationship with the Asian grosbeaks e.g. Mycerobas but its song and calls are reminiscent of European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis, European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris, and Yemen Linnet Carduelis yemenensis. Also it has been observed performing a greenfinch-like slow-winged display flight which suggests its true affinities may lie within the genus Carduelis.

There are three races:

- Rhynchostruthus socotranus socotranus - endemic to Socotra.
- Rhynchostruthus socotranus percivali - southern Arabia.
- Rhynchostruthus (socotranus) louisae - Somalia. A rather distinct race sometimes treated as a full species.

[edit] References

Davidson, P. & Kirwan, G.M. 1996. Around the Region. Sandgrouse 18 (2): 80
Martins, R.P. 1987. The Golden-winged Grosbeak in North Yemen. Sandgrouse 9: 106-110
Sinclair, I. & Ryan, P. 2003. Birds of Africa south of the Sahara. Struik, Cape Town ISBN 1 86872 857 9