Passerina

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For the plant genus, see Passerina (plant).
Passerina
Painted Bunting
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae
Genus: Passerina
Vieillot, 1816
Species

See text.
Synonyms

Guiraca

The genus Passerina is a group of birds in the Cardinal family Cardinalidae. Although not directly related to buntings in the family Emberizidae, they are sometimes known as the North American buntings (the North American Emberizidae are colloquially called "sparrows" although they are also not related to these birds).

The males show vivid colours in the breeding season; the plumage of females and immature birds is duller. These birds go through two molts in a year; the males are generally less colourful in winter. They have short tails and short slim legs. They have smaller bills than other Cardinalidae; they mainly eat seeds in winter and insects in summer.

Blue Grosbeak (P. caerulea) was once placed in the monotypic genus, Guiraca.

[edit] Species