Mountain finch
For the mountain finches from South America, see Compsospiza and Poospiza caesar.
| Mountain finches | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leucosticte tephrocotis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Fringillidae |
| Subfamily: | Carduelinae |
| Genus: | Leucosticte Swainson, 1832 |
| Species | |
|
See text. | |
The mountain finches are birds in the genus Leucosticte from the true finch family, Fringillidae. This genus also includes the rosy finches, named from their pinkish plumage. They are apparently closely related to the bullfinches[1] and to the pine grosbeak,[2] diverging from them almost twelve million years ago, at the end of the Middle Miocene, although later studies group genus Leucosticte with other "arid-zone" finches: Carpodacus nipalensis, Rhodopechys githaginea and Rhodopechys mongolica.[2][3]
These birds are native to Asia and North America and are typically found in barren mountainous regions. Many species eat more insect material than other finches.
The full list of species is:
- Plain mountain finch, Leucosticte nemoricola
- Brandt's mountain finch, Leucosticte brandti
- Sillem's mountain finch, Leucosticte sillemi
- Asian rosy finch, Leucosticte arctoa
- Gray-crowned rosy finch, Leucosticte tephrocotis
- Black rosy finch, Leucosticte atrata
- Brown-capped rosy finch, Leucosticte australis
References
- ↑ Marten, Jill A. & Johnson, Ned K. (1986). "Genetic relationships of North American cardueline finches". Condor 88 (4): 409–420. doi:10.2307/1368266.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Arnaiz-Villena, A.; Guillén, J.; Ruiz-del-Valle, V.; Lowy, E.; Zamora, J.; Varela, P.; Stefani, D.; Allende, L. M. (2001). "Phylogeography of crossbills, bullfinches, grosbeaks, and rosefinches". Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 58 (8): 1159–1166. doi:10.1007/PL00000930. PMID 11529508.
- ↑ Arnaiz-Villena, A; Moscoso J; Ruiz-del-Valle V; González J; Reguera R; Ferri A; Wink M; Serrano-Vale JI (2008). "Mitochondrial DNA Phylogenetic Definition of a Group'of "Arid-Zone" Carduelini Finches". The Open Ornithology Journal 1: 1–7. doi:10.2174/1874453200801010001.