Phrygilus

For the ancient Greek artist, see Phrygillus.
Phrygilus
Patagonian sierra finch, Phrygilus patagonicus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Thraupidae
Genus: Phrygilus
Cabanis, 1844
Species

11, see text

Phrygilus[1] is a genus of mainly Andean seed-eating tanagers commonly known as sierra finches. Phrygilos means finch in Ancient Greek.[2] Sometimes classified in the bunting and American sparrow family Emberizidae, more recent studies have shown them to belong in the Thraupidae.[3] The genus appears to be polyphyletic[4] consisting of at least three distinct lineages which in future may need to be split into separate genera.

Species list

Group 1 - The "hooded" group. Related to yellow finches Sicalis

Group 2 - Upperparts mostly grey, underparts white. Sexes similar. Related to a clade containing both the "hooded" group and Sicalis olivascens

Group 3 - male plumage grey or dull brown, females streaky. Related to Haplospiza

Group 4 - Yellow bill with grey/black underparts.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Ridgely & Tudor (1989)
  2. ↑ Aristophanes, The Birds 859. CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: M-Q By Umberto Quattrocchi sv. Phrygilanthus
  3. ↑ See Burns et al. (2003) & Klicka et al. (2007)
  4. ↑ See Klicka et al. (2007)

References