Sporophila

Sporophila
Male variable seedeater
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Thraupidae
Genus: Sporophila
Cabanis, 1844

Sporophila is a genus of Neotropical birds in the family Thraupidae. The seed finches are sometimes also included in this genus.[1]

They are relatively small with stubby, conical bills adapted for feeding on seeds and alike. Most species are strongly sexually dimorphic, and while "typical" adult males often are distinctive, female and immatures of both sexes can be very difficult (in some species virtually impossible) to identify to exact species.[2] Females of at least some of these species have different ultraviolet colours, which can be seen by birds, but not humans.[3] Female-like (paedomorphic) males apparently also occur, at least in some species.[4]

Species

There are more than 30 species of Sporophila:

References

  1. ↑ South American Classification Committee (2007). Incluir el género Oryzoborus dentro de Sporophila. Accessed 19 January 2010.
  2. ↑ Ridgely, R. S., & G. Tudor (1989). The Birds of South America. Vol. 1. Univ. Texas Press, Austin
  3. ↑ Benites, P., Eaton, M. D., Lijtmaer, D. A., Lougheed, S. C. & Tubaro, P. L. (2010). Analysis from avian visual perspective reveals plumage colour differences among females of capuchino seedeaters (Sporophila). J. Avian Biology. 41: 597–602.
  4. ↑ Areta, J. I. (2009). Paedomorphosis in Sporophila seedeaters. Bull. B.O.C. 2009 129(2): 98-103.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.