Rosefinch

:"The rosefinches should not be confused with the rosy finches, Leucosticte".

Taxobox
name = Rosefinches

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image_width = 240px
image_caption = House Finch
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Passeriformes
familia = Fringillidae
subfamilia = Carduelinae
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = "see article text"

The rosefinches are birds in the finch family Fringillidae. Most "Carpodacus" species are so named, but three common North American ones are not. As the names imply, various shades of red are the characteristic plumage colours of this group.

Rose finches are found throughout the northern hemisphere, but the greatest diversity is in Asia. Most species are traditionally placed in the large genus "Carpodacus".

ystematics

Comparison of mtDNA cytochrome "b" sequences strongly indicates that the genus "Carpodacus" is in need of a thorough revision (Arnaiz-Villena "et al.", 2001). For example, the Dark-breasted Rosefinch, a species with very distinctive appearance, is also very distinct genetically and definitely belongs into another genus, which may even be placed in the chaffinch-brambling subfamily Fringillinae; all other species belong to the cardueline finch subfamily (Carduelinae).

There have been a number of rosefinch radiations. First to split off were the ancestors of the North American species, the Common Rosefinch, and the Scarlet Finch (the later is traditionally placed in its own genus, but this is almost certainly incorrect). These diverged in the Middle Miocene (about 14-12 mya) from the proto-rosefinches and should constitute the genus "Carpodacus" proper, which might even be limited to the European species and probably the Scarlet Finch, with the North American forms becoming a distinct genus.

The Long-tailed Rosefinch, traditionally also placed in a monotypic genus, is closely allied to the Streaked Rosefinch and possibly other species; they diverged around 11-10 mya and either might be placed in "Carpodacus" or united in "Uragus". If the latter is adopted, the bulk of the Asian species would also have to be separated as yet another distinct genus.

Przewalski's "Rosefinch" ("Urocynchramus pylzowi") has been determined to be not a rosefinch, and indeed not a true finch at all, but to constitute a monotypic family Urocynchramidae (Groth 2000).

Species

* Dark-breasted Rosefinch (probably a distinct genus ["Procarduelis"?] perhaps belonging in Fringillinae)
** Dark-breasted Rosefinch, "Carpodacus nipalensis"
* "Carpodacus" proper
** Common Rosefinch, "Carpodacus erythrinus"
* Scarlet Finch (traditionally separated as "Haematospiza")
** Scarlet Finch, "Carpodacus sipahi"
* American rosefinches (probably a distinct genus)
** Cassin's Finch, "Carpodacus cassinii"
** Purple Finch, "Carpodacus purpureus"
** House Finch, "Carpodacus mexicanus"
* Streaked rosefinches (possibly genus "Uragus" and/or "Rubicilla")
** Great Rosefinch, "Carpodacus rubicilla"
** Streaked Rosefinch, "Carpodacus rubicilloides"
** Long-tailed Rosefinch, "Carpodacus sibiricus"
* Asian rosefinches (possibly a distinct genus "Propasser"?)
** Beautiful Rosefinch, "Carpodacus pulcherrimus"
** White-browed Rosefinch, "Carpodacus thura"
** Pallas' Rosefinch, "Carpodacus roseus"
** Three-banded Rosefinch, "Carpodacus trifasciatus"
* Unassigned (most probably belong to Asian group)
** Blanford's Rosefinch, "Carpodacus rubescens" - Perhaps related to "C. nipalensis"
** Pink-rumped Rosefinch, "Carpodacus eos"
** Pink-browed Rosefinch, "Carpodacus rhodochrous"
** Vinaceous Rosefinch, "Carpodacus vinaceus"
** Dark-rumped Rosefinch, "Carpodacus edwardsii"
** Pale Rosefinch, "Carpodacus synoicus"
** Spot-winged Rosefinch, "Carpodacus rhodopeplus"
** Tibetan Rosefinch, "Carpodacus(Kozlowia) roborowskii"
** Red-mantled Rosefinch, "Carpodacus rhodochlamys"
** Red-fronted Rosefinch, "Carpodacus(Pyrrhospiza) puniceus"
** Crimson-browed Finch, "Propyrrhula" subhimachala" - Sometimes under "Pinicola" but Groth (1994) places this species in rosefinch group.

References

* 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: 1159–1166. [http://chopo.pntic.mec.es/~biolmol/publicaciones/crossbills.pdf PDF fulltext]

* Arnaiz-Villena, A., Moscoso, J., Ruiz-del-Valle, V., Gonzalez, J., Reguera, R., Wink, M., I. Serrano-Vela, J. 2007. Bayesian phylogeny of Fringillinae birds: status of the singular African oriole finch Linurgus olivaceus and evolution and heterogeneity of the genus Carpodacus. Acta Zoologica Sinica, 53 (5):826 - 834. [http://www.actazool.org/pdftemp/%7BC6BDA075-F92E-48AF-815F-98BED7C65FE5%7D.pdf PDF fulltext]

* Bates, R. S. P. & Lowther, E. H. N. (1952). The breeding birds of Kashmir. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

* Clement, Peter; Harris, Alan & Davis, John (1993): "Finches and Sparrows: an identification guide". Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0-7136-8017-2

* Dickinson, E.C. : Systematic notes on Asian birds. 46. ‘A Catalogue of the Birds in the Museum of the Hon. East-India Company’ by Horsfield & Moore. Zool. Verh. Leiden 350, 26.xi.2004: 149-165. ISSN 0024-1652/ISBN 90-73239-95-8. [http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/43940. PDF fulltext]

* Eck, S. 2004. Ernst Harterts palaearktische Vogelarten 1903 – 2003 - Erinnerung an die HARTERT-Ära. Zoologische Abhandlungen (Dresden) 54: 199–231. ISSN 0375-5231. [http://globiz.sachsen.de/snsd/publikationen/Zool_Abh/Zool_Abh_54_2004_199-231.pdf PDF fulltext]

* Groth, J. G. 1994. A mitochondrial cytochrome b phylogeny of cardueline finches. Journal für Ornithologie, 135: 31.

* Groth, J. G. 1998. Molecular phylogeny of the cardueline finches and Hawaiian honeycreepers. Ostrich, 69: 401.

* Groth, J. (2000) "Molecular evidence for the systematic position of "Urocynchramus pylzowi"." "Auk" 117(3): 787-792.

* Hodgson, B. H. 1844 (1845). "Genus: Procarduelis". J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, XIII., 954. "Type Carduelis nipalensis Hodgson"

* Wolters, H. E. (1975-1982): Die Vogelarten der Erde. Paul Parey, Hamburg und Berlin.

External links

* [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=195 Rosefinche videos] on the Internet Bird Collection