Amaurospiza

Taxobox
name = "Amaurospiza"


regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
subclassis = Neornithes
infraclassis = Neognathae
superordo = Neoaves
ordo = Passeriformes
subordo = Passeri
infraordo = Passerida
superfamilia = Passeroidea
familia = see text
genus = "Amaurospiza"
genus_authority = Cabanis, 1853
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision ="Amaurospiza carrizalensis""Amaurospiza concolor""Amaurospiza moesta""Amaurospiza relicta"

"Amaurospiza" is a genus of birds. These "seedeaters" were formerly associated with the American sparrows and placed in the Emberizidae or (in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy) the Fringillidae. The generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek "amauros" ("dusky") + "spiza" ("finch").

Actually, they are part of the tanager-cardinal lineage. They seem to belong in the family Cardinalidae, or possibly Thraupidae like most other seedeaters. They may actually belong in one genus with the aberrant blue "grosbeaks" of the genus "Cyanocompsa". If that is correct, the Dickcissel in the genus "Spiza" would, quite amusingly, indeed turn out to be one of their closest living relatives.

"Amaurospiza" contains the following species:
* Blue Seedeater, "Amaurospiza concolor"
* Slate-blue Seedeater, "Amaurospiza relicta"
* Carrizal Seedeater, "Amaurospiza carrizalensis"
* Blackish-blue Seedeater, "Amaurospiza moesta"