Golden winged bullfinch
| Golden winged bullfinch | ||||||||||||
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Socotragimpel |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Rhynchostruthus | ||||||||||||
| PL Sclater & Hartlaub , 1881 |
The golden-winged bullfinches ( Rhynchostruthus ) are a species-poor, only three species comprehensive genus from the subfamily of goldfinch-like . The species occur exclusively on the Arabian Peninsula and in northern Somalia . The IUCN classifies two species, Arabian bullfinch ( R. percivali ) and Somali bullfinch ( R. louisae ), as near threatened . The third species, the Socotragimpel ( Rhynchostruthus socrotanus ), is not considered to be endangered in its population.
features
The golden-winged bullfinches are medium-sized, robustly built songbirds. They are usually found at altitudes between 1060 and 2800 meters and colonize semi-desert-like areas. The main focus of their food spectrum is the seeds and fruits of juniper , acacia and milkweed .
Gold-winged bullfinches are characterized by a slight gender dimorphism . The males are greenish brown to grayish brown. You have a dark face mask and white cheeks. The beak is black. The wings and the tail have bright yellow spots. The females are generally a little more dull in color. The young birds are grayer and have a somewhat striped plumage. They are still missing the face mask of the adult birds.
Systematics
The taxonomic classification of this genus was not certain for a long time. The large beak suggests a relationship with Asian grosbeak genera, such as those of the genus Mycerobas . The calls and singing, on the other hand, are reminiscent of the goldfinch or the greenfinch . The green finch-like, slow courtship flights suggest that there could be a relationship with these. More recent molecular genetic studies from 2012 have broken down the relationships more precisely and show that the golden-winged bullfinch with the white-winged bullfinch ( Rhodospiza obsoleta ) form a clade within the tribe Carduelini, which is actually the sister taxon of the green finches of the genus Chloris .
species
The following three species are counted among the golden winged bullfinches:
- Socrotanus ( R. socrotanus )
- Arabian bullfinch ( R. percivali )
- Somali pimple ( R. louisae )
supporting documents
Individual evidence
- ↑ BirdLife factsheet on the genus , accessed July 15, 2009
- ↑ D. Zuccon, R. Prŷs-Jones, P. Rasmussen and P. Ericson: The phylogenetic relationships and generis limits of finches (Fringillidae) . In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . tape 62 , no. 2 , February 2012, p. 581-596 , doi : 10.1016 / j.ympev.2011.10.002 ( nrm.se [PDF]).
literature
- Horst Bielfeld : siskins, giraffe, bullfinches and grosbeak. Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-8001-3675-9 .
