Mycerobas

Mycerobas
Gold grouse , male
Systematics
Order : Passerines (Passeriformes) Subordination : Songbirds (passeri) Family : Finches (Fringillidae) Subfamily : Goldfinches (Carduelinae) Tribe : Grosbeak (Coccothraustini) Genre : Mycerobas
Scientific name
Mycerobas
Cabanis , 1847

Female of the gold grouse

The Mycerobas are a genus within the subfamily of the goldfinch-like . Along with the genus Eophona, it is one of the genera that are meant by the term grosbeak in the broader sense. The genus includes four species, all of which are native to Asia. None of the species are classified as endangered by the IUCN .

Appearance

The species of the genus Mycerobas reach body lengths of 21 to 23 centimeters. All species show a partially conspicuous sexual dimorphism .

The males of the genus Mycerobas all have black plumage. This is least pronounced in the male of the gold grouse . The juniper grouse has the largest proportion of black , with only the belly, the upper and lower tail coverts , the rump and a band on the wing coverts being olive green. The juniper grouse differs with these olive-green plumage parts from the other species, in which the non-black body parts are yellow.

The females are much more inconspicuous in color and often have gray or gray-brown areas instead of black plumage areas. However, their wings and tail are often black.

Way of life

The range of the genus is very large. The distribution areas of the individual species overlap. Representatives of the genus can be found from northern Iran via Afghanistan , northern India , Tibet to China . The yellow-thigh hawfinch is also found in Myanmar and northern Thailand during the winter months . Mycerobas species are goldfinches at high altitudes. The yellow-legged grosbeak and the juniper grosbeak come at altitudes of up to 4,000 meters above sea level. in front. The habitat are coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests. Berries and seeds play a major role in the food spectrum.

species

The following species are included in the genus Mycerobas :

• Gold Grosbeak ( M. icterioiedes )
• Yellow-thigh grosbeak ( M. affinis )
• Juniper grouse ( M. carnipes )
• Spotted bite ( M. melanozanthos )

supporting documents

Individual evidence

1. ↑ BirdLife factsheet on the genus Mycerobas , accessed on July 16, 2009
2. ↑ Bielfeld, pp. 78 to 80
3. ↑ Bielfeld, p. 79 and p. 80

literature

• Horst Bielfeld : siskins, giraffe, bullfinches and grosbeak. Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-8001-3675-9 .

Web links

Commons : Mycerobas  - collection of images, videos and audio files