White-winged bullfinch
| White-winged bullfinch | ||||||||||||
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White-winged bullfinch, right male in splendid plumage, left female in plain plumage or young bird |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Rhodospiza | ||||||||||||
| Sharpe , 1888 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Rhodospiza obsoleta | ||||||||||||
| ( Lichtenstein , 1823) |
The white-winged bullfinch ( Rhodospiza obsoleta ) is a species of finch from the goldfinch subfamily . It occurs from the Middle East to the northwest of China. The monotypic species, the taxonomic classification of which has long been disputed, was placed in the genera Fringilla , Bucanetes , Carduelis and Rhodopechys in the past . Currently (2018) it is the only species of the genus Rhodospiza . It is classified by the IUCN as not endangered ( least concern ).
description
With a body length of 14.5 to 15 cm, the white-winged bullfinch is about the size of a green body and resembles it in its habitus . It is a slender, mostly sand-colored finch with characteristic black and white markings on the wings and tail, which are also complemented by striking light pink areas on the wing. The strong beak is conical and pointed. Legs and feet are dark flesh-colored. There is a slight sexual dimorphism .
In the male, the black beak and the black reins in front of the eye are striking in their splendid dress . The head, back and shoulders - including the middle arm covers - as well as the chest and flanks are pale to grayish sand-colored. On the forehead and face, the coloring plays into a warmer ocher. On the lower back, the color changes into the warm light to reddish brown of the upper tail covers. Belly and under tail-covers are whitish. The large arm covers are dark brown to black with wide pink lined outer flags, the hand covers are dark with pink outer flags at the base. The alula is black and only lined with pink. The hand and outer arm wings are black with a white border, the inner arm wings show a pink border at the base. In the sitting bird, the black of the alula and the wings as well as the white and pink areas form a characteristic wing pattern. In flight, the pink in the middle of the wing stands out compared to the pale edges of the wings of the hand. The slightly forked joint is black with control springs lined with wide white edges. The inner pair is also broadly lined with white at the end, the others have white lace. The white border on the outer control springs is very fine.
In the female, the dark parts of the large plumage in the male are sand-colored to gray-brown, so that overall it appears much less contrasting. The male's black rein is absent or weak. The males approach the females in the worn plumage. In both sexes, outside the breeding season, the beak is horn-colored with a dark tip.
The young birds resemble the females, but the drawing of the wings is even less pronounced. The beak is even less colored than that of adult birds in winter.
Systematics
The white-winged bullfinch, like the desert bullfinch , the Mongolian bullfinch and the red-winged bullfinch, is one of the four so-called "stone bullfinch" species. The classification of these species is controversial. Sibley & Monroe (1990) suggested a union in the genus Rhodopechys , other authors, however, still see a subdivision into the genera Bucanetes (desert and Mongolian finch), Rhodopechys (red-winged finch) and Rhodospiza (white-winged bullfinch).
Research from 2006 showed that the white-winged bullfinch is closely related to the siskin . This is not only indicated by the DNA and the vocalizations of the white-winged gimp, but also by the black reins of the male. According to current estimates, the common ancestor of the siskin and the white-winged gimp lived about six million years ago and was possibly a kind of semi-arid habitat. It is assumed that based on this ancestor, a line specialized in forest habitats (siskins) and a line that was strongly influenced by life in arid habitats (white-winged bullfinches) developed.
More recent studies from 2012 have broken down the relationships more precisely and show that the closest relatives are the golden-winged bullfinches . Following the aforementioned investigation and the International Ornithological Union , the species is classified in the genus Rhodospiza .
Distribution area and way of life
The distribution area of the white-winged gimp is very large and, according to the IUCN, covers 4.3 million square kilometers. It stretches from Israel , Syria , southeast Turkey , Iraq , Iran , Afghanistan, and northwest Pakistan to northwest China. The white-winged bullfinch is a kind of arid habitat and occurs in mountainous and open terrain that is loosely covered with trees and bushes. It can often be seen on the edges of roads and fields.
The clutch consists of four to seven bluish eggs with red-brown to black scribbling. The incubation period is twelve to thirteen days. The young birds can fledge after 14 to 16 days and independent after 30 to 35 days.
supporting documents
Individual evidence
- ↑ BirdLife Factsheet (accessed July 14, 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]).
- ^ IOC World Bird List
literature
- P. Clement, A. Harris, J. Davis: Finches and Sparrows . Helm Identification Guides, London 1993/1999, ISBN 0-7136-5203-9
- Jorge Zamora, Ernesto Lowy, Valentin Ruiz-del-Valle, Juan Moscoso, Juan Ignacio Serrano-Vela, Juan Rivero-de-Aguilar & Antonio Arnaiz-Villena (2006): Rhodopechys obsoleta (desert finch): a pale ancestor of greenfinches ( Carduelis spp.) According to molecular phylogeny. Journal of Ornithology 147 (3): pp. 448-456. doi : 10.1007 / s10336-005-0036-2 (HTML abstract). Erratum, Journal of Ornithology 147 (3): pp. 511-512 doi : 10.1007 / s10336-006-0072-6
- Horst Bielfeld : siskins, giraffe, bullfinches and grosbeak. Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-8001-3675-9 .
Web links
- Rhodospiza obsoleta inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017.3. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Rhodopechys obsoleta in the Internet Bird Collection
- Photos of Rhodospiza obsoleta in the Oriental Bird Club image database , accessed on March 17, 2010
- White-winged bullfinch in Israel
- Feathers of the white-winged bullfinch