American rosefinch explained

The American rosefinches that form the genus Haemorhous are a group of passerine birds in the finch family Fringillidae. As the name implies ("haemo" means "blood" in Greek), various shades of red are characteristic plumage colors of this group. They are found throughout the North American continent.

The genus is not closely related to the Carpodacus rosefinches that are found in Europe and Asia.^[1]

Systematics

There have been a number of rosefinch radiations. One of the first to split off were the ancestors of the North American species and diverged in the Middle Miocene (about 14–12 mya) from the proto-rosefinches.^[2]

Within the genus the House Finch is the outgroup, meaning the Purple and Cassin's finches are more closely related to one another than either is to the House Finch.^[3]

Species

The genus contains three species:^{[4] [5]}

Notes and References

1. Zuccon . Dario . Prŷs-Jones . Robert . Rasmussen . Pamela C. . Ericson . Per G.P. . 2012 . The phylogenetic relationships and generic limits of finches (Fringillidae) . Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . 62 . 2 . 581–596 . 10.1016/j.ympev.2011.10.002 . 22023825.
2. Banks . Richard C. . Browning, M. Ralph . Comments on the Status of Revived Old Names for Some North American Birds . The Auk . 112 . 3 . 633–648 . University of California Press . Berkeley, California . July 1995 . 4088679 .
3. Smith . Brian Tilston . Bryson . Robert W. . Chua . Vivien . Africa . Lia . Klicka . John . 2013-03-01 . Speciational history of North American Haemorhous finches (Aves: Fringillidae) inferred from multilocus data . Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . en . 66 . 3 . 1055–1059 . 10.1016/j.ympev.2012.11.016 . 23219607 . 1055-7903.
4. Chesser . R. Terry . 2012 . Fifty-third Supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds . The Auk . 129 . 3 . 573–588 . 2012-07-18 . Banks, Richard C. . Barker, F. Keith . 10.1525/auk.2012.129.3.573. 198159113 .
5. Web site: Gill . Frank . Donsker . David . Finches, euphonias . World Bird List Version 5.2. International Ornithologists' Union. 5 June 2015 .