Carduelinae Explained

The cardueline finches are a subfamily, Carduelinae, one of three subfamilies of the finch family Fringillidae, the others being the Fringillinae and the Euphoniinae. The Hawaiian honeycreepers are now included in this subfamily.^[1] Except for the Hawaiian honeycreepers which underwent adaptive radiation in Hawaii and have evolved a broad range of diets, cardueline finches are specialised seed eaters, and unlike most passerine birds, they feed their young mostly on seeds, which are regurgitated.^[2] Besides this, they differ from the other finches in some minor details of their skull.^[2] They are adept at opening seeds and clinging to stems, unlike other granivorous birds, such as sparrows and buntings, which feed mostly on fallen seeds.^[3] Some members of this subfamily are further specialised to feed on a particular type of seed, such as cones in the case of crossbills.^[2] Carduelines forage in flocks throughout the year, rather than keeping territories, and males defend their females rather than a territory or nest.^[4]

The name Carduelina[e] for the subfamily was introduced by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors in 1825.^{[5] [6]} Carduelinae is derived from the Latin name carduelis and the binomial name Carduelis carduelis for a goldfinch, one of the species in the subfamily.^[7]

List of genera

The Carduelinae subfamily contains 186 species divided into 49 genera. Of the 186 species, 15 are now extinct; these are the Bonin grosbeak and 14 Hawaiian honeycreepers.^[8]

• Mycerobas  - contains four Asian grosbeaks
• Hesperiphona  - contains two American grosbeaks, the evening grosbeak and the hooded grosbeak
• Coccothraustes  - contains a single species, the hawfinch
• Eophona  - contains the two oriental grosbeaks, the Chinese and the Japanese grosbeak
• Pinicola  - contains a single species, the pine grosbeak
• Pyrrhula  - contains the eight bullfinch species
• Rhodopechys  - contains two species, the Asian crimson-winged finch and the African crimson-winged finch
• Bucanetes  - contains the trumpeter and the Mongolian finch
• Agraphospiza  - contains a single species, Blanford's rosefinch
• Callacanthis  - contains a single species, the spectacled finch
• Pyrrhoplectes  - contains a single species, the golden-naped finch
• Procarduelis  - contains a single species, the dark-breasted rosefinch
• Leucosticte  - contains six species of mountain and rosy finches
• Carpodacus  - contains the 28 Palearctic rosefinch species
• Hawaiian honeycreeper group (formerly a separate family, Drepanididae)
  • Melamprosops  - contains a single extinct species, the poo-uli
  • Paroreomyza  - contains three species, the Oahu alauahio, the Maui alauahio and the extinct kakawahie
  • Oreomystis  - contains a single species, the akikiki
  • Telespiza  - contains two species, the Laysan finch and the Nihoa finch
  • Loxioides  - contains a single species, the palila
  • Rhodacanthis  - contains two extinct species, the lesser and the greater koa finch
  • Chloridops  - contains a single extinct species, the Kona grosbeak
  • Psittirostra  - contains a single possibly extinct species, the ou
  • Dysmorodrepanis  - contains a single extinct species, the Lanai hookbill
  • Drepanis  - contains two extinct species, the Hawaii mamo and the black mamo, and the extant iiwi
  • Ciridops  - contains a single extinct species, the Ula-ai-hawane
  • Palmeria  - contains a single species, the akohekohe
  • Himatione  - contains two species, the apapane and the extinct Laysan honeycreeper
  • Viridonia  - contains a single extinct species, the greater amakihi
  • Akialoa  - contains six extinct species
  • Hemignathus  - contains five species, only one of which is extant, with two being possibly extinct
  • Pseudonestor  - contains a single species, the Maui parrotbill
  • Magumma  - contains a single species, the anianiau
  • Loxops  - contains five species, of which one is extinct and one possibly extinct
  • Chlorodrepanis  - contains three species, the Hawaii, Oahu and Kauai amakihi
  • Orthiospiza  - contains a single extinct species, the highland finch
  • Vangulifer  - contains two extinct species
  • Xestospiza  - contains two extinct species
• Haemorhous  - contains the three North America rosefinches
• Chloris  - contains the six greenfinches
• Rhodospiza  - contains a single species, the desert finch
• Rhynchostruthus  - contains the three golden-winged grosbeaks
• Linurgus  - contains a single species, the oriole finch
• Crithagra  - contains 37 species of canaries, serins and siskins from Africa and the Arabian Peninsula
• Linaria  - contains four species including the twite and three linnets
• Acanthis  - contains three redpolls
• Loxia  - contains six crossbills
• Chrysocorythus  - contains two species, the Indonesian serin and the Mindanao serin
• Carduelis  - contains three species including the European goldfinch
• Serinus  - contains eight species including the European serin
• Spinus  - contains 20 species including the North American goldfinches and the Eurasian siskin

Literature cited

• Book: Groth, Jeffrey G. . 2001. Finches and Allies . 552–560 . The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. limited. Alfred A. Knopf. Elphick, Chris . Dunning, John B. Jr. . Sibley, David Allen. New York. 978-1-4000-4386-6.
• Book: Newton, Ian. Finches. The New Naturalist Library 55. Taplinger. 1973. New York. 0-8008-2720-1.

Notes and References

1. Groth, 2001, pp. 552–553
2. Newton, 1973, p. 31
3. Groth, 2001, p. 557
4. Groth, 2001, p. 558
5. Book: Bock, Walter J. . 1994 . History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History Issue 222 . 264 . 2246/830 .
6. Vigors . Nicholas Aylward . Nicholas Aylward Vigors . 1825 . Sketches in ornithology . Zoological Journal . 2 . 7 . 398 .
7. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 91 .
8. Web site: Gill . Frank . Donsker . David . Finches, euphonias . World Bird List Version 5.3. International Ornithologists' Union. 25 July 2015 .