Serinus
Encyclopedia
The genus Serinus is a large genus of bird
s in the finch
family Fringillidae found mostly in the Afrotropical region with some outlying species in Europe and Asia. The genus contains several species groups including canaries, seedeater
s and the African siskin
s. The majority of species are small to medium sized birds with green and yellow, often streaky plumage though there are a few notable exceptions.
The treatment of the Canary group as a single genus has been subject to much debate, with behavioural and vocal characters being used to divide it into seven or more genera. Recent investigations using part of the mitochondrial cytochrome b
gene
have suggested the genus consists of two main clades (Serinus sensu stricto and Crithagra) separated by certain members of the genus Carduelis
, and these may be better treated as two separate genera. Species in the Crithagra clade could conceivably be split further into several more (sub)genera and may well be once relationships within the clade are better resolved. In the list below they are arranged in the groups as suggested in various publications e.g.(Elzen et al.) and (Ryan et al.).
:
The Citril Finch
and the Corsican Finch
are now placed in the genus Carduelis
as Carduelis citrinella and Carduelis corsicana (Arnaiz-Villena et al., 1998).
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s in the finch
Finch
The true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to the Northern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily – monotypic at genus level – is found...
family Fringillidae found mostly in the Afrotropical region with some outlying species in Europe and Asia. The genus contains several species groups including canaries, seedeater
Seedeater
The seedeaters are a form taxon of seed-eating passerine birds with a distinctively conical bill.Most are Central and South American birds that were formerly placed in the American sparrow family , but are now known to be tanagers closely related to Darwins finches...
s and the African siskin
Siskin
-Birds:The name siskin when referring to a bird is derived from an adaptation of the German dialect words sisschen, zeischen, which are diminuative forms of Middle High German and Middle Low German words, which are themselves apparently of Slavic origin...
s. The majority of species are small to medium sized birds with green and yellow, often streaky plumage though there are a few notable exceptions.
The treatment of the Canary group as a single genus has been subject to much debate, with behavioural and vocal characters being used to divide it into seven or more genera. Recent investigations using part of the mitochondrial cytochrome b
Cytochrome b
Cytochrome b/b6 is the main subunit of transmembrane cytochrome bc1 and b6f complexes. In addition, it commonly refers to a region of mtDNA used for population genetics and phylogenetics.- Function :...
gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
have suggested the genus consists of two main clades (Serinus sensu stricto and Crithagra) separated by certain members of the genus Carduelis
Carduelis
The genus Carduelisis a large group of birds in the finch family Fringillidae. It includes the greenfinches, redpolls, goldfinches, linnets, the twite, and the non-African siskins...
, and these may be better treated as two separate genera. Species in the Crithagra clade could conceivably be split further into several more (sub)genera and may well be once relationships within the clade are better resolved. In the list below they are arranged in the groups as suggested in various publications e.g.(Elzen et al.) and (Ryan et al.).
Serinus sensu stricto
- Red-fronted SerinRed-fronted SerinThe Red-fronted Serin or Fire-fronted Serin is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It prefers high mountain regions and is 11–12 cm long....
, Serinus pusillus - European SerinEuropean SerinThe European Serin, or just Serin is the smallest European species of the family of finches and is closely related to the Canary. Its diet consists mainly of a combination of buds and seeds.-Description:...
, Serinus serinus - Syrian SerinSyrian SerinThe Syrian Serin is a brightly coloured small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.- Description :The Syrian Serin is prettily coloured with bright yellow and pale grey feathers. The eyes are large and are surrounded by a bright yellow ring. The beak is grey and the legs are pale...
, Serinus syriacus - Atlantic Canary, Serinus canaria
- Cape CanaryCape CanaryThe Cape Canary is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is a resident breeder in eastern and southern Africa and has been introduced to Mauritius and Réunion....
, Serinus canicollis - Yellow-crowned Canary, Serinus flavivertex
- Ethiopian Siskin, Serinus nigriceps
- Black-headed CanaryBlack-headed CanaryThe Black-headed Canary is a species of finch found in Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. It is sometimes placed in genus Alario as Alario alario...
, Serinus alario (sometimes placed in genus Alario)
Dendrospiza group
- African CitrilAfrican CitrilThe African Citril is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found from Sudan and Eritrea to Zambia and Mozambique. As defined here, it includes the greyish-headed subspecies brittoni and hypostictus, sometimes separated as the Southern Citril, Serinus hypostictus.-References:*...
, Serinus citrinelloides - Black-faced CanaryBlack-faced CanaryThe Black-Faced Canary is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Zambia....
, Serinus capistratus - Papyrus CanaryPapyrus CanaryThe Papyrus Canary, also known as Van Someren's Canary is a species of passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda...
, Serinus koliensis - Forest CanaryForest CanaryThe Forest Canary is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found in South Africa and Swaziland.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
, Serinus scotops
Ochrospiza group
- White-rumped SeedeaterWhite-rumped SeedeaterThe White-Rumped Seedeater is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, and the United...
, Serinus leucopygius - Yemen SerinYemen SerinThe Yemen Serin is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found in Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
, Serinus menachensis - Arabian Serin, Serinus rothschildi
- Yellow-throated SeedeaterYellow-throated SeedeaterThe Yellow-Throated Seedeater is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found only in Ethiopia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland....
, Serinus flavigula - Salvadori's Seedeater, Serinus xantholaemus
- Black-throated CanaryBlack-throated CanaryThe Yellow-rumped Seedeater , also known as the Black-throated Canary, is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.-Distribution:...
, Serinus atrogularis - Yellow-rumped SerinYellow-rumped SerinThe Yellow-rumped Serin or Abyssinian Yellow-rumped Seedeater is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found in Eritrea and Ethiopia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland....
, Serinus xanthopygius - Lemon-breasted SeedeaterLemon-breasted SeedeaterThe Lemon-Breasted Seedeater , also known as the Lemon-breasted Canary, is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
, Serinus citrinipectus - Yellow-fronted CanaryYellow-fronted CanaryThe Yellow-fronted Canary is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is known elsewhere and in aviculture as the Green Singing Finch....
, Serinus mozambicus - White-bellied CanaryWhite-bellied CanaryThe White-Bellied Canary is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.Its natural habitat is dry savanna.-References:...
, Serinus dorsostriatus
Crithagra group
- Northern Grosbeak-Canary, Serinus donaldsoni
- Southern Grosbeak-CanarySouthern Grosbeak-canaryThe Southern Grosbeak-Canary, also known as Kenya Grosbeak-Canary is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.-References:...
, Serinus buchanani - Yellow CanaryYellow CanaryThe Yellow Canary is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is a resident breeder in much of the western and central regions of southern Africa and has been introduced to Ascension and St Helena islands....
, Serinus flaviventris - Brimstone CanaryBrimstone CanaryThe Brimstone Canary or Bully Canary, Serinus sulphuratus, is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is a resident breeder in central and southern Africa....
, Serinus sulphuratus - White-throated CanaryWhite-throated CanaryThe White-throated Canary is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.-Description:The White-throated Canary is a small bird about 15 cm long with generally dull-coloured plumage and a yellow or yellow-green rump. It has a heavy horn-coloured beak and brown irises. Its legs are brown...
, Serinus albogularis
Poliospiza group
- Black-eared SeedeaterBlack-eared SeedeaterThe Black-eared Seedeater is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
, Serinus mennelli - Brown-rumped SeedeaterBrown-rumped SeedeaterThe Brown-rumped Seedeater is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found in the highlands of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia.It is widespread in towns, villages gardens, plantations and upland heath....
, Serinus tristriatus - Streaky-headed SeedeaterStreaky-headed SeedeaterThe Streaky-headed Seedeater or Streaky-headed Canary is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is a common resident breeder in suitable habitat in much of Africa south of the Sahara....
, Serinus gularis - Reichard's SeedeaterReichard's SeedeaterThe Reichard's Seedeater is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
, Serinus reichardi
Pseudochloroptila group
- Cape SiskinCape SiskinThe Cape Siskin, Serinus totta, is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is an endemic resident breeder in the southern Cape Province of South Africa...
, Serinus totta - Drakensberg SiskinDrakensberg SiskinThe Drakensberg Siskin, Serinus symonsi, is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is an endemic resident breeder in the eastern Cape Province Transkei and western Natal in South Africa, and in Lesotho...
, Serinus symonsi
Group uncertain
- Protea CanaryProtea CanaryThe Protea Canary, Serinus leucopterus, is a small passerine bird in the finch family.-Distribution and habitat:...
, Serinus leucopterus - Streaky SeedeaterStreaky SeedeaterThe Streaky Seedeater is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.-References:...
, Serinus striolatus - Thick-billed SeedeaterThick-billed SeedeaterThe Thick-Billed Seedeater is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.-References:...
, Serinus burtoni - Principe SeedeaterPrincipe SeedeaterThe Príncipe Seedeater is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found only in Sao Tomé and Príncipe.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
, Serinus rufobrunneus - Oriole FinchOriole FinchThe Oriole Finch is species of bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It was classified as monotypic in the genus Linurgus, but now it has been found by molecular phylogeny that it belongs to Genus Serinus. It has a black head and yellow body...
, Linurgus olivaceus
Genus uncertain
These species may be related to various groups currently classified as members of CarduelisCarduelis
The genus Carduelisis a large group of birds in the finch family Fringillidae. It includes the greenfinches, redpolls, goldfinches, linnets, the twite, and the non-African siskins...
:
- Mountain SerinMountain SerinThe Mountain Serin is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found in Indonesia and the Philippines. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and subtropical or tropical high-altitude...
, Serinus estherae - Tibetan SerinTibetan SerinThe Tibetan Serin , sometimes considered a siskin of the genus Carduelis, is a true finch species .It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. Its natural habitat is temperate forests....
, Serinus thibetanus - Ankober SerinAnkober SerinThe Ankober Serin is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family. Recent studies places this bird in Carduelis, another genus of finches...
, Serinus ankoberensis
The Citril Finch
Citril Finch
The Citril Finch is a small songbird, a member of the true finch family Fringillidae. For a long time, this cardueline finch was placed in the genus Serinus, but it is apparently very closely related to the European Goldfinch .This bird is a resident breeder in the mountains of southwestern Europe...
and the Corsican Finch
Corsican Finch
The Corsican Finch is a bird in the finch family, Fringillidae.It was formerly regarded a subspecies of the Citril Finch, but it differs in morphology and vocalizations as well as mtDNA sequence and they are now considered distinct...
are now placed in the genus Carduelis
Carduelis
The genus Carduelisis a large group of birds in the finch family Fringillidae. It includes the greenfinches, redpolls, goldfinches, linnets, the twite, and the non-African siskins...
as Carduelis citrinella and Carduelis corsicana (Arnaiz-Villena et al., 1998).
External links
- Serin videos, photos and sounds on the Internet Bird Collection