Amaurospiza

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Amaurospiza
Amaurospiza moesta - Blackish-blue seedeater (male).JPG
Blackish-blue seedeater (Amaurospiza moesta)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae
Genus: Amaurospiza
Cabanis, 1861
Type species
Amaurospiza concolor
Cabanis, 1861
Species

See text

Amaurospiza is a genus of seed-eating birds in the cardinal family Cardinalidae that are found in Central and South America.

These blue seedeaters are allopatrically distributed and show only small differences in plumage coloration and body measurements. They are sexually dimorphic in plumage: the male is slaty blue while the female is tawny brown. They favour bamboo thickets where they feed on buds, shoots and insects. [1] [2]

Taxonomy and species list

The genus Amaurospiza was introduced by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis in 1861 with Cabanis's seedeater as the type species. [3] [4] The name is derived from the Ancient Greek amauros, meaning "dusky", and σπίζα (spíza), a catch-all term for finch -like birds. [5] [6]

This genus was formerly included in the tanager family Thraupidae. It was moved to the cardinal family Cardinalidae based on a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2007. [7] [8]

The following cladogram shows the phylogenetic relationships within the genus as determined by Juan Areta and collaborators in 2023. [2]

Amaurospiza

Blue seedeater (Amaurospiza concolor)

Ecuadorian seedeater (Amaurospiza aequatorialis)

Blackish-blue seedeater (Amaurospiza moesta)

Carrizal seedeater (Amaurospiza carrizalensis)


The following table lists the four species in the genus with their distribution. [8]

ImageCommon NameScientific nameDistribution
Amaurospiza concolor Blue Seedeater; Turrialba, Costa Rica.jpg Blue seedeater Amaurospiza concolorsouthern Mexico and Central America
Amaurospiza aequatorialis - Ecuadorian Seedeater (cropped).jpg Ecuadorian seedeater Amaurospiza aequatorialis (formerly conspecific with A. concolor)southwest Colombia through Ecuador to northern Peru
Amaurospiza moesta - Blackish-blue seedeater (male).JPG Blackish-blue seedeater Amaurospiza moestaArgentina, Brazil, and Paraguay
Carrizal seedeater Amaurospiza carrizalensisnorthern Venezuela

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardinalidae</span> Bird family

Cardinalidae is a family of New World-endemic passerine birds that consists of cardinals, grosbeaks, and buntings. It also includes several other genera such as the tanager-like Piranga and the warbler-like Granatellus. Membership of this family is not easily defined by a single or even a set of physical characteristics, but instead by molecular work. Among songbirds, they range from average-sized to relatively large, and have stout features, some species with large, heavy bills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanager</span> Family of birds

The tanagers comprise the bird family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has a Neotropical distribution and is the second-largest family of birds. It represents about 4% of all avian species and 12% of the Neotropical birds.

<i>Saltator</i> Genus of birds

Saltator is a genus of passerine birds in the tanager family Thraupidae that are found in Central and South America. They have thick bills, relatively long tails and strong legs and feet. Before the introduction of molecular genetic methods in the 21st century these species were placed in the cardinal family Cardinalidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown tanager</span> Species of bird

The brown tanager is a small South American bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is the only member of the genus Orchesticus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tit-like dacnis</span> Species of bird

The tit-like dacnis is a small neotropical passerine bird found in southern Ecuador and Peru. In Spanish, it is known as Azulito Altoandino. It is found in Andean montane scrub forests from 3000 m to 4600 m elevation.

<i>Haplospiza</i> Genus of birds

Haplospiza is a small genus of birds in the tanager family Thraupidae. Formerly classified in the bunting and American sparrow family Emberizidae, more recent studies have shown it to belong in the Thraupidae. Its two members breed in subtropical or tropical moist forest in Central and South America. They are often associated with bamboo.

<i>Catamenia</i> (bird) Genus of birds

Catamenia is a genus of atypical seedeaters. Formerly placed in the Emberizidae, they are now placed in the tanager family Thraupidae.

<i>Phrygilus</i> Genus of birds

Phrygilus is a genus of mainly Andean seed-eating tanagers commonly known as sierra finches. Phrygilos means finch in Ancient Greek. Traditionally classified in the bunting and American sparrow family Emberizidae, more recent studies have shown them to belong in the Thraupidae.

<i>Poospiza</i> Genus of birds

Poospiza is a genus of finch-like birds in the tanager family Thraupidae that are found in both the South American lowlands and the Andes mountains. Generally they are arboreal feeders in light woodland and scrub. All have extensive grey to their plumage, and have—often bold—white or rufous markings.

<i>Thlypopsis</i> Genus of birds

Thlypopsis is a genus of birds in the tanager family Thraupidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut-headed tanager</span> Species of bird

The chestnut-headed tanager is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae this is found in the Atlantic Forest of southeast Brazil, eastern Paraguay and far northeastern Argentina. It was formerly the only member of the genus Pyrrhocoma but is now placed in Thlypopsis.

<i>Iridosornis</i> Genus of birds

Iridosornis is a genus of Neotropical birds in the tanager family Thraupidae

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-black grosbeak</span> Species of songbird

The blue-black grosbeak is a species of songbird in the family Cardinalidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-shouldered grosbeak</span> Species of bird

The yellow-shouldered grosbeak is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is the only member of its genus Parkerthraustes. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-bellied mountain tanager</span> Species of bird

The rufous-bellied mountain tanager or rufous-bellied saltator is a species of songbird in the tanager family Thraupidae and is the only member of the genus Pseudosaltator. It is found in the eastern Andes of southern Bolivia and extreme northern Argentina. It occurs mostly at altitudes from 3000 m to 4000 m. Its habitat is open land, including cultivated land, that has patches of scrub, alder trees, or Polylepis trees. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue seedeater</span> Species of bird

The blue seedeater, or Cabanis's seedeater, is a species of bird in the cardinal family Cardinalidae that is found in southern Mexico and Central America. The Ecuadorian seedeater was formerly considered as a subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackish-blue seedeater</span> Species of bird

The blackish-blue seedeater is a species of bird in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.

<i>Sporophila</i> Genus of birds

Sporophila is a genus of Neotropical birds in the tanager family Thraupidae. The genus now includes the six seed finches that were previously placed in the genus Oryzoborus.

<i>Cnemathraupis</i> Genus of birds

Cnemathraupis is a small genus of mountain tanagers found in forest and woodland in the Andes of South America. The two species are uncommon and relatively large tanagers with a contrasting blue, yellow and black plumage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecuadorian seedeater</span> Species of bird

The Ecuadorian seedeater is a species of bird in the cardinal family Cardinalidae that the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) accepted as a species in 2015. It is found in the Andes in southwestern Colombia through Ecuador to northern Peru.

References

  1. Ridgely, Robert S.; Tudor, Guy (2009). Birds of South America: Passerines. Helm Field Guides. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 633–634. ISBN   978-1-408-11342-4.
  2. 1 2 Areta, J.I.; Benítez Saldívar, M.J.; Lentino, M.; Miranda, J.; Ferreira, M.; Klicka, J.; Pérez-Emán, J. (2023). "Phylogenetic relationships and systematics of the bamboo-specialist Amaurospiza blue seedeaters". Ibis. 165 (3): 844–861. doi:10.1111/ibi.13181. S2CID   255881753.
  3. Cabanis, Jean (1861). "Uebersicht der im Berliner Museum befindlichen Vögel von Costa Rica". Journal für Ornithologie (in German). 9 (49): 1–11 [3].
  4. Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1970). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 13. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 150.
  5. Bailly, Anatole (1981-01-01). Abrégé du dictionnaire grec français. Paris: Hachette. ISBN   978-2010035289. OCLC   461974285.
  6. Bailly, Anatole. "Greek-french dictionary online". www.tabularium.be. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  7. Klicka, J.; Burns, K.; Spellman, G.M. (2007). "Defining a monophyletic Cardinalini: A molecular perspective". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 45 (3): 1014–1032. Bibcode:2007MolPE..45.1014K. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.07.006. PMID   17920298.
  8. 1 2 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (December 2023). "Cardinals, grosbeaks and (tanager) allies". IOC World Bird List Version 14.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 22 January 2024.