Emberizidae 211487 224050361 2008-07-07T02:27:47Z Deargan 3617931 A little more detail concerning internal structure {{Taxobox | name = Emberizidae | image = Americantreesparrow36.jpg | image_width = 240px | image_caption = [[American Tree Sparrow]]<br/>''Spizella arborea'' | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]] | classis = [[bird|Aves]] | ordo = [[passerine|Passeriformes]] | subordo = [[Passeri]] | familia = '''Emberizidae''' | familia_authority = [[Nicholas Aylward Vigors|Vigors]], 1831 | subdivision_ranks = [[Genus|Genera]] | subdivision = Over 70, see text }} The '''Emberizidae''' are a large family of [[passerine]] [[bird]]s. They are seed-eating [[bird]]s with a distinctively shaped bill. In Europe, most species are named as [[Bunting (bird)|buntings]]. The Emberizidae family probably originated in [[South America]] and spread first into [[North America]] before crossing into eastern [[Asia]] and continuing to move west. This explains the comparative paucity of emberizid species in [[Europe]] and [[Africa]] when compared to the [[Americas]].{{fact|date=June 2008}} In [[North America]], most of the species in this family are known as '''(American) Sparrows''', but these birds are not closely related to the [[Old World sparrow]]s which are in the family Passeridae. The family also includes the North American birds known as [[junco]]s and [[towhee]]s. As with several other [[passerine]] families the taxonomic treatment of this family's members is currently in a state of flux. Many [[genus|genera]] in South and Central America are in fact more closely related to several different [[tanager]] [[clades]],<ref>Burns, K. J., S. J. Hackett, and N. K. Klein, 2002. Phylogenetic relationships and morphological diversity in Darwin's finches and their relatives. Evolution 56 (6). 1240-1252.</ref><ref>Lougheed, S.C., J.R. Freeland, P. Handford & P.T. Boag. 2000. A molecular phylogeny of warbling-finches (Poospiza): paraphyly in a Neotropical emberizid genus. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 17: 367-378.</ref><ref>Burns, K. J., S. J. Hackett, and N. K. Klein. 2003. Phylogenetic relationships of Neotropical honeycreepers and the evolution of feeding morphology. J. Avian Biology 34: 360-370. </ref> and at least one tanager genus (''[[Chlorospingus]]'') may belong here in the Emberizidae.<ref>Yuri, T., and D. P. Mindell. 2002. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of Fringillidae, "New World nine-primaried oscines" (Aves: Passeriformes). Mol. Phylogen. Evol. 23:229-243.</ref> ==Characteristics== Emberizids are small birds, typically around 15 cm in length, with finch-like bills and nine primary feathers. They live in a variety of habitats, including woodland, brush, marsh, and grassland. The Old World species tend to have brown, streaked, [[plumage]], although some New World species can be very brightly coloured. Many species have distinctive head patterns. Their diet consists mainly of seeds, but may be supplemented with insects, especially when feeding the young.<ref name=EoB>{{cite book |editor=Forshaw, Joseph|author= Baptista, Luis F.|year=1991|title=Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds|publisher= Merehurst Press|location=London|pages= 210-212|isbn= 1-85391-186-0}}</ref> The habits of emberizids are similar to those of [[finch]]es, with which they sometimes used to be grouped. Older sources may place some emberizids in the [[Fringillidae]], and the common names of some emberizids still refer to them as finches. With a few exceptions, emberizids build cup-shaped nests from grasses and other plant fibres, and are [[monogamy|monogamous]].<ref name=EoB/> ==Systematics== The relationships of these birds with other groups within the huge [[nine-primaried oscine]] assemblage are at this point largely unresolved. Indeed relationships within the [[Emberizidae]] as defined here are uncertain with the possibility that each of the three main groups may not be all that closely related. ===The [[Bunting (bird)|buntings]]=== The results of a recent biochemical study<ref>Alström, P., Olsson, U., Lei, F., Wang, H-t., Gao, W. & Sundberg, P. Phylogeny and classification of the Old World Emberizini (Aves, Passeriformes). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 47, pp. 960-973.</ref> suggest that ''[[Melophus]]'', ''[[Latoucheornis]]'', and ''[[Corn Bunting|Miliaria]]'' may be related to various members of ''[[Emberiza]]'' and perhaps should be subsumed within that genus. * Genus ''[[Melophus]]'' - Crested Bunting * Genus ''[[Latoucheornis]]'' - Slaty Bunting * Genus ''[[Emberiza]]'' - typical buntings (nearly 40 species) * Genus ''[[Corn Bunting|Miliaria]]'' - Corn Bunting ===The [[american sparrow]]s and [[brush-finches]], including [[junco]]s and [[towhee]]s=== ''[[Chlorospingus]]'' seems to belong here too.{{fact|date=June 2008}} * Genus ''[[Arremon]]'' (7 species) * Genus ''[[Arremonops]]'' (4 species) * Genus ''[[Melozone]]'' (3 species) * Genus ''[[Pipilo]]'' - towhees (9 species) * Genus ''[[Aimophila]]'' (14 species) * Genus ''[[Oriturus]]'' - Striped Sparrow * Genus ''[[Torreornis]]'' - Zapata Sparrow * Genus ''[[Spizella]]'' (7 species) * Genus ''[[Pooecetes]]'' - Vesper Sparrow * Genus ''[[Chondestes]]'' - Lark Sparrow * Genus ''[[Amphispiza]]'' (2 species) * Genus ''[[Calamospiza]]'' - Lark Bunting * Genus ''[[Passerculus]]'' (1-2 species) * Genus ''[[Ammodramus]]'' (9 species) * Genus ''[[Passerella]]'' - Fox Sparrow (probably 4 species) * Genus ''[[Xenospiza]]'' - Sierra Madre Sparrow * Genus ''[[Melospiza]]'' (3 species) * Genus ''[[Zonotrichia]]'' (5 species) * Genus ''[[Junco]]'' - juncos (4 species) The following are a group of apparently closely related [[neotropical]] sparrows known as the [[brush-finch]]es * Genus ''[[Atlapetes]]'' (around 28 species) * Genus ''[[Buarremon]]'' (3-4 species) * Genus ''[[Lysurus]]'' (2 species) * Genus ''[[Pselliophorus]]'' (2 species) * Genus ''[[Pezopetes]]'' - Large-footed Finch ===The [[longspur]]s and [[arctic bunting]]s=== * Genus ''[[Calcarius]]'' (4 species)<ref>Klicka J, Zink RM, Winker K. 2003. Longspurs and snow buntings: phylogeny and biogeography of a high-latitude clade (Calcarius). Mol Phylogenet Evol. Feb;26(2):165-75.</ref> * Genus ''[[Plectrophenax]]'' - Arctic buntings (2 species) ==Genera belonging elsewhere== '''The rest of the traditional Emberizidae are listed below. While they do not form a natural group most appear to be closer to various [[Thraupidae|tanager]] genera, and for the largest part they are often known collectively as [[tanager-finches]].''' * Genus ''[[Amaurospiza]]'' - blue seedeaters (4 species) - may belong with certain [[grosbeak]]s ''([[Cyanocompsa]])'' in the family [[Cardinalidae]]. * Genus ''[[Acanthidops]]'' - Peg-billed Finch * Genus ''[[Camarhynchus]]'' - tree-finches (6 species) * Genus ''[[Catamenia (genus)|Catamenia]]'' - atypical seedeaters (3 species) * Genus ''[[Certhidea]]'' - Warbler Finch * Genus ''[[Charitospiza]]'' - Coal-crested Finch * Genus ''[[Coereba]]'' - Bananaquit * Genus ''[[Coryphaspiza]]'' - Black-masked Finch * Genus ''[[Coryphospingus]]'' (2 species) * Genus ''[[Diglossa]]'' - typical flowerpiercers (14 species) * Genus ''[[Diglossopis]]'' - blue flowerpiercers * Genus ''[[Diuca]]'' - diuca-finches (2 species) * Genus ''[[Dolospingus]]'' - White-naped Seedeater * Genus ''[[Donacospiza]]'' - Long-tailed Reed-finch * Genus ''[[Emberizoides]]'' - grass-finches (3 species) * Genus ''[[Embernagra]]'' (2 species) * Genus ''[[Euneornis]]'' - Orangequit * Genus ''[[Geospiza]]'' - ground-finches (6 species) * Genus ''[[Gubernatrix]]'' - Yellow Cardinal * Genus ''[[Haplospiza]]'' (2 species) * Genus ''[[Idiopsar]]'' - Short-tailed Finch * Genus ''[[Incaspiza]]'' (5 species) * Genus ''[[Lophospingus]]'' (2 species) * Genus ''[[Loxigilla]]'' - Antillean bullfinches (4 species) * Genus ''[[Loxipasser]]'' - Yellow-shouldered Grassquit * Genus ''[[Melanodera]]'' (2 species) * Genus ''[[Melanospiza]]'' - St. Lucia Black Finch * Genus ''[[Melopyrrha]]'' - Cuban Bullfinch * Genus ''[[Nesospiza]]'' - Tristan da Cunha finches (2 species) * Genus ''[[Oryzoborus]]'' - seed-finches (6 species) * Genus ''[[Paroaria]]'' - cardinal-tanagers (5 species) * Genus ''[[Phrygilus]]'' - sierra-finches (11 species) * Genus ''[[Piezorhina]]'' - Cinereous Finch * Genus ''[[Pinaroloxias]]'' - Cocos Island Finch * Genus ''[[Poospiza]]'' - warbling-finches (17 species) * Genus ''[[Rhodospingus]]'' - Crimson-breasted Finch * Genus ''[[Rowettia]]'' - Gough Finch * Genus ''[[Saltatricula]]'' - Many-colored Chaco-finch * Genus ''[[Sicalis]]'' - yellow-finches (12 species) * Genus ''[[Sporophila]]'' - typical seedeaters (some 55 species) * Genus ''[[Tiaris]]'' - typical grassquits (5 species) * Genus ''[[Volatinia]]'' - Blue-black Grassquit * Genus ''[[Xenospingus]]'' - Slender-billed Finch ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=201 Emberizidae videos] on the Internet Bird Collection *[http://www.xeno-canto.org/browse.php?query=emberizinae Emberizidae sounds] on xeno-canto.org [[Category:bird families]] [[Category:Emberizidae|*]] [[ca:Emberizidae]] [[da:Værlinger]] [[de:Ammern]] [[es:Emberizidae]] [[eo:Emberizedoj]] [[fr:Emberizinae]] [[ko:멧새과]] [[it:Emberizidae]] [[ka:გრატასებრნი]] [[lt:Startiniai]] [[hu:Sármányfélék]] [[nl:Gorzen, tangaren en verwanten]] [[no:Buskspurver]] [[nn:Busksporvfamilien]] [[pl:Trznadle]] [[pt:Emberizini]] [[ru:Овсянковые]] [[fi:Sirkut]] [[sv:Fältsparvar]] [[tr:Kiraz kuşugiller]]