Cardinal | |
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Male northern cardinal | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Suborder: | Passeri |
Family: | Cardinalidae Ridgway, 1901 |
Genera | |
Periporphyrus |
Cardinals, in the family Cardinalidae, are passerine birds found in North and South America. They are also known as cardinal-grosbeaks and cardinal-buntings. The South American cardinals in the genus Paroaria are placed in another family, the Thraupidae (previously placed in Emberizidae).
Biology[edit]
They are robust, seed-eating birds with strong bills. The family ranges in size from the 12-cm (4.7-in), 11.5-g (0.40-oz) and up orange-breasted bunting to the 25-cm (9.8-in), 85-g (2.99-oz) black-headed saltator. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinctive appearances. The northern cardinal type species was named by colonists for the male's red crest, reminiscent of a Catholic cardinal's mitre.[1]
The "buntings" in this family are sometimes generically known as "tropical buntings" (though not all live in the tropics) or "North American buntings" (though there are other buntings in North America) to distinguish them from the true buntings, whose family does contain North American birds, but who are referred to as American sparrows (unrelated to Old World sparrows), juncos, and towhees rather than buntings. Likewise the grosbeaks in this family are sometimes called "cardinal-grosbeaks" to distinguish them from other grosbeaks. The name "cardinal-grosbeak" can also apply to this family as a whole.
Most species are rated by the IUCN as being of least concern, though some are near threatened.[2]
Species list[edit]
1) "Masked" clade:
- Genus Periporphyrus
- Red-and-black grosbeak, Periporphyrus erythromelas
- Genus Caryothraustes
- Black-faced grosbeak, Caryothraustes poliogaster
- Yellow-green grosbeak, Caryothraustes canadensis
- Genus Rhodothraupis
- Crimson-collared grosbeak, Rhodothraupis celaeno
- Genus Cardinalis
- Northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis
- Pyrrhuloxia, Cardinalis sinuatus
- Vermilion cardinal, Cardinalis phoeniceus
- Genus Piranga (from Thraupidae)
- Rose-throated tanager, Piranga roseogularis
- Hepatic tanager, Piranga flava
- Scarlet tanager, Piranga olivacea
- Summer tanager, Piranga rubra
- Western tanager, Piranga ludoviciana
- Flame-colored tanager, Piranga bidentata
- White-winged tanager, Piranga leucoptera
- Red-headed tanager, Piranga erythrocephala
- Red-hooded tanager, Piranga rubriceps
2) "Blue" clade:
- Genus Amaurospiza (from Emberizidae)
- Blue seedeater, Amaurospiza concolor
- Carrizal seedeater, Amaurospiza carrizalensis
- Blackish-blue seedeater, Amaurospiza moesta
- Genus Cyanocompsa
- Ultramarine grosbeak, Cyanocompsa brissonii
- Blue bunting, Cyanocompsa parellina
- Blue-black grosbeak, Cyanocompsa cyanoides
- Genus Cyanoloxia
- Glaucous-blue grosbeak, Cyanoloxia glaucocaerulea
- Genus Passerina, , North American buntings
- Blue grosbeak, Passerina caerulea - sometimes separated in Guiraca
- Lazuli bunting, Passerina amoena
- Indigo bunting, Passerina cyanea
- Varied bunting, Passerina versicolor
- Painted bunting, Passerina ciris
- Rose-bellied bunting, Passerina rositae
- Orange-breasted bunting, Passerina leclancherii
- Genus Spiza
- Dickcissel, Spiza americana
3) Ant tanager clade:
- Genus Habia (from Thraupidae)
- Red-crowned ant tanager, Habia rubica
- Red-throated ant tanager, Habia fuscicauda
- Sooty ant tanager, Habia gutturalis
- Black-cheeked ant tanager, Habia atrimaxillaris
- Crested ant tanager, Habia cristata
- Genus Chlorothraupis (from Thraupidae)
- Olive tanager, Chlorothraupis carmioli
- Carmiol's tanager, Chlorothraupis (c.) carmioli
- Olive tanager, Chlorothraupis (c.) frenata
- Lemon-spectacled tanager, Chlorothraupis olivacea
- Ochre-breasted tanager, Chlorothraupis stolzmanni
- Olive tanager, Chlorothraupis carmioli
4) "Chat" clade:
- Genus Granatellus (from Parulidae)
- Red-breasted chat, Granatellus venustus
- Gray-throated chat, Granatellus sallaei
- Rose-breasted chat, Granatellus pelzelni
5) "Pheucticus" clade:
- Genus Pheucticus
- Mexican yellow grosbeak, Pheucticus chrysopeplus
- Southern yellow grosbeak, Pheucticus chrysogaster
- Black-thighed grosbeak, Pheucticus tibialis
- Black-backed grosbeak, Pheucticus aureoventris
- Rose-breasted grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus
- Black-headed grosbeak, Pheucticus melanocephalus
Incertae sedis - these birds traditionally placed in the cardinal family are biochemically related to various tanager (Thraupidae) groups:
- Genus Saltator, the saltators (biochemical studies suggest the saltators may be a sister group to tanagers)
- Lesser Antillean saltator, Saltator albicollis
- Streaked saltator, Saltator striatipectus
- Grayish saltator, Saltator coerulescens
- Buff-throated saltator, Saltator maximus
- Black-headed saltator, Saltator atriceps
- Slate-colored grosbeak, Saltator grossus
- Black-throated grosbeak, Saltator fuliginosus
- Black-winged saltator, Saltator atripennis
- Green-winged saltator, Saltator similis
- Orinoco saltator, Saltator orenocensis
- Black-cowled saltator, Saltator nigriceps
- Golden-billed saltator, Saltator aurantiirostris
- Thick-billed saltator, Saltator maxillosus
- Masked saltator, Saltator cinctus
- Black-throated saltator, Saltator atricollis
- Rufous-bellied saltator, Saltator? rufiventris - apparently a mountain-tanager
- Genus Porphyrospiza (this species appears to be related to the tanager species band-tailed sierra-finch)
- Blue finch, Porphyrospiza caerulescens
- Genus Parkerthraustes (this species appears to be a tanager)
- Yellow-shouldered grosbeak, Parkerthraustes humeralis
References[edit]
- ^ Duchesne, Bob (September 21, 2012). "Proliferation of cardinals a fairly recent event". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014.
- ^ Search "cardinalidae" at IUCN Red List for more info.
- Stiles and Skutch, A guide to the birds of Costa Rica ISBN 0-8014-9600-4
- Hilty, Steven L (2003) Birds of Venezuela London: Christopher Helm, ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
- ffrench, Birds of Trinidad and Tobago ISBN 0-7136-6759-1
- "National Geographic" Field Guide to the Birds of North America ISBN 0-7922-6877-6
- Klicka, John; Burns, Kevin; Spellman, Garth M. (December 2007). "Defining a monophyletic Cardinalini: A molecular perspective". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 45 (3): 1014–1032.doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.07.006
External links[edit]
- Cardinalidae videos, photos and sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
- Cardinalidae sounds on xeno-canto.org
- Northern cardinal (bird information) on petinfospot.com
- Northern cardinal, including sound and video clips, on Cornell Lab of Ornithology