Phrygilus

Phrygilus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Thraupidae
Genus:	Phrygilus; Cabanis, 1844
Species
	11, see text

Phrygilus^[1] is a genus of mainly Andean seed-eating tanagers commonly known as sierra-finches. Phrygilos means finch in ancient Greek^[2]. Sometimes classified in the bunting and American sparrow family Emberizidae, more recent studies have shown them to belong in the Thraupidae^[3]. The genus appears to be polyphyletic^[4] consisting of at least three distinct lineages which in future may need to be split into separate genera.

Species list

Group 1 - The "Hooded" group. Related to Yellow-finches Sicalis

Black-hooded Sierra-finch, Phrygilus atriceps
Peruvian Sierra-finch, Phrygilus punensis
Grey-hooded Sierra-finch, Phrygilus gayi
Patagonian Sierra-finch, Phrygilus patagonicus

Group 2 - Upperparts mostly grey, underparts white. Sexes similar. Related to a clade containing both the "hooded" group and Sicalis olivascens

Red-backed Sierra-finch, Phrygilus dorsalis
White-throated Sierra-finch, Phrygilus erythronotus

Group 3 - male plumage grey or dull brown, females streaky. Related to Haplospiza

Plumbeous Sierra-finch, Phrygilus unicolor
Ash-breasted Sierra-finch, Phrygilus plebejus

Group 4 - Yellow bill with grey/black underparts.

Band-tailed Sierra-finch, Phrygilus alaudinus - Related to Yellow-billed Blue Finch, Porphyrospiza caerulescens
Carbonated Sierra-finch, Phrygilus carbonarius
Mourning Sierra-finch, Phrygilus fruticeti

Footnotes

^ Ridgely & Tudor (1989)
^ Aristophanes, The Birds 859. CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: M-Q By Umberto Quattrocchi sv. Phrygilanthus
^ See Burns et al. (2003) & Klicka et al. (2007)
^ See Klicka et al. (2007)

References

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.
Klicka, J., K. Burns, & G. M. Spellman. 2007. Defining a monophyletic Cardinalini: A molecular perspective. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 45: 1014-1032
Ridgely, R. S., & G. Tudor. 1989. The Birds of South America, vol. 1. Univ. Texas Press, Austin.

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[1] Ridgely & Tudor (1989)

[2] Aristophanes, The Birds 859. CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: M-Q By Umberto Quattrocchi sv. Phrygilanthus

[3] See Burns et al. (2003) & Klicka et al. (2007)

[4] See Klicka et al. (2007)

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