Parrotfinches
Red-throated parrotfinch (Erythrura psittacea)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Estrildidae
Genus: Erythrura
Swainson, 1837
Type species
Erythura viridis[1] = Loxia prasina
Swainson, 1837
Species

See text

Parrotfinches are small, colourful passerine birds belonging to the genus Erythrura in the family Estrildidae, the estrildid finches. They occur from South-east Asia to New Guinea, and many Pacific Islands. They inhabit forest, bamboo thickets and grassland and some can be found in man-made habitats such as farmland, parks and gardens. Several species are commonly kept as cagebirds.

They are 9 to 15 cm long. The plumage is usually mainly green. Most species have blue or red markings on the head and a red rump and tail. The tail is pointed and often fairly long.

Seeds, especially those of grasses, comprise the bulk of the diet. Some parrotfinches also feed on fruit and small insects. Many species forage in flocks, keeping in contact with high-pitched calls.

Three species, the green-faced, royal and pink-billed parrotfinches, are classed as vulnerable to extinction because of habitat loss and degradation.

Taxonomy

The genus Erythrura was introduced in 1837 by the English naturalist William Swainson to accommodate the pin-tailed parrotfinch. Swainson misspelled the genus name as "Erythura".[2][3] The name combines the Ancient Greek eruthros meaning "red" with -ouros meaning "-tailed".[4] The genus Erythrura is sister to the Gouldian finch which is placed in its own genus Chloebia and together the two genera form the subfamily Erythrurinae.[5]

The cladogram shown below is based on a molecular phylogenetic study of the Erythrura parrotfinches published in 2023. The Papuan parrotfinch (E. papuana) was found to embedded within the broadly distributed blue-faced parrotfinch (E. trichroa).[6]

Erythrura

Pink-billed parrotfinch (E. kleinschmidti)

Pin-tailed parrotfinch (E. prasina)

Green-faced parrotfinch (E. viridifacies)

Tawny-breasted parrotfinch (E. hyperythra)

Red-throated parrotfinch (E. psittacea)

Red-headed parrotfinch (E. cyaneovirens)

Fiji parrotfinch (E. pealii)

Royal parrotfinch (E. regia)

Tricolored parrotfinch (E. tricolor)

Red-eared parrotfinch (E. coloria)

Blue-faced parrotfinch (E. trichroa), Papuan parrotfinch (E. papuana)

Species

The genus contains 12 species.[7]

ImageScientific nameCommon NameDistribution
Pin-tailed parrotfinchErythrura prasinaMalaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Burma, Vietnam, Thailand and China
Green-faced parrotfinchErythrura viridifaciesnorthern Philippines, around Luzon, Negros and Panay
Tawny-breasted parrotfinch or green-tailed parrotfinchErythrura hyperythraIndonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
Red-throated parrotfinchErythrura psittaceaNew Caledonia
Fiji parrotfinch (split from red-headed parrotfinch)Erythrura pealiiFiji (Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Taveuni and Kadavu)
Royal parrotfinch (split from red-headed parrotfinch)Erythrura regiaVanuatu
Red-headed parrotfinchErythrura cyaneovirensSamoan Islands
Pink-billed parrotfinchErythrura kleinschmidtiViti Levu, Fiji
Tricolored parrotfinch or three-coloured parrotfinchErythrura tricolorTimor and the southern Moluccas
Red-eared parrotfinch or Mount Katanglad parrotfinchErythrura coloriaMindanao in the Philippines
Papuan parrotfinchErythrura papuanaNew Guinea
Blue-faced parrotfinchErythrura trichroanorth-eastern Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Federated States of Micronesia, France (introduced), New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu

References

  1. ↑ "Estrildidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  2. ↑ Swainson, William John (1837). On the Natural History and Classification of Birds. Vol. 2. London: John Taylor. p. 280.
  3. ↑ Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1968). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 14. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 362.
  4. ↑ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 151. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  5. ↑ Olsson, Urban; Alström, Per (2020). "A comprehensive phylogeny and taxonomic evaluation of the waxbills (Aves: Estrildidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 146: 106757. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106757.
  6. ↑ DeCicco, L.H.; DeRaad, D.A.; Ostrow, E.N.; Moyle, R.G. (2023). "A complete species-level phylogeny of the Erythrura parrotfinches (Aves: Estrildidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution: 107883. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107883.
  7. ↑ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2021). "Waxbills, parrotfinches, munias, whydahs, Olive Warbler, accentors, pipits". IOC World Bird List Version 11.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
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