The cardueline finches are a subfamily, Carduelinae, one of three subfamilies of the finch family Fringillidae, the others being the Fringillinae and the Euphoniinae. The Hawaiian honeycreepers are now included in this subfamily.[1] Except for the Hawaiian honeycreepers which underwent adaptive radiation in Hawaii and have evolved a broad range of diets, cardueline finches are specialised seed eaters, and unlike most passerine birds, they feed their young mostly on seeds, which are regurgitated.[2] Besides this, they differ from the other finches in some minor details of their skull.[2] They are adept at opening seeds and clinging to stems, unlike other granivorous birds, such as sparrows and buntings, which feed mostly on fallen seeds.[3] Some members of this subfamily are further specialised to feed on a particular type of seed, such as cones in the case of crossbills.[2] Carduelines forage in flocks throughout the year, rather than keeping territories, and males defend their females rather than a territory or nest.[4]
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The name Carduelina[e] for the subfamily was introduced by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors in 1825.[5][6] Carduelinae is derived from the Latin name carduelis and the binomial name Carduelis carduelis for a goldfinch, one of the species in the subfamily.[7]
The Carduelinae subfamily contains 186 species divided into 49 genera. Of the 186 species, 15 are now extinct; these are the Bonin grosbeak and 14 Hawaiian honeycreepers.[8]
- Mycerobas – contains four Asian grosbeaks
- Hesperiphona – contains two American grosbeaks, the evening grosbeak and the hooded grosbeak
- Coccothraustes – contains a single species, the hawfinch
- Eophona – contains the two oriental grosbeaks, the Chinese and the Japanese grosbeak
- Pinicola – contains a single species, the pine grosbeak
- Pyrrhula – contains the eight bullfinch species
- Rhodopechys – contains two species, the Asian crimson-winged finch and the African crimson-winged finch
- Bucanetes – contains the trumpeter and the Mongolian finch
- Agraphospiza – contains a single species, Blanford's rosefinch
- Callacanthis – contains a single species, the spectacled finch
- Pyrrhoplectes – contains a single species, the golden-naped finch
- Procarduelis – contains a single species, the dark-breasted rosefinch
- Leucosticte – contains six species of mountain and rosy finches
- Carpodacus – contains the 28 Palearctic rosefinch species
- Hawaiian honeycreeper group (formerly a separate family, Drepanididae)
- †Melamprosops – contains a single extinct species, the poo-uli
- Paroreomyza – contains three species, the Oahu alauahio, the Maui alauahio and the extinct kakawahie
- Oreomystis – contains a single species, the akikiki
- Telespiza – contains two species, the Laysan finch and the Nihoa finch
- Loxioides – contains a single species, the palila
- †Rhodacanthis – contains two extinct species, the lesser and the greater koa finch
- †Chloridops – contains a single extinct species, the Kona grosbeak
- Psittirostra – contains a single possibly extinct species, the ou
- †Dysmorodrepanis – contains a single extinct species, the Lanai hookbill
- Drepanis – contains two extinct species, the Hawaii mamo and the black mamo, and the extant iiwi
- †Ciridops – contains a single extinct species, the Ula-ai-hawane
- Palmeria – contains a single species, the akohekohe
- Himatione – contains two species, the apapane and the extinct Laysan honeycreeper
- †Viridonia – contains a single extinct species, the greater amakihi
- †Akialoa – contains six extinct species
- Hemignathus – contains five species, only one of which is extant, with two being possibly extinct
- Pseudonestor – contains a single species, the Maui parrotbill
- Magumma – contains a single species, the anianiau
- Loxops – contains five species, of which one is extinct and one possibly extinct
- Chlorodrepanis – contains three species, the Hawaii, Oahu and Kauai amakihi
- †Orthiospiza – contains a single extinct species, the highland finch
- †Vangulifer – contains two extinct species
- †Xestospiza – contains two extinct species
- Haemorhous – contains the three North America rosefinches
- Chloris – contains the six greenfinches
- Rhodospiza – contains a single species, the desert finch
- Rhynchostruthus – contains the three golden-winged grosbeaks
- Linurgus – contains a single species, the oriole finch
- Crithagra – contains 37 species of canaries, serins and siskins from Africa and the Arabian Peninsula
- Linaria – contains four species including the twite and three linnets
- Acanthis – contains three redpolls
- Loxia – contains six crossbills
- Chrysocorythus – contains two species, the Indonesian serin and the Mindanao serin
- Carduelis – contains three species including the European goldfinch
- Serinus – contains eight species including the European serin
- Spinus – contains 20 species including the North American goldfinches and the Eurasian siskin
Bock, Walter J. (1994). History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History Issue 222. p. 264. hdl:2246/830. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David (eds.). "Finches, euphonias". World Bird List Version 5.3. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
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