Fringilla
Encyclopedia
The genus Fringilla is a small group of finch
es from the Old World, which are the only species in the subfamily Fringillinae. The three species are:
The Chaffinch is found primarily in forest habitats, in Europe
, North Africa
, and western Asia; the Blue Chaffinch is an island endemic; and the Brambling is breeds in the northern taiga
and southern tundra
of Eurasia
.
They are about the same size, 15 centimetres (5.9 in), and are similar in shape. These bird
s have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings. They are not as specialised as the other finches, eating both insects and seeds. While breeding, they feed their young on insects rather than seeds, unlike the other finches.
Finch
The true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to the Northern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily – monotypic at genus level – is found...
es from the Old World, which are the only species in the subfamily Fringillinae. The three species are:
- ChaffinchChaffinchThe Chaffinch , also called by a wide variety of other names, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.- Description :...
Fringilla coelebs - Blue ChaffinchBlue ChaffinchThe Blue Chaffinch, Fringilla teydea, is a species of passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is endemic to the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria in Spain's Canary Islands...
Fringilla teydea - BramblingBramblingThe Brambling, Fringilla montifringilla, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.- Etymology :The common English name is probably derived from the German "brâma", meaning bramble or a thorny bush. It has also been called the Cock o' the North and the Mountain Finch.- Description...
Fringilla montifringilla
The Chaffinch is found primarily in forest habitats, in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, and western Asia; the Blue Chaffinch is an island endemic; and the Brambling is breeds in the northern taiga
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
and southern tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
of Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
.
They are about the same size, 15 centimetres (5.9 in), and are similar in shape. These bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings. They are not as specialised as the other finches, eating both insects and seeds. While breeding, they feed their young on insects rather than seeds, unlike the other finches.