Pyrrhula
Encyclopedia
Pyrrhula is a small genus of passerine
birds, commonly called Bullfinches, belonging to the finch family (Fringillidae).
The genus has a palearctic
distribution. All species occur in Asia with two species exclusively in the Himalayas
and one species, P. pyrrhula, also occurring in Europe. The Azores Bullfinch
(P. murina) is a critically endangered
species (about 120 pairs remaining), occurring only in the east of the island of São Miguel
in the Azores
archipelago
.
Analysis of the mtDNA cytochrome b
sequence
indicates that the holarctic
Pine Grosbeak
(Pinicola enucleator) is the closest living relative of this genus. Arguably, it could be included in Pyrrhula, but more probably is a distinct offshoot of a common ancestor, with the Pine Grosbeak as the sister group to the ancestor of the bullfinches (Arnaiz-Villena et al., 2001). The evolution
of the bullfinch species started soon after the Pine Grosbeak's ancestors diverged from them (at the end of the Middle Miocene
, about a dozen mya), and it is quite possible that the latter species evolved in North America; what is fairly certain is that the bullfinch radiation started in the general area of the Himalayas. The mountain finch
es also seem to be part of this clade
(Marten & Johnson, 1986).
Bullfinches have glossy black wings and tail feathers. They show a white rump. The legs and feet are fleshy brown. Their short, swollen bill is adapted to eat buds, and is black except in P. nipalensis, which has a yellowish bill. The males can be distinguished by their orange or red breast. Some species have a black cap.
Bullfinch species are sedentary to migratory; probably most populations are partially migratory. Populations winter chiefly within the breeding range, those breeding at high levels tending to make altitudinal movements. Most migrants move short or medium distances, but some (apparently chiefly from Russia) move longer distances; in northern and central Europe, there is no evidence that northern populations move farther than southern ones. North European birds move within a wider compass than central European birds. Bullfinches are also eruptive migrants; numbers migrating show marked annual fluctuations; no link with particular food source has been established. Autumn migration begins late, and is fairly brief, mostly October–November; spring migration February–April.
The Eurasian Bullfinch population in Britain has been in serious decline since the mid-1970s, following a period of relative stability, and numbers have fallen by 62 per cent in 35 years. The decline was initially rapid, but has been shallower since the early 1980s. Nevertheless, the CES
and BBS
both suggest that the decline is continuing, at least in southern Britain. The demographic mechanism remains unclear (Siriwardena et al. 1999, 2000b), although agricultural intensification is suspected to have played a part. CES data indicate that productivity has increased over the last decade, and nest failure rates at the chick stage (15 days) have fallen from 37% to 21%.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
birds, commonly called Bullfinches, belonging to the finch family (Fringillidae).
The genus has a palearctic
Palearctic
The Palearctic or Palaearctic is one of the eight ecozones dividing the Earth's surface.Physically, the Palearctic is the largest ecozone...
distribution. All species occur in Asia with two species exclusively in the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
and one species, P. pyrrhula, also occurring in Europe. The Azores Bullfinch
Azores Bullfinch
The Azores Bullfinch , also known as the São Miguel Bullfinch, or locally in Portuguese as the Priolo, is an endangered passerine bird in the true finch family...
(P. murina) is a critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
species (about 120 pairs remaining), occurring only in the east of the island of São Miguel
São Miguel
-Brazil:* São Miguel, Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte* Barra de São Miguel, Alagoas, a municipality in the State of Alagoas* Barra de São Miguel, Paraíba, a municipality in the State of Paraíba* São Miguel do Aleixo, a municipality in the State of Sergipe...
in the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
.
Analysis of the mtDNA cytochrome b
Cytochrome b
Cytochrome b/b6 is the main subunit of transmembrane cytochrome bc1 and b6f complexes. In addition, it commonly refers to a region of mtDNA used for population genetics and phylogenetics.- Function :...
sequence
DNA sequence
The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
indicates that the holarctic
Holarctic
The Holarctic ecozone refers to the habitats found throughout the northern continents of the world as a whole. This region is divided into the Palearctic, consisting of Northern Africa and all of Eurasia, with the exception of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and the Nearctic,...
Pine Grosbeak
Pine Grosbeak
left|thumb|Adult femaleThe Pine Grosbeak is a large member of the true finch family, Fringillidae. It is found in coniferous woods across Alaska, the western mountains of the United States, Canada, and in subarctic Fennoscandia and Siberia...
(Pinicola enucleator) is the closest living relative of this genus. Arguably, it could be included in Pyrrhula, but more probably is a distinct offshoot of a common ancestor, with the Pine Grosbeak as the sister group to the ancestor of the bullfinches (Arnaiz-Villena et al., 2001). The evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
of the bullfinch species started soon after the Pine Grosbeak's ancestors diverged from them (at the end of the Middle Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
, about a dozen mya), and it is quite possible that the latter species evolved in North America; what is fairly certain is that the bullfinch radiation started in the general area of the Himalayas. The mountain finch
Mountain finch
The mountain finches are birds in the genus Leucosticte from the true finch family, Fringillidae. This genus also includes the rosy finches, named from their pinkish plumage...
es also seem to be part of this clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
(Marten & Johnson, 1986).
Bullfinches have glossy black wings and tail feathers. They show a white rump. The legs and feet are fleshy brown. Their short, swollen bill is adapted to eat buds, and is black except in P. nipalensis, which has a yellowish bill. The males can be distinguished by their orange or red breast. Some species have a black cap.
Bullfinch species are sedentary to migratory; probably most populations are partially migratory. Populations winter chiefly within the breeding range, those breeding at high levels tending to make altitudinal movements. Most migrants move short or medium distances, but some (apparently chiefly from Russia) move longer distances; in northern and central Europe, there is no evidence that northern populations move farther than southern ones. North European birds move within a wider compass than central European birds. Bullfinches are also eruptive migrants; numbers migrating show marked annual fluctuations; no link with particular food source has been established. Autumn migration begins late, and is fairly brief, mostly October–November; spring migration February–April.
The Eurasian Bullfinch population in Britain has been in serious decline since the mid-1970s, following a period of relative stability, and numbers have fallen by 62 per cent in 35 years. The decline was initially rapid, but has been shallower since the early 1980s. Nevertheless, the CES
CES
CES may stand for:*Closed ecological system, an ecosystem that does not rely on matter exchange with any part outside the system*Constant elasticity of substitution, an economics production function*The ISO 639 code for the Czech language...
and BBS
Breeding Bird Survey
A breeding bird survey monitors the status and trends of bird populations. Data from the survey are an important source for the range maps found in field guides. The North American Breeding Bird Survey is a joint project of the United States Geological Survey and the Canadian Wildlife Service...
both suggest that the decline is continuing, at least in southern Britain. The demographic mechanism remains unclear (Siriwardena et al. 1999, 2000b), although agricultural intensification is suspected to have played a part. CES data indicate that productivity has increased over the last decade, and nest failure rates at the chick stage (15 days) have fallen from 37% to 21%.
Species
- Pyrrhula aurantiaca Gould, 1858: Orange Bullfinch (Range : Kashmir)
- Pyrrhula erythaca Blyth, 1862: Grey-headed Bullfinch (Range : Western China, Tibet)
- Pyrrhula erythrocephala Vigors, 1832: Red-headed Bullfinch (Range: Himalayas)
- Pyrrhula leucogenis Ogilvie-Grant, 1895: White-cheeked Bullfinch (Range : Philippines)
- Pyrrhula murina du Cane Godman, 1866: Azores Bullfinch (Range : São Miguel Island, Azores)
- Pyrrhula nipalensis Hodgson, 1836: Brown Bullfinch (Range : Himalayas, northern Myanmar and Northwest Yunnan)
- Pyrrhula pyrrhula (Linnaeus, 1758): Common (Eurasian) Bullfinch (Range : very wide, from Asia to Europe)
- Pyrrhula cineracea (Cabanis, 1872): Grey (Baikal) Bullfinch (Range : Siberia, Far East)
- Pyrrhula griseiventris (Lafresnaye, 1841): Ussuri (Oriental) Bullfinch (Range : Far East)