Snowfinch
Encyclopedia
- "Pyrgilauda" redirects here. In the late 20th century, this was occasionally believed to be a junior synonym of EremopterixEremopterixEremopterix is the genus of sparrow-larks, songbirds in the family Alaudidae.It contains the following species:* Chestnut-backed Sparrow-lark, Eremopterix leucotis* Black-eared Sparrow-lark, Eremopterix australis...
(see also below).
The snowfinches make up the passerine
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...
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...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Montifringilla. Despite their common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
, they are Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
sparrow
Sparrow
The sparrows are a family of small passerine birds, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names also used for a genus of the family, Passer...
s (family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Passeridae), not true finch
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 (family Fringillidae). The genus is sometimes split
Lumpers and splitters
Lumping and splitting refers to a well-known problem in any discipline which has to place individual examples into rigorously defined categories. The lumper/splitter problem occurs when there is the need to create classifications and assign examples to them, for example schools of literature,...
into three.
As the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and scientific names suggest, these are high altitude species, found in the mountain ranges of southern 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...
, from the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
east to 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...
, Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
and western China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Description and ecology
Snowfinches are stocky sparrows 13.5 – in length, with strong conical bills. They have pale brown upperparts, white underparts and extensive white panels in the wings, which transform them in flight. Adults may have black markings on the chin or around the eyes. Sexes are usually very similar, although the male White-winged Snowfinch has a distinctive grey head. Young birds are a drabber version of the adult.They have simple repetitive songs, given from a rock or during the elaborate circling display flight. The call is a simple chip or similar.
Most snowfinches breed above altitudes of 3500 metres (11,482.9 ft), but the White-winged Snowfinch can occur from 1800 metres (5,905.5 ft) upwards. These hardy birds inhabit bare open mountain grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
. Snowfinches are not migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
but may move to lower altitudes or human habitation in winter, when these highly gregarious birds form large flocks. Snowfinches are primarily ground-feeding seed-eaters, though they also consume small arthropod
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
s, especially when breeding. They are typically fearless, and will forage around ski resorts, human habitation and rubbish tips.
They nest in rock crevices, or more typically in the holes of rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s or (and even more often) pika
Pika
The pika is a small mammal, with short limbs, rounded ears, and short tail. The name pika is used for any member of the Ochotonidae, a family within the order of lagomorphs, which also includes the Leporidae . One genus, Ochotona, is recognised within the family, and it includes 30 species...
s (Ochotonidae). The typical clutch
Clutch (eggs)
A clutch of eggs refers to all the eggs produced by birds or reptiles, often at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest.In birds, destruction of a clutch by predators, , results in double-clutching...
is from 3–6 eggs.
Species and systematics
The seven or eight speciesSpecies
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
generally recognized are:
- White-winged SnowfinchWhite-winged SnowfinchThe White-winged Snowfinch , or just Snowfinch, is a small passerine bird. Despite its name, it is a sparrow rather than a true finch.-Distribution and habitat:...
, Montifringilla nivalis- Henri's Snowfinch or Tibetan Snowfinch, Montifringilla (nivalis) henrici
- Black-winged SnowfinchBlack-winged SnowfinchThe Black-winged Snowfinch, Adams's Snowfinch or Tibetan Snowfinch is a species of bird in the sparrow family. It is found in China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland...
or Tibetan Snowfinch, Montifringilla adamsi - Afghan SnowfinchAfghan SnowfinchThe Afghan Snowfinch , also known as Theresa's Snowfinch, is a bird of the sparrow family and is an Afghan endemic found only in the Hindu Kush. The species was named by Richard Meinertzhagen after his cousin and companion, Theresa Clay, who was an expert on bird lice.It is 13.5–15 cm long...
, Montifringilla theresae - White-rumped SnowfinchWhite-rumped SnowfinchThe White-rumped Snowfinch is a species of bird in the sparrow family. It is found in China, Pakistan, India, and Nepal. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and temperate grassland.-External links:...
, Montifringilla taczanowskii - Père David's Snowfinch or Small Snowfinch, Montifringilla davidiana
- Rufous-necked SnowfinchRufous-necked SnowfinchThe Rufous-necked Snowfinch is a species of bird in the sparrow family.It is found in China, Pakistan, India, and Nepal. Its natural habitat is temperate grassland.-External links:* — Oriental Bird Club....
, Montifringilla ruficollis - Plain-backed SnowfinchPlain-backed SnowfinchThe Plain-backed Snowfinch or Blanford's Snowfinch is a species of bird in the sparrow family.It is found in China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Its natural habitat is temperate grassland....
or Blanford's Snowfinch, Montifringilla blanfordi
The latter four or five species are quite often separated in a genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Pyrgilauda, based on different vocalizations and ecological preferences. Similarly, the White-rumped Snowfinch is occasionally placed in a monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus Onychostruthus. But the evidence is equivocal; though the proposed three lineages of snowfinches seem indeed to be distinct (and can be split), it is not at all certain that the snowfinches are not a monophyletic group (where splitting would become necessary). Thus, without conclusive evidence that Montifringilla sensu lato is paraphyletic with its closest relatives – the petronia
Petronia
The petronias or rock sparrows are a genus, Petronia, of sparrows. Most species are found in Africa with some species ranging in Asia and even Europe.There are five species:* Yellow-spotted Petronia Petronia pyrgita...
s (or rock sparrows, Petronia) and the Pale Rockfinch
Pale Rockfinch
The Pale Rockfinch or Pale Rock Sparrow is a small sparrow found in the Middle East and Central Asia. It is the only living member of the genus Carpospiza. Some authorities include it in the genus Petronia...
(Carpospiza brachydactyla) –, Onychostruthus and Pyrgilauda are usually lumped
Lumpers and splitters
Lumping and splitting refers to a well-known problem in any discipline which has to place individual examples into rigorously defined categories. The lumper/splitter problem occurs when there is the need to create classifications and assign examples to them, for example schools of literature,...
with Montifringilla to avoid maintaining three small or monotypic genera.
Taxonomy
Edouard Verreaux
Jean Baptiste Édouard Verreaux was a French naturalist, collector and dealer. He was the brother of Jules Verreaux.In 1830 Verreaux travelled to South Africa to help his brother pack up a large consignment of specimens. He returned in 1832 before continuing to Sumatra, Java, the Philippines and...
and Jules Verreaux
Jules Verreaux
Jules Pierre Verreaux was a French botanist, ornithologist and professional collector of, and trader in, natural history specimens...
. But Pyrrhulauda – established by Andrew Smith
Andrew Smith (zoologist)
Sir Andrew Smith KCB was a Scottish surgeon, explorer, ethnologist and zoologist. He is considered the father of Zoology in South Africa having described many species across a wide range of groups in his major work, Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa.Smith was born in Hawick, Roxburghshire...
before Bonaparte – actually refers to certain sparrow-larks, today all placed in Eremopterix. J. Verreaux indeed seems to have been the first to formally use Pyrgilauda for a particular snowfinch species, but that was only in 1871, when he described the Small Snowfinch
Small Snowfinch
Père David's Snowfinch, also known as the Small Snowfinch , is a species of bird in the sparrow family.It is found in China, Pakistan, Mongolia, and Russia. Its natural habitat is temperate grassland.-References:...
. It was widely used for the southern snowfinch species in the late 19th and early 20th century, and continues to be used by some authors today.
According to Article 11.6.1. and 50.7. in the third and fourth editions of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature
International Code of Zoological Nomenclature
The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature is a widely accepted convention in zoology that rules the formal scientific naming of organisms treated as animals...
, the genus Pyrgilauda was thus validly established by Bonaparte as a possible snowfinch genus name – even though he did not intend to – because many authors after J. Verreaux used it for these birds, and not for the sparrow-larks. Bonaparte had correctly used Montifrigilla for the White-winged Snowfinch
White-winged Snowfinch
The White-winged Snowfinch , or just Snowfinch, is a small passerine bird. Despite its name, it is a sparrow rather than a true finch.-Distribution and habitat:...
– the only snowfinch known then – however, and thus Pyrgilauda had remained an unused "shell" of a taxon
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
until someone placed a species in it. That was done by J. Verreaux, and thus many erroneously attributed authorship of the genus to him, although as per the ICZN Code Article 69.3. he technically just fixed its type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
as the Small Snowfinch. Another error occurred in 1982, when G. N. Kasin believed Pyrgilauda had been established twice, and thought the snowfinch genus name – which he believed to have been established by Verreaux in 1870 – was the junior homonym of Bonaparte's sparrow-lark synonym. He set up Stepaniania to replace it. But with Bonaparte's name (as co-opted by Verreaux and later authors) being a valid junior subjective synonym and not preoccupied, Stepaniania itself becomes a junior objective synonym of Pyrgilauda.
The name Orospiza has a similar history to Pyrgilauda. Bonaparte merely remarked it had been used by "some" (aliquī) unspecified authors, while many subsequent sources attributed it to Johann Jakob Kaup
Johann Jakob Kaup
Johann Jakob Kaup was a German naturalist.-Biography:He was born at Darmstadt. After studying at Göttingen and Heidelberg he spent two years at Leiden, where his attention was specially devoted to the amphibians and fishes. He then returned to Darmstadt as an assistant in the grand ducal museum,...
. But that is a misunderstanding, and the only technically valid (though synonymous) name for the snowfinch genus proposed by Kaup was Chionospina. Thus, in the case of Orospiza Bonaparte is again the valid author, though Thomas Horsfield
Thomas Horsfield
Thomas Horsfield M. D. was an American physician and naturalist.Horsfield was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He was the grandson of Timothy Horsfield, Sr., a colonel and justice of the peace in Bethlehem, and a friend mentioned in Benjamin...
and Frederic Moore
Frederic Moore
Frederic Moore FZS was a British entomologist. It has been said that Moore was born at 33 Bruton Street but may be incorrect given that this was the address of the menagerie and office of the Zoological Society of London from 1826 to 1836.Moore was appointed an assistant in the East India Company...
were the first to set a type species. As M. nivalis was still the only known snowfinch in 1858 when they did this, Orospiza is a junior objective synonym of Montifringilla.
For somewhat different reasons, Orites is a junior objective synonym of Montifringilla. First proposed for the Long-tailed Tit
Long-tailed Tit
The Long-tailed Tit or Long-tailed Bushtit is a common bird found throughout Europe and Asia. There are several extensive accounts of this species, most notably Cramp and Perrins, 1993; Gaston, 1973; and Harrap and Quinn, 1996...
(Aegithalos caudatus) in Moehring's Geslachten der Vogelen in 1758, that widely-ignored work was suppressed as a source of taxa by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature is an organization dedicated to "achieving stability and sense in the scientific naming of animals". Founded in 1895, it currently comprises 28 members from 20 countries, mainly practicing zoological taxonomists...
in 1987. Consequently, later attempts to re-establish that name as a junior synonym of Aegithalos
Aegithalos
Aegithalos is a songbird genus in the family Aegithalidae.It contains the following species:* White-necklaced Tit, Aegithalos fuliginosus* Rufous-fronted Tit, Aegithalos iouschistos* Black-browed Tit, Aegithalos bonvaloti...
are preempted by the erection of Orites for the White-winged Snowfinch by Eugen von Keyserling
Eugen von Keyserling
Eugen von Keyserling was a German arachnologist.He was the author of Die Spinnen Amerikas, and completed Die Arachniden Australiens on behalf of Ludwig Carl Christian Koch.-External links:...
and Johann Heinrich Blasius
Johann Heinrich Blasius
Johann Heinrich Blasius was a German zoologist. In 1836, he was appointed as a professor at the Collegium Carolinum in Braunschweig. In 1840, he founded the Botanischer Garten der Technischen Universität Braunschweig...
in 1840. Meanwhile, Kaup's Chionospina was misspelled "Chionospiza" by George Robert Gray
George Robert Gray
George Robert Gray FRS was an English zoologist and author, and head of the ornithological section of the British Museum, now the Natural History Museum, in London for forty-one years...
. As it, too, is a junior objective synonym of Montifringilla, Ludwig Reichenbach
Ludwig Reichenbach
Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach was a German botanist and ornithologist.He was the son of Johann Friedrich Jakob Reichenbach, the author in 1818 of the first Greek-German dictionary. He was the father of Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach, equally a botanist and an eminent orchid...
's subsequent valid establishment of that name is still inconsequential – except for purely taxonomic purposes, as it makes neither Kaup nor Grey the valid author of Chionospiza, but Reichenbach. And finally, Onychostruthus had to be established because Onychospiza, Nikolai Przhevalsky
Nikolai Przhevalsky
Nikolai Mikhaylovich Przhevalsky and Prjevalsky, ; —), was a Russian geographer of Polish background and explorer of Central and Eastern Asia. Although he never reached his final goal, Lhasa in Tibet, he travelled through regions unknown to the west, such as northern Tibet, modern Qinghai and...
's 1876 name for the proposed monotypic genus of the White-rumped Snowfinch
White-rumped Snowfinch
The White-rumped Snowfinch is a species of bird in the sparrow family. It is found in China, Pakistan, India, and Nepal. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and temperate grassland.-External links:...
, was preoccupied. It had been given by Rey to the Chestnut-eared Bunting
Chestnut-eared Bunting
The Chestnut-eared Bunting is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae.-Description:...
(today Emberiza fucata) in 1872 already, as an unnecessary correction – and thus junior objective synonym – of Bonaparte's original Onychospina.
External links
- Snowfinch media on the Internet Bird Collection