Estrildidae

Estrildidae, or estrildid finches, is a family of small seed-eating passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They comprise species commonly known as munias, mannikins, firefinches, parrotfinches and waxbills. Despite the word "finch" being included in the common names of some species, they are not closely related to birds with this name in other families, such as the Fringillidae, Emberizidae or Passerellidae.

Estrildidae
Red-browed finch, Neochmia temporalis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Superfamily:	Passeroidea
Family:	Estrildidae Bonaparte, 1850
Genera
See text

They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short, thick, but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but vary widely in plumage colours and patterns.

All estrildids build large, domed nests and lay five to ten white eggs. Many species build roost nests. Some of the firefinches and pytilias are hosts to the brood-parasitic indigobirds and whydahs, respectively.

Most are sensitive to cold and require warm, usually tropical, habitats, although a few, such as the eastern alpine mannikin, mountain firetail, red-browed finch, and the genus Stagonopleura, have adapted to the cooler climates of southern Australia and the highlands of New Guinea.

The smallest species of the family is the Shelley's oliveback (Nesocharis shelleyi) at a mere 8.3 cm (3.3 in), although the lightest species is the black-rumped waxbill (Estrilda troglodytes) at 6 g (0.21 oz). The largest species is the Java sparrow (Padda oryzivora) at 17 cm (6.7 in) and 25 g (0.88 oz).^[1]

Taxonomy

The family Estrildidae was introduced in 1850 by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte as "Estreldinae", a spelling variant of the subfamily name.^[2][3] In the list of world birds maintained by Frank Gill, Pamela Rasmussen and David Donsker on behalf of the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) the family contains 140 species divided into 41 genera.^[4] Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown the family Estrildidae is sister to the family Viduidae containing the indigobirds and whydahs. The two families diverged around 15.5 million year ago.^[5] The most recent common ancestor of the Estrildidae is estimated to have lived around 10.9 million years ago.^[6] A genetic study of the Estrildidae by Urban Olsson and Per Alström published in 2020 identified 6 major clades. The radiations within these clades occurred between 4.5 and 8.9 million years ago. The authors proposed that each of these clades should be treated as a subfamily.^[6] This contrasts with an earlier proposal in which the family was divided into three subfamilies.^[7]

Poephilinae Heteromunia – pictorella mannikin Oreostruthus – mountain firetail Stagonopleura – firetails (3 species) Neochmia – finches (2 species) Emblema – painted finch Bathilda – star finch Aidemosyne – plum-headed finch Stizoptera – double-barred finch Taeniopygia – zebra finch Poephila – finches (3 species) Lonchurinae Spermestes – mannikins, silverbill (4 species) Lepidopygia – Madagascar mannikin Euodice – silverbills (2 species) Padda – sparrows (2 species) Mayrimunia – streak-headed mannikin Lonchura – munias, mannikins (28 species) Erythrurinae Chloebia – Gouldian finch Erythrura – parrotfinches (12 species) Estrildinae Nesocharis – olivebacks (2 species) Coccopygia – waxbills (3 species) Mandingoa – green twinspot Cryptospiza – crimsonwings (4 species) Parmoptila – antpeckers (3 species) Nigrita – nigritas (4 species) Delacourella – grey-headed oliveback Brunhilda – waxbills (2 species) Glaucestrilda – waxbills (3 species) Estrilda – waxbills (11 species) Amandavinae Ortygospiza – quailfinch Amadina – finches (2 species) Amandava – avadavats, waxbill (3 species) Lagonostictinae Granatina – grenadier, waxbill (2 species) Uraeginthus – cordon-bleus, waxbill (3 species) Spermophaga – bluebills (3 species) Pyrenestes – seedcrackers (3 species) Pytilia – pytilias (5 species) Euschistospiza – twinspots (2 species) Hypargos – twinspots (2 species) Clytospiza – brown twinspot Lagonosticta – firefinches (10 species)

Phylogeny based on a study of the Estrildidae by Urban Olsson and Per Alström published in 2020. The locust finch in the genus Paludipasser was not included in the study.^[6]

Genera list

Image	Genus	Living species
	Heteromunia Mathews, 1913	Pictorella mannikin, Heteromunia pectoralis
	Oreostruthus De Vis, 1898	Mountain firetail, Oreostruthus fuliginosus
	Stagonopleura Reichenbach, 1850	Beautiful firetail, Stagonopleura bella Red-eared firetail, Stagonopleura oculata Diamond firetail, Stagonopleura guttata
	Neochmia Gray, GR, 1849	Red-browed finch, Neochmia temporalis Crimson finch, Neochmia phaeton
	Emblema Gould, 1842	Painted finch, Emblema pictum
	Bathilda Reichenbach, 1862	Star finch, Bathilda ruficauda
	Aidemosyne Reichenbach, 1862	Plum-headed finch, Aidemosyne modesta
	Stizoptera Oberholser, 1899	Double-barred finch, Stizoptera bichenovii
	Taeniopygia Reichenbach, 1862	Sunda zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata Australian zebra finch, Taeniopygia castanotis
	Poephila Gould, 1842	Masked finch, Poephila personata Long-tailed finch, Poephila acuticauda Black-throated finch, Poephila cincta
	Spermestes Swainson, 1837	Grey-headed silverbill, Spermestes griseicapilla Bronze mannikin, Spermestes cucullata, also known as bronze munia Magpie mannikin, Spermestes fringilloides, also known as magpie munia Black-and-white mannikin, Spermestes bicolor, also known as black-and-white munia
	Lepidopygia Reichenbach, 1862	Madagascar mannikin, Lepidopygia nana
	Euodice Reichenbach, 1862	African silverbill, Euodice cantans Indian silverbill, Euodice malabarica also known as white-throated munia
	Padda Reichenbach, 1850	Java sparrow, Padda oryzivora Timor sparrow, Padda fuscata
	Mayrimunia Wolters, 1949	Streak-headed mannikin, Mayrimunia tristissima White-spotted mannikin, Mayrimunia cinereovinacea
	Lonchura Sykes, 1832	Scaly-breasted munia, Lonchura punctulata, also known as nutmeg mannikin or spice finch Black-throated munia, Lonchura kelaarti, also known as Jerdon's mannikin Black-faced munia, Lonchura molucca White-rumped munia, Lonchura striata Dusky munia, Lonchura fuscans White-bellied munia, Lonchura leucogastra New Hanover mannikin, Lonchura nigerrima Tricolored munia, Lonchura malacca Chestnut munia, Lonchura atricapilla White-capped munia, Lonchura ferruginosa White-headed munia, Lonchura maja Pale-headed munia, Lonchura pallida Great-billed mannikin, Lonchura grandis Black-breasted mannikin, Lonchura teerinki Western alpine mannikin, Lonchura montana Eastern alpine mannikin, Lonchura monticola Grey-banded mannikin, Lonchura vana Grey-crowned mannikin, Lonchura nevermanni Hooded mannikin, Lonchura spectabilis Mottled mannikin, Lonchura hunsteini New Hanover mannikin, Lonchura nigerrima Forbes's mannikin, Lonchura forbesi Javan munia, Lonchura leucogastroides Yellow-rumped mannikin, Lonchura flaviprymna Five-colored munia, Lonchura quinticolor Chestnut-breasted mannikin, Lonchura castaneothorax Black mannikin, Lonchura stygia Buff-bellied mannikin, Lonchura melaena
	Chloebia Reichenbach, 1862	Gouldian finch, Chloebia gouldiae
	Erythrura Swainson, 1837	Tawny-breasted parrotfinch, Erythrura hyperythra Pin-tailed parrotfinch, Erythrura prasina Green-faced parrotfinch, Erythrura viridifacies Tricolored parrotfinch, Erythrura tricolor Blue-faced parrotfinch, Erythrura trichroa Red-eared parrotfinch, Erythrura coloria Papuan parrotfinch, Erythrura papuana Red-throated parrotfinch, Erythrura psittacea Fiji parrotfinch, Erythrura pealii Red-headed parrotfinch, Erythrura cyaneovirens Royal parrotfinch, Erythrura regia Pink-billed parrotfinch, Erythrura kleinschmidti
	Nesocharis Alexander, 1903	White-collared oliveback, Nesocharis ansorgei Shelley's oliveback, Nesocharis shelleyi
	Coccopygia Reichenbach, 1862	Yellow-bellied waxbill, Coccopygia quartinia Swee waxbill, Coccopygia melanotis Angola waxbill, Coccopygia bocagei
	Mandingoa Hartert, E, 1919	Green-backed twinspot, Mandingoa nitidula
	Cryptospiza Salvadori, 1884	Red-faced crimsonwing, Cryptospiza reichenovii Abyssinian crimsonwing, Cryptospiza salvadorii Dusky crimsonwing, Cryptospiza jacksoni Shelley's crimsonwing, Cryptospiza shelleyi
	Parmoptila Cassin, 1859	Red-fronted antpecker, Parmoptila rubrifrons Jameson's antpecker, Parmoptila jamesoni – often included in P. rubrifrons Woodhouse's antpecker, Parmoptila woodhousei
	Nigrita Strickland, 1843	White-breasted nigrita, Nigrita fusconotus Chestnut-breasted nigrita, Nigrita bicolor Pale-fronted nigrita, Nigrita luteifrons Grey-headed nigrita, Nigrita canicapillus
	Delacourella Wolters, 1949	Grey-headed oliveback, Delacourella capistrata
	Brunhilda Reichenbach, 1862	Black-faced waxbill, Brunhilda erythronotos Black-cheeked waxbill, Brunhilda charmosyna
	Glaucestrilda Roberts, 1922	Lavender waxbill, Glaucestrilda caerulescens Grey waxbill, Glaucestrilda perreini Cinderella waxbill, Glaucestrilda thomensis
	Estrilda Swainson, 1827	Black-crowned waxbill, Estrilda nonnula Black-headed waxbill, Estrilda atricapilla Kandt's waxbill, Estrilda kandti Orange-cheeked waxbill, Estrilda melpoda Anambra waxbill, Estrilda poliopareia Fawn-breasted waxbill, Estrilda paludicola Common waxbill, Estrilda astrild Black-lored waxbill, Estrilda nigriloris Black-rumped waxbill, Estrilda troglodytes Crimson-rumped waxbill, Estrilda rhodopyga Arabian waxbill, Estrilda rufibarba
	Ortygospiza Sundevall, 1850	Quailfinch, Ortygospiza atricollis
	Paludipasser Neave, 1909	Locust finch, Paludipasser locustella
	Amadina Swainson, 1827	Cut-throat finch, Amadina fasciata Red-headed finch, Amadina erythrocephala
	Amandava Blyth, 1836	Red avadavat, Amandava amandava also known as red munia Green avadavat, Amandava formosa Orange-breasted waxbill, Amandava subflava
	Granatina Sharpe, 1890	Purple grenadier, Granatina ianthinogaster Violet-eared waxbill, Granatina granatina
	Uraeginthus Cabanis, 1851	Blue waxbill, Uraeginthus angolensis Red-cheeked cordon-bleu, Uraeginthus bengalus Blue-capped cordon-bleu, Uraeginthus cyanocephalus
	Spermophaga Swainson, 1837	Grant's bluebill, Spermophaga poliogenys Western bluebill, Spermophaga haematina Red-headed bluebill, Spermophaga ruficapilla
	Pyrenestes Swainson, 1837	Crimson seedcracker, Pyrenestes sanguineus Black-bellied seedcracker, Pyrenestes ostrinus Lesser seedcracker, Pyrenestes minor
	Pytilia Swainson, 1837	Orange-winged pytilia, Pytilia afra Red-winged pytilia, Pytilia phoenicoptera Red-billed pytilia, Pytilia lineata Green-winged pytilia, Pytilia melba Yellow-winged pytilia, Pytilia hypogrammica
	Euschistospiza Wolters, 1943	Dybowski's twinspot, Euschistospiza dybowskii Dusky twinspot, Euschistospiza cinereovinacea
	Hypargos Reichenbach, 1862	Red-throated twinspot, Hypargos niveoguttatus Pink-throated twinspot, Hypargos margaritatus
	Clytospiza Shelley, 1896	Brown twinspot, Clytospiza monteiri
	Lagonosticta Cabanis, 1851	Bar-breasted firefinch, Lagonosticta rufopicta Brown firefinch, Lagonosticta nitidula Red-billed firefinch, Lagonosticta senegala Black-bellied firefinch, Lagonosticta rara African firefinch, Lagonosticta rubricata Jameson's firefinch, Lagonosticta rhodopareia Mali firefinch, Lagonosticta virata Rock firefinch, Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis Black-faced firefinch, Lagonosticta larvata Chad firefinch, Lagonosticta umbrinodorsalis

References

1. "Estrildid FINCHes".
2. Bonaparte, Charles Lucien (1850). Conspectus Generum Avium (in Latin). Vol. 1. Leiden: E.J. Brill. p. 450.
3. Bock, Walter J. (1994). History and Nomenclature of Avian Family-Group Names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. Vol. 222. New York: American Museum of Natural History. pp. 117, 156, 218, 228. hdl:2246/830.
4. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2023). "Waxbills, parrotfinches, munias, whydahs, Olive Warbler, accentors, pipits". IOC World Bird List Version 13.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
5. Oliveros, C.H.; et al. (2019). "Earth history and the passerine superradiation". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States. 116 (16): 7916–7925. Bibcode:2019PNAS..116.7916O. doi:10.1073/pnas.1813206116. PMC 6475423. PMID 30936315.
6. 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. PMID 32028027. S2CID 211048731.
7. Payne, Robert B. (2010). "Family Estrildidae (Waxbills)". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Christie, D.A. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 15: Weavers to New World Warblers. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. pp. 234–377. ISBN 978-84-96553-68-2.

External links

• Internet Bird Collection.com: Estrildidae videos, photos and sounds
• Waxbill Finch Society — specialist waxbill bird society based in the UK.

 

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