Acanthis
Well-known member
I'm collecting information on the presence of buccal food-sacs in the finch family Fringillidae.
Ian Newton in his monograph 'Finches' describes the presence of food sacs in the floor of the mouth of the Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) which develop at the start of the breeding season and are used to carry food to the nestlings. Most other carduelines carry nestling food in their gullets, but Newton also mentions a few other species which share this feature: Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator), Crimson-winged Finch (Rhodopechys sanguinea), and a Rosy-finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis littoralis) (see Miller, A. The Condor 43: pp 72-73).
All of these species may be part of a related clade defined in the paper (Arnaiz-Villena (et al) (2008), Mitochondrial DNA Phylogenetic Definition of a Group of ‘Arid-Zone’ Carduelini Finches, Open Ornith. J. 1, 1-7), and in the TIF list as the Pyrrhulini.
I was wondering if there was any phylogenetic significance in this feature and would be interested in discovering if anyone has information on its presence or absence in the Rosefinches (Carpodacus, Uragus etc), Golden-naped Finch (Pyrrhoplectes epauletta), Trumpeter Finches (Bucanetes sp.), and Mountain-Finches (Leucosticte sp.)
Ian Newton in his monograph 'Finches' describes the presence of food sacs in the floor of the mouth of the Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) which develop at the start of the breeding season and are used to carry food to the nestlings. Most other carduelines carry nestling food in their gullets, but Newton also mentions a few other species which share this feature: Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator), Crimson-winged Finch (Rhodopechys sanguinea), and a Rosy-finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis littoralis) (see Miller, A. The Condor 43: pp 72-73).
All of these species may be part of a related clade defined in the paper (Arnaiz-Villena (et al) (2008), Mitochondrial DNA Phylogenetic Definition of a Group of ‘Arid-Zone’ Carduelini Finches, Open Ornith. J. 1, 1-7), and in the TIF list as the Pyrrhulini.
I was wondering if there was any phylogenetic significance in this feature and would be interested in discovering if anyone has information on its presence or absence in the Rosefinches (Carpodacus, Uragus etc), Golden-naped Finch (Pyrrhoplectes epauletta), Trumpeter Finches (Bucanetes sp.), and Mountain-Finches (Leucosticte sp.)