Przewalski's Finch
Encyclopedia
The Przevalski's Finch or Przewalski's Finch (Urocynchramus pylzowi) is an unusual passerine
bird
from the mountains of central-west China
. The species is named for Nikolai Przhevalsky
, the Russia
n explorer who described it.
Its taxonomic
affinities were unclear for a long time, giving rise to other common names, the Pink-tailed Bunting and the Przewalski's Rosefinch. In 2000 it was proposed that it should in fact be regarded neither as a finch
nor a bunting
, but as the only member
of the family
Urocynchramidae, something that had been originally proposed in the German ornithological literature as long ago as 1918 by Domaniewski, and also by Wolters in 1979. This change was adopted in the sixth edition of the Clements checklist.
. The tail is long and – quite unlike in typical finches – graduated, with the outer feathers much shorter than the central ones. The sexes are sexually dimorphic
, with the males having bright pink on the throat, breast and belly. Both sexes have brown streaked plumage
on the back and wings. The bill
is thinner than those of the rosefinches. The morphological feature which is diagnostic for the Urocynchramidae is the outer primary; in finches and buntings this feather is vestigial but in the Przewalski's Finch it is two-thirds the length of the next primary.
This bird lives at an elevation of between 3050m and 5000m, usually in pairs during the breeding season and in small flocks during the winter. Przhevalsky described the species' song as similar to that of buntings. The species has not been studied much in the wild, and little is known of its behaviour. It is not thought to be threatened by human activities and is listed as least concern
by the IUCN.
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...
from the mountains of central-west 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...
. The species is named for 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...
, the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n explorer who described it.
Its taxonomic
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
affinities were unclear for a long time, giving rise to other common names, the Pink-tailed Bunting and the Przewalski's Rosefinch. In 2000 it was proposed that it should in fact be regarded neither as a 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...
nor a bunting
Bunting (bird)
Buntings are a group of Eurasian and African passerine birds of the family Emberizidae.They are seed-eating birds with stubby, conical bills, and are the Old World equivalents of the species known in North America as sparrows...
, but as the only member
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...
of the 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...
Urocynchramidae, something that had been originally proposed in the German ornithological literature as long ago as 1918 by Domaniewski, and also by Wolters in 1979. This change was adopted in the sixth edition of the Clements checklist.
Description and ecology
Przewalski's Finch is a small bird similar in appearance to the Long-tailed RosefinchLong-tailed Rosefinch
The Long-tailed Rosefinch is a species of finch of the Fringillidae family, in the presently monotypic genus Uragus. Some other rosefinches might eventually be moved there, however....
. The tail is long and – quite unlike in typical finches – graduated, with the outer feathers much shorter than the central ones. The sexes are sexually dimorphic
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
, with the males having bright pink on the throat, breast and belly. Both sexes have brown streaked plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
on the back and wings. The bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
is thinner than those of the rosefinches. The morphological feature which is diagnostic for the Urocynchramidae is the outer primary; in finches and buntings this feather is vestigial but in the Przewalski's Finch it is two-thirds the length of the next primary.
This bird lives at an elevation of between 3050m and 5000m, usually in pairs during the breeding season and in small flocks during the winter. Przhevalsky described the species' song as similar to that of buntings. The species has not been studied much in the wild, and little is known of its behaviour. It is not thought to be threatened by human activities and is listed as least concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
by the IUCN.
External links
- Pink-tailed Bunting Don Roberson; Bird Families of the World