| Cardellina | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Red-faced warbler (Cardellina rubifrons) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Parulidae |
| Genus: | Cardellina Du Bus de Gisignies, 1849 |
| Type species | |
| Cardinella amicta[1] =Muscicapa rubrifrons Du Bus | |
| Species | |
See text | |
| Synonyms | |
ErgaticusBaird (1865) | |
Cardellina is agenus ofpasserine birds in theNew World warbler family Parulidae. The genus nameCardellina is a diminutive of the Italian dialect wordCardella for theEuropean goldfinch.[2]
The genus was introduced by the French naturalistCharles Lucien Bonaparte in 1850.[3] Thetype species was subsequently designated as thered-faced warbler.[4][5] The genus originally contained one species, the red-faced warbler. A comprehensive study of the wood-warblers published in 2010 that analysed mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences found that the five species formed a discreteclade, with the Wilson's and Canada warblers as early offshoots, followed by a lineage that gave rise to two branches – one leading to the red-faced and another that diverged to the red and pink-headed warblers.[6]
Spencer Fullerton Baird described the genusErgaticus in 1865, using it to separate several species from what he felt was the closely related genusCardellina,[7] and eventually subsumed intoCardellina in 2011. Prior to the creation and widespread acceptance of this genus, thered warbler andpink-headed warbler were placed in various other warbler genera, includingSetophaga (with theAmerican redstart),Cardellina (with thered-faced warbler), andBasileuterus (a widespread genus of tropical warblers) — as well as theOld World warbler genusSylvia and theOld Worldtit genusParus.[8] RecentDNA analysis shows thatErgaticus falls comfortably within the New World warblerclade, along with 18 othergenera. It is closest to the genusCardellina, with which it shares a common ancestor, and slightly more distantly related to the genusWilsonia.[9]
There are two sister species, separated by the low-lying Isthmus of Tehuantepec, in the genus. The red warbler,C. ruber, is found in the Mexican highlands north of the isthmus. Its threesubspecies, which differ slightly in appearance, are found in threedisjunct populations. The pink-headed warbler,C. versicolor, is found south of the isthmus, in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico and western Guatemala. It ismonotypic across its limited range.[10] Though they are separated by geography and differ considerably inplumage, the two have sometimes been considered to beconspecific.[11]
Ergaticus is theLatinized version of theAncient Greekergatikos, meaning "willing or able to work".[12]
The following five species are currently recognized.[13]
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Cardellina canadensis | Canada warbler | Summers in Canada and northeastern United States and winters in northern South America. |
 | Cardellina pusilla | Wilson's warbler | Across Canada and south through the western United States, and winters from Mexico south through much of Central America. |
.jpg) | Cardellina rubrifrons | Red-faced warbler | Mexico and the US states of Arizona and New Mexico, and the Central American nations of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. |
.jpg) | Cardellina rubra | Red warbler | Mexicanhighlands north of theIsthmus of Tehuantepec |
 | Cardellina versicolor | Pink-headed warbler | Southwestern Highlands of Guatemala and the central and southeastern Highlands of the Mexican state of Chiapas. |
These are medium-sized warblers, measuring 12.5–13.5 cm (4.9–5.3 in) in length,[nb 1][10] and weighing 7.6–10 g (0.27–0.35 oz); the pink-headed warbler is, on average, slightly the heavier of the two.[11] As adults, their overall color is red, with duller wings and tails; juveniles are tawny-brown, with slightly paler underparts. The red warbler has white or silvery-gray ear patches (the color depends on the subspecies), while the pink-headed warbler's head and chest are silvery-pink. The sexes are similar in both species.[11] They have long, rounded wings and fairly long, rounded tails. They have small, narrowbills, withrictal bristles that extend more than halfway down their length.[8]
Both the pink-headed and red warblers are birds of highland forest.[10] The red warbler is found from 2,000 to 3,500 m (6,600 to 11,500 ft)above sea level, and the pink-headed warbler from 2,000 to 3,800 m (6,600 to 12,500 ft).[11]
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