| Bullfinches | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Eurasian bullfinch,Pyrrhula pyrrhula | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Fringillidae |
| Subfamily: | Carduelinae |
| Genus: | Pyrrhula Brisson, 1760 |
| Type species | |
| Loxia pyrrhula[1] =Pyrrhula pyrrhula Linnaeus, 1758 | |
| Species | |
See text. | |
Pyrrhula is a small genus ofpasserine birds, commonly calledbullfinches, belonging to the finch family (Fringillidae). The genus has aPalearctic distribution; almost all species occur in Asia, with two species exclusively in theHimalayas and one species,P. pyrrhula, also occurring in Europe. TheAzores bullfinch (P. murina) is acritically endangered species (about 120 pairs remaining), occurring only in the east of the island ofSão Miguel in theAzoresarchipelago.
Theevolution of the bullfinch species started soon after the pine grosbeak's ancestors diverged from them (at the end of the MiddleMiocene, about 12mya), and it is quite possible that the latter species evolved in North America; what is fairly certain is that the bullfinch radiation started in the general area of the Himalayas. Themountain finches also seem to be part of thisclade.[2]
Bullfinches have glossy black wings and tail feathers. They show a white rump. The legs and feet are fleshy brown. Their short, swollen bill is adapted to eat buds, and is black except for thebrown bullfinch, which has a grey or greenish-grey bill. The males can be distinguished by their orange or red breast. Some species have a black cap.
The genusPyrrhula was introduced in 1760 by the French zoologistMathurin Jacques Brisson.[3][4] The name was derived bytautonymy from thebinomial name of the Eurasian bullfinchLoxia pyrrhula introduced byLinnaeus in 1758.[4][5]
The bullfinches in the genusPyrrhula aresister to thepine grosbeak, the only species placed in the genusPinicola.[6][7]
There are eight extant and one extinct recognized species in the genus:[8][9]
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | Pyrrhula aurantiaca | Orange bullfinch | India and Pakistan |
 | Pyrrhula erythaca | Grey-headed bullfinch | Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal |
| Pyrrhula owstoni | Taiwan bullfinch (split fromP. erythaca)[10] | Taiwan | |
 | Pyrrhula erythrocephala | Red-headed bullfinch | Bhutan, northern India, Nepal |
 | Pyrrhula leucogenis | White-cheeked bullfinch | the Philippines |
 | Pyrrhula murina | Azores bullfinch | São Miguel Island, in the Azores archipelago of Macaronesia in the North Atlantic Ocean. |
 | Pyrrhula nipalensis | Brown bullfinch | Bhutan, China, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. |
| Pyrrhula pyrrhula | Eurasian bullfinch | across Europe and temperate Asia. |
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