Cardinal (bird)

Cardinals, in the family Cardinalidae, are passerine birds found in North and South America. They are also known as cardinal-grosbeaks and cardinal-buntings.

This article is about the bird family. For other uses, see Cardinal.

Cardinals
Male northern cardinal
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Superfamily: Passeroidea
Family: Cardinalidae
Ridgway, 1901
Genera

Piranga
Habia
Chlorothraupis
Pheucticus
Granatellus
Cardinalis
Caryothraustes
Rhodothraupis
Periporphyrus
Amaurospiza
Spiza
Cyanoloxia
Cyanocompsa
Passerina

An American male cardinal feeds on a sunflower seed.

The South American cardinals in the genus Paroaria are placed in the tanager family Thraupidae. On the other hand, DNA analysis of the genera Piranga (which includes the scarlet tanager, summer tanager, and western tanager), Chlorothraupis, and Habia showed their closer relationship to the cardinal family.[1] They have been reassigned to that family by the American Ornithological Society.[2]

Species list

(1) "Masked" clade:

ImageGenusLiving species
Periporphyrus L. Reichenbach, 1850
Caryothraustes L. Reichenbach, 1850
Rhodothraupis Ridgway, 1898
Cardinalis Bonaparte, 1838
Piranga Vieillot, 1808


(2) "Blue" clade:

ImageGenusLiving species
Amaurospiza Cabanis, 1861
Cyanocompsa Cabanas, 1861
Cyanoloxia Bonaparte, 1850
Passerina Vieillot, 1816 North American buntings
Spiza Bonaparte, 1824


(3) Ant tanager clade:

ImageGenusLiving species
Habia Blyth, 1840
Chlorothraupis Salvin & Godman, 1883


(4) "Chat" clade:

ImageGenusLiving species
Granatellus Bonaparte, 1850


(5) "Pheucticus" clade:

ImageGenusLiving species
PheucticusL. Reichenbach, 1850

Biology

They are robust, seed-eating birds with strong bills. The family's smallest member is the 12-cm (4.7-in), 11.5-g (0.40-oz) orange-breasted bunting. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinctive appearances. The northern cardinal type species was named by colonists for the male's red crest, reminiscent of a Catholic cardinal's biretta.[3]

The "North American buntings" are known as such to distinguish them from buntings of the Old World family Emberizidae. The name "cardinal-grosbeak" can also apply to the cardinal family as a whole.

Most species are rated by the IUCN as being of least concern, though some are near threatened.[4]

References
  1. Yuri, T.; Mindell, D. P. (May 2002). "Molecular phylogenetic analysis of Fringillidae, "New World nine-primaried oscines" (Aves: Passeriformes)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 23 (2): 229–243. doi:10.1016/S1055-7903(02)00012-X. PMID 12069553.
  2. "Family: Cardinalidae". American Ornithological Society. Retrieved Feb 1, 2019.
  3. Duchesne, Bob (September 21, 2012). "Proliferation of cardinals a fairly recent event". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014.
  4. Search "cardinalidae" at IUCN Red List Archived June 27, 2014, at the Wayback Machine for more info.
  • Stiles and Skutch, A guide to the birds of Costa Rica ISBN 0-8014-9600-4
  • Hilty, Steven L (2003) Birds of Venezuela London: Christopher Helm, ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
  • ffrench, Birds of Trinidad and Tobago ISBN 0-7136-6759-1
  • "National Geographic" Field Guide to the Birds of North America ISBN 0-7922-6877-6
  • Klicka, John; Burns, Kevin; Spellman, Garth M. (December 2007). "Defining a monophyletic Cardinalini: A molecular perspective". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 45 (3): 1014–1032. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.550.1550. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.07.006. PMID 17920298.
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