Hesperiphona
| Coccothraustes | |
|---|---|
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|
| Hawfinch | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Suborder: | Passeri |
| Infraorder: | Passerida |
| Superfamily: | Passeroidea |
| Family: | Fringillidae |
| Subfamily: | Carduelinae |
| Genus: |
Coccothraustes Brisson, 1760 |
Coccothraustes is a genus of the finch family (Fringillidae) that contains three species:
The name of the genus Coccothraustes was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 based on tautonymy and the binomial name Loxia coccothraustes of Carl Linnaeus.
The hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) has long been recognised as being closely related to other grosbeaks in the genera Mycerobas, Hesperiphona and Eophona. This was confirmed by molecular genetic studies that showed that the four genera form a well-defined clade. Some authorities have grouped all the species into a single large Coccothraustes genus but this is usually split.Clements and colleagues include the evening grosbeak and the hooded grosbeak in Coccothraustes but the International Ornithologists' Union retain only the hawfinch in the genus.
Molecular genetic studies have shown the finches with large beaks in the Chaunoproctus, Rhynchostruthus and Neospiza genera are not closely related. The similar bill morphology is the result of convergent evolution due to the similar feeding behaviour.
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