Montifringilla
| Snowfinches | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| White-winged snowfinch (Montifringilla nivalis) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Passeridae |
| Genus: |
Montifringilla (but see text) Brehm, 1828 |
| Diversity | |
| 7–8 species | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Chionospina Kaup, 1829 |
|
Chionospina Kaup, 1829
Chionospiza G. R. Gray, 1841 (lapsus; non Kaup, 1836)
Chionospiza Reichenbach, 1850
Onychospiza Przewalski, 1876 (non Rey, 1872: preoccupied)
Onychostruthus Richmond, 1917 – but see text
Orites Keyserling and Blasius, 1840
Orospiza Bonaparte, 1850 (non Kaup, 1829: lapsus)
Pyrgilauda Bonaparte, 1850 (non J. Verreaux, 1870, 1871: lapsus) – but see text
Stepaniania Kasin, 1982
The snowfinches make up the passerine bird genus Montifringilla. Despite their common name, they are Old World sparrows (family Passeridae), not true finches (family Fringillidae). The genus is sometimes split into three.
As the English and scientific names suggest, these are high altitude species, found in the mountain ranges of southern Eurasia, from the Pyrenees east to the Himalayas, Tibet and western China.
Snowfinches are stocky sparrows 13.5–17 centimetres (5.3–6.7 in) in length, with strong conical bills. They have pale brown upperparts, white underparts and extensive white panels in the wings, which transform them in flight. Adults may have black markings on the chin or around the eyes. Sexes are usually very similar, although the male white-winged snowfinch has a distinctive grey head. Young birds are a drabber version of the adult.
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Wikipedia