Serinus
Genus of birds
title: "Serinus" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["serinus", "fringillidae", "bird-genera", "taxa-named-by-carl-ludwig-koch"] description: "Genus of birds" topic_path: "general/serinus" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serinus" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Genus of birds ::
| name = Serinus | image = Girlitz Serinus serinus.jpg | image_caption = Male European serin (Serinus serinus) | taxon = Serinus | authority = Koch, 1816 | type_species = Serinus hortulanus | type_species_authority = Koch, 1816 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = See text.
Serinus is a genus of small birds in the finch family Fringillidae found in West Asia, Europe and Africa. The birds usually have some yellow in their plumage. The genus was introduced in 1816 by the German naturalist Carl Ludwig Koch. Its name is Neo-Latin for "canary-yellow".
Many species were at one time assigned to the genus but it became clear from phylogenetic studies of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences that the genus was polyphyletic. This was confirmed by Dario Zuccon and coworkers in a comprehensive study of the finch family published in 2012. The authors suggested splitting the genus into two monophyletic groups, a proposal that was accepted by the International Ornithologists' Union. The genus Serinus was restricted to the European serin and seven other species while a larger clade from Africa and Arabia was assigned to the resurrected genus Crithagra.
The genus contains eight species: ::data[format=table]
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| [[File:Fire-frontedSerin at Deoria Tal.jpg | 120px]] | Serinus pusillus | Red-fronted serin |
| [[File:Serinus serinus (Madrid, Spain) 010.jpg | 120px]] | Serinus serinus | European serin |
| [[File:Serinus syriacus 93094713 (cropped).png | 120px]] | Serinus syriacus | Syrian serin |
| [[File:Serinus canaria -Parque Rural del Nublo, Gran Canaria, Spain -male-8a.jpg | 120px]] | Serinus canaria | Atlantic canary |
| [[File:Cape Canary - Natal - South Africa S4E6774 (23051152101).jpg | 120px]] | Serinus canicollis | Cape canary |
| [[File:Yellow-crowned Canary - Mt.Kenya S4E7761 (23013953136).jpg | 120px]] | Serinus flavivertex | Yellow-crowned canary |
| [[File:Ethiopian-siskin.jpg | 120px]] | Serinus nigriceps | Ethiopian siskin |
| [[File:Serinus alario -near Rooifontein, Northern Cape, South Africa -male-8.jpg | 120px]] | Serinus alario | Black-headed canary |
| :: |
References
References
- . ["Fringillidae"](https://www.aviansystematics.org/4th-edition-checklist?viewfamilies=196). *The Trust for Avian Systematics*.
- Koch, Carl Ludwig. (1816). "System der baierischen Zoologie, Volume 1". Nürnberg.
- (1968). "Check-list of birds of the world, Volume 14". Museum of Comparative Zoology.
- Jobling, James A.. (2010). "The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names". Christopher Helm.
- (1999). "Rapid Radiation of Canaries (Genus ''Serinus'')". Molecular Biology and Evolution.
- (2004). "Systematics of ''Serinus'' canaries and the status of Cape and Yellow-crowned Canaries inferred from mtDNA and morphology". Ostrich.
- (2009). "Molecular phylogeny of Carduelinae (Aves, Passeriformes, Fringillidae) proves polyphyletic origin of the genera ''Serinus'' and ''Carduelis'' and suggests redefined generic limits". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.
- (2012). "The phylogenetic relationships and generic limits of finches (Fringillidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.
- "Finches, euphonias". International Ornithologists' Union.
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