Genus: Montifringilla
Description
Snowfinches have unique adaptations to living in very high altitutes (breeding up to 5300 m above sea-level) including a higher metabolic rate than other birds. They also prefer to run rather than hopping like other sparrows.
All members are found in Asia and Europe.
Taxonomy
Montifringilla is a genus in the family Passeridae.
The genus is sometimes split up into two or three genera. Only the three true snowfinches would remain in this genus (White-winged Snowfinch, Tibetan Snowfinch, Black-winged Snowfinch). They are confined to rocky habitats and do not leave their breeding grounds in winter. The other species, also referred as ground-sparrows are then placed in Pyrgilauda or Onychostruthus.
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| M. nivalis | White-winged Snowfinch | ||
| M. henrici | Tibetan Snowfinch | ||
| M. adamsi | Black-winged Snowfinch | ||
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Montifringilla. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Montifringilla
Pages in category ‘Montifringilla’
The following 8 pages are in this category, out of 8 total.
