Family Fringillidae Genus SerinusKoch, 1816 Higher classification Rosefinch | Order Passeriformes Scientific name Serinus Phylum Chordata | |
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Mass Atlantic canary: 8.4 – 24 g Length Atlantic canary: 10 – 12 cm Lower classifications Atlantic canary, European serin, Yellow‑fronted canary, Yellow canary, Red‑fronted serin | ||
Serinus is a genus of small birds in the finch family Fringillidae found in 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. The genus name is New Latin for "canary-yellow".
A large number of 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 clades, 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 monophyletic clade from Africa and Arabia was assigned to the resurrected genus Crithagra.
The genus contains eight species:
Atlantic canary serinus canaria bird song canario
