Emberizidae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Emberizidae |
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| American Tree Sparrow Spizella arborea |
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Emberizidae
Vigors, 1831
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Emberizidae is a big family of passerine birds. These birds are often called buntings in places like Europe and Asia. In North and South America, they are known as American sparrows. They are famous for eating seeds and have a special beak that looks like a finch's.
These birds are not closely related to the common sparrows you might see in cities, which belong to a different family called Passeridae. The Emberizidae family also includes well-known North American birds like juncos and towhees.
Where do Emberizidae birds come from?
Scientists believe the Emberizidae family first appeared in South America. From there, they spread north into North America. Later, they crossed into eastern Asia and continued to move west. This is why you find many more types of Emberizidae birds in the Americas compared to Europe and Africa.
Like many bird families, the way Emberizidae birds are grouped and named is still being studied. Scientists are always learning new things about how different bird types are related. Many bird groups, called genera, in South and Central America are actually more closely related to tanager birds. It's even possible that one type of tanager, Chlorospingus, might actually belong in the Emberizidae family. This shows how complex and exciting bird taxonomy (the science of classifying living things) can be!
