Golden-winged grosbeak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Golden-winged grosbeaks |
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| Socotra grosbeak, Rhynchostruthus socotranus | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Fringillidae |
| Subfamily: | Carduelinae |
| Genus: | Rhynchostruthus P.L. Sclater & Hartlaub, 1881 |
| Type species | |
| Rhynchostruthus socotranus P.L. Sclater & Hartlaub, 1881
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| Species | |
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Rhynchostruthus louisae |
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The golden-winged grosbeaks are a group of pretty birds. They are a type of finch in the family called Fringillinae. These birds are known for their sturdy build and strong beaks. They are medium-sized songbirds.
You can find these special birds only in certain parts of the world. They live in southern Arabia and northern Somalia. These birds are often hard to spot. They prefer to live high up in mountains. Their homes are usually between 1,060 and 2,800 meters above sea level. They like wooded valleys, called wadis, and bushy areas. Golden-winged grosbeaks mostly eat fruits. They especially enjoy fruits from juniper, acacia, and spurge plants.
What Do Golden-winged Grosbeaks Look Like?
These birds show slight differences in color between males and females. This is called sexual dichromatism.
Male golden-winged grosbeaks are mostly grey-brown. They have a black beak and a dark mask around their eyes. Their cheeks are white. They also have large, bright yellow patches on their wings and tail. The amount of dark color on their heads can vary. The size of their white cheek-patches also differs among the types of these birds.
Female golden-winged grosbeaks look similar to the males. However, their colors are a bit less bright. Young birds, called juveniles, have stripes. They do not have the special head pattern that adult birds have.
The Golden-winged Grosbeak Family Tree
For a long time, scientists thought there was only one type of golden-winged grosbeak. This single species was known as Rhynchostruthus socotranus. However, more recently, many scientists agree there are actually three different species.
Scientists first thought their big beaks meant they were related to Asian grosbeaks. But their songs and calls sound like other finches. These include the European goldfinch and the European greenfinch. They also fly in a special way, similar to greenfinches. This suggests they might be related to the Carduelis group of birds.
Overall, golden-winged grosbeaks seem to belong to a larger group of finches. This group includes birds like canaries. Many birds in this group have lots of bright yellow feathers. New studies using DNA have helped scientists learn more. These studies show that golden-winged grosbeaks and another bird called Rhodospiza form a unique group. They are not closely related to other birds often called "grosbeaks." Scientists are still working to figure out their exact family tree.
The three recognized species of golden-winged grosbeaks are:
- Socotra golden-winged grosbeak, Rhynchostruthus socotranus
- Arabian golden-winged grosbeak, Rhynchostruthus percivali
- Somali golden-winged grosbeak, Rhynchostruthus louisae
