Idiopsar
Idiopsar is a genus of Neotropical seed-eating birds in the tanager family Thraupidae.
Taxonomy and species list
The genus Idiopsar was introduced in 1867 by the American ornithologist John Cassin to accommodate the newly described boulder finch. The name combines the Ancient Greek idios meaning "distinct" or "peculiar" with psar meaning "starling".This genus formerly contained a single species, the boulder finch. A molecular phylogenetic study of the tanager family published in 2014 found that the boulder finch was a member of a clade that contained three species assigned to other genera. In the ensuing reorganization of generic boundaries, these three species were assigned to Idiopsar. The same genetic study found that Idiopsar is sister to the tit-like dacnis in the monospecific genus Xenodacnis.
The genus contains four species.
- Red-backed [sierra finch], Idiopsar dorsalis
- White-throated sierra finch, Idiopsar erythronotus
- Glacier finch, Idiopsar speculifer
- Boulder finch, ''Idiopsar brachyurus''