Microspingus


Microspingus is a genus of warbler-like birds in the tanager family Thraupidae. They are found in highland forest in South America.

Taxonomy and species list

A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that the genus Poospiza was polyphyletic. In the resulting rearrangement to create monophyletic genera the genus Microspingus was resurrected. It had been introduced in 1874 by the Polish zoologist Władysław Taczanowski with the three-striped hemispingus as the type species. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek mikros meaning "small" with spingos meaning "finch".
The genus Microspingus is the sister taxon to a clade containing the black-backed bush tanager in the monospecific genus Urothraupis and the Pardusco in the monospecific genus Nephelornis.
The genus contains eight species:
ImageCommon nameScientific nameDistribution
Buff-throated warbling finchMicrospingus lateralisBrazil.
Grey-throated warbling finchMicrospingus cabanisieastern Brazil, far eastern Paraguay, far north-eastern Argentina, and Uruguay
Rusty-browed warbling finchMicrospingus erythrophrysArgentina and Bolivia
Plain-tailed warbling finchMicrospingus alticolaPeru.
Ringed warbling finchMicrospingus torquatusArgentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay.
Three-striped hemispingusMicrospingus trifasciatusBolivia and Peru.
Black-capped warbling finchMicrospingus melanoleucusArgentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and western Uruguay.
Cinereous warbling finchMicrospingus cinereusBrazil.