26/02/2014
Share 

Grosbeak splits

78d9cef8-dc0d-4e28-8cb7-cf814550d26e
This nominate Yellow Grosbeak now finds itself monotypic after the split of its southern subspecies. Photo: Arjan Haverkamp (commons.wikimedia.org).
This nominate Yellow Grosbeak now finds itself monotypic after the split of its southern subspecies. Photo: Arjan Haverkamp (commons.wikimedia.org).


New World grosbeaks of the genus Pheucticus, in fact members of the cardinal family, have had a new full species added to their ranks, with Orange-colored Grosbeak P aurantiacus being split from the Yellow Grosbeak P chrysopeplus.

Reference
Pulgarín-R, P C, Smith, B T, Bryson, R W, Spellman, G M, and Klicka, J. 2013. Multilocus phylogeny and biogeography of the New World Pheucticus grosbeaks (Aves: Cardinalidae). Molecular and Phylogenetic Evolution 69: 1222–1227.