FAMILY FRINGILLIDJE 



60. Family FRINGILLID^E 



The Finches 



A very large family, nearly world wide in 

 distribution, closely related to the tanagers, 

 characterized by a short, stout, conical bill, 

 adapted especially for a diet of hard seeds, 

 though insects, grubs and fruits, etc., also 

 constitute much of the food of some species. 

 The family includes species from the size of 

 a thrush down to some very minute forms, 

 and comprises the sparrows, buntings, lin- 

 nets, grosbeaks, seedeaters, etc. They are 

 mostly birds of more or less heavy, compact 

 build, and most of them are less arboreal than 

 the tanagers, seeking much of their food 

 on the ground. Many of the sparrows and 

 buntings frequent open grassy plains, and 

 rarely alight on trees. Their plumage is 

 very variable, the sparrows usually having 

 streaked plumage and plain colors, but some 

 of the buntings, grosbeaks and others are 

 brilliantly colored. The family contains 

 many fine songsters. 



i. Zamelodia ludoviciana (Linnaeus) 

 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 



Male. Length, 176 mm. (6.90 in.); tail, 

 73 mm. (3.90 in.). Summer plumage: Head, 

 throat, upper breast, back, wings, and tail black, 

 with two white wing bands; outer tail feathers 

 tipped with white on the inner webs; rump 

 feathers white tipped with black; middle of 

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