From en.wikipedia.org:
[Genus of birds] [the Australian duck ] {{Automatic taxobox | name = Bluebills
| image = Western Bluebill (Spermophaga haematina).jpg | image_caption =
Western bluebill (_Spermophaga haematina_) | taxon = Spermophaga | authority =
Swainson, 1837 | type_species = _Spermophaga cyanorynchus_ <small>Swainson,
1837</small>=_Loxia haematina_ <small>Vieillot, 1807</small> |
subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = _S. poliogenys_<br/> _S.
haematina_<br/> _S. ruficapilla_ }}
The BLUEBILLS are the genus _SPERMOPHAGA _ of the estrildid finches family.
These birds are found in tropical Africa. They are gregarious seed eaters
with short, thick, blue and red bills. All have plumage which is mainly
crimson and black or dark grey.
** Taxonomy
The genus _Spermophaga_ was introduced in 1837 by the English zoologist
William Swainson to accommodate a single species _Spermophaga cyanorhynchus_
Swainson.[1] This taxon is now treated as a junior synonym of _Loxia
haematina_ that had been described by Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1807, the
western bluebill.[2]<ref name=ioc>[ editor1-last=Gill ] The genus name
combines the Ancient Greek σπερμα/_sperma_, σπερματος/_spermatos_ meaning
"seed" with -φαγος/_-phagos_ meaning "-eating".[3]
** Species
The genus contains three species:<ref name=ioc/> {| class="wikitable" |- !
Image !! Common Name !! Scientific name !! Distribution |- | || Grant's
bluebill|| _Spermophaga poliogenys_ || Republic of Congo, the Democratic
Republic of the Congo and Uganda. |- |120px || Western bluebill||
_Spermophaga haematina_ || Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic,
the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire,
Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali,
Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. |- |120px || Red-headed bluebill||
_Spermophaga ruficapilla_ || Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, The
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and
Uganda. |- |}
** References
[Reflist]
- Clement, Harris and Davis, _Finches and Sparrows_ [0-7136-8017-2]
[P.] [from=Q601997]
Category:Estrildidae Category:Taxa named by William Swainson
[Estrildidae-stub]