Crithagra
Crithagra is a genus of small passerine birds in the finch family. They are found in Africa and Arabia.
The species in this genus were formerly assigned to the genus Serinus but phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences found that the genus was polyphyletic. It was therefore split into two monophyletic genera. Eight species including the European serin were retained in Serinus while the other species were assigned to the resurrected genus Crithagra.
The genus Crithagra was introduced in 1827 by the English ornithologist William John Swainson. The type species was subsequently designated as the brimstone canary. The name comes from the classical Greek krithē for "barley" and agra for "hunting".
The genus contains 37 species:
- Príncipe seedeater, Crithagra rufobrunnea
- São Tomé grosbeak, Crithagra concolor
- African citril, Crithagra citrinelloides
- Western citril, Crithagra frontalis
- Southern citril, Crithagra hyposticta
- Black-faced canary, Crithagra capistrata
- Papyrus canary, Crithagra koliensis
- Forest canary, Crithagra scotops
- White-rumped seedeater, Crithagra leucopygia
- Black-throated canary, Crithagra atrogularis
- Yellow-rumped seedeater, Crithagra xanthopygia
- Reichenow's seedeater, Crithagra reichenowi
- Arabian serin, Crithagra rothschildi
- Yellow-throated seedeater, Crithagra flavigula
- Salvadori's seedeater, Crithagra xantholaema
- Lemon-breasted canary, Crithagra citrinipectus
- Yellow-fronted canary, Crithagra mozambica
- White-bellied canary, Crithagra dorsostriata
- Ankober serin, Crithagra ankoberensis
- Yemen serin, Crithagra menachensis
- Cape siskin, Crithagra totta
- Drakensberg siskin, Crithagra symonsi
- Northern grosbeak-canary, Crithagra donaldsoni
- Southern grosbeak-canary, Crithagra buchanani
- Yellow canary, Crithagra flaviventris
- Brimstone canary, Crithagra sulphurata
- Reichard's seedeater, Crithagra reichardi
- Streaky-headed seedeater, Crithagra gularis
- West African seedeater, Crithagra canicapilla
- Black-eared seedeater, Crithagra mennelli
- Brown-rumped seedeater, Crithagra tristriata
- White-throated canary, Crithagra albogularis
- Thick-billed seedeater, Crithagra burtoni
- Streaky seedeater, Crithagra striolata
- Yellow-browed seedeater, Crithagra whytii
- Kipengere seedeater, Crithagra melanochroa
- Protea canary, Crithagra leucoptera
