CARDUELIDAE

songbird family, order Passeriformes, consisting of about 112 species of gregarious songbirds found in woodlands and brushlands worldwide, except in the Pacific Islands. Members range in size from 10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 inches) long. They have pointed bills and rounded wings. Most are small birds with strong, undulating flight, during which they sing. They flit about searching chiefly for seeds, buds, berries, and, occasionally, insects. Among the notable members are: goldfinches and siskins (Carduelis), redpolls (Acanthis), rosefinches (Carpodacus), crossbills (Loxia), bullfinches (Pyrrhula), and canaries (Serinus). This large group of active little birds is sometimes classified as a subfamily (Carduelinae) in the family of finches (Fringillidae). It belongs to the songbird suborder (Passeres).