Comments on the Subspecies of Australian Native and Introduced Finches

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Abstract
Boles, Walter E. (1987). Comments on the subspecies of native and introduced Australian finches. Emu 87, 20–24. Finches of the families Passeridae (Estrildinae; Passerinae: Ploceini, Passerini) and Fringillidae (Fringillinae: Fringillini, Carduelini; Emberizinae) are represented in Australia and its island dependencies by 18 native and 12 introduced species. Subspecies recognised in recent years have been largely confirmed; changes proposed here are the merger of Neochmia phaeton albiventer with N. p. evangettnae’, N. p. iredalei with N. p. phaeton; and Lonchura castaneothorax assimilis with L. c. castaneothorax. The subspecific status of Poephila cincta nigrotecta and P. acuticauda hecki is supported. Seven species are monotypic and three polytypic species have only one Australian subspecies. Introduced species are mainly either the result of acclimatisation societies or presumably of self-colonisation from New Zealand; the latter have been recorded only from island territories and are assumed to belong to the subspecies found in New Zealand. Subspecific assignment has not been made for Passer montanus on Christmas Island.