Shelley's Crimsonwing
Cryptospiza shelleyi Sharpe, 1902
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Shelley's crimsonwing (Cryptospiza shelleyi) is a vulnerable species of estrildid finch native to the Albertine Rift montane forests. It has shown population decline over the past few decades, with a current population estimate of 1,000–2,499. This is possibly related to uncontrolled deforestation.
Wikipedia contributors, Shelley's crimsonwing; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:50:27.485432+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Cryptospiza shelleyi Sharpe, 1902
- Name authority
- Sharpe, 1902
- Common name
- Shelley's Crimsonwing
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Genus
- Cryptospiza
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyEstrildidae Bonaparte, 1850
- genusCryptospiza Salvadori, 1884
- speciesCryptospiza shelleyi Sharpe, 1902
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Cryptospiza. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Abyssinian CrimsonwingCryptospiza salvadorii Reichenow, 1892 | EstrildidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Dusky CrimsonwingCryptospiza jacksoni Sharpe, 1902 | EstrildidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Red-faced CrimsonwingCryptospiza reichenovii (Hartlaub, 1874) | EstrildidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=559598 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:322L2. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.