Spinus lawrencei

Formerly (AOU 1983, 1998) listed in Carduelis. Acanthis and Spinus were considered separate genera prior to their merger into Carduelis (AOU 1983), in part following Mayr and Short (1970), although they continued to be listed as subgenera. Recent mitochondrial genetic data (Arnaiz-Villena et al. 2008) indicate that Carduelis is polyphyletic and that Acanthis spp., Spinus spp., Carduelis carduelis, and Chloris sinica belong to different clades.

Modest range extent in southwestern North America, centered in southern California; highly erratic and irregular in distribution and local abundance; estimated population size relatively small for a songbird; trend basically unknown, difficult to detect; likely experiencing habitat loss as a result of intensive land development in some areas, but species benefits from some types of land disturbance.

Primary breeding range extends from central California south (west of the Sierra Nevada crest) to northern Baja California and east (at least formerly) to Arizona, with a few nesting records outside this region (Davis 1999); this goldfinch is most numerous in inland valleys and fotthills of southern California. During the breeding season, nonbreeding birds sometimes occur in Arizona and New Mexico (Davis 1999). Winter range generally includes southern California and northern Baja California; in some years, this species occurs in winter in northern and central California, and sometimes it spreads eastward (fall through early spring) into Arizona, southern Nevada, southwestern New Mexico, western Texas, and northern Mexico (Davis 1999).

No major threats have been identified. Conversion of oak woodland and chaparral to intensive human uses presumably have reduced habitat availability in some areas. Loss of disturbance regimes (i.e., grazing, agriculture, fire) could have a negative impact (Davis 1999).