The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where they are usually resident and do not migrate. They have a worldwide distribution except for Australia and the polar regions. The family includes species known as siskins, canaries, redpolls, serins, grosbeaks and euphonias.
Many birds in other families are also commonly called "finches", including some species in the very similar-looking waxbills or estrildid finches ( family Estrildidae) of the Old World tropics and Australia ; several groups of the bunting and American sparrow family ( Emberizidae ); and the Darwin's finches of the Galapagos islands, now considered members of the tanager family (Thraupidae).
