carduelis, n.
the type genus of a subfamily Carduelinae of the Fringillidae, used in some classifications. It includes the goldfinches (such as the American goldfinch, Cardulis tristis, and the European goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis); siskins; redpolls; and linnets, as well as the common northern cardinal (Carduelis cardinalis, also called the cardinal bird). [WordNet 1.5]