See text Phrygilus is a genus of mainly Andean seed-eating tanagers commonly known as sierra finches.

Traditionally classified in the bunting and American sparrow family Emberizidae, more recent studies have shown them to belong in the Thraupidae.

[1] The genus Phrygilus was introduced in 1844 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis with the grey-hooded sierra finch as the type species.

[2][3] The name is from the Ancient Greek phrugilos, an unidentified bird mentioned by Aristophanes.

A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that the genus was highly polyphyletic and in the resulting reorganization members of the genus were moved to Geospizopsis, Rhopospina, Porphyrospiza and Idiopsar.