Masked Cardinal Paroaria nigrogenis Scientific name definitions

Masked Cardinal is the northernmost of the Paroaria cardinals, and is distributed from eastern Colombia across northern Venezuela to Trinidad. Masked Cardinal is similar to its Amazonian counterpart, Red-capped Cardinal (Paroaria gularis), sharing with that species a red head, glossy blue black upperparts, and bright white underparts. Masked Cardinal differs, however, by having a distinct black mask across the sides of the head, and by having the throat entirely red. Masked Cardinal is less well known than is Red-capped Cardinal, but generally its habits are similar. It usually travels in pairs, and often occurs near water, along the edges of rivers and oxbow lakes, and also in mangroves, although Masked Cardinal is more tolerant of semiopen habitats on dry ground than is Red-capped Cardinal. The nest of Masked Cardinal is a cup, sited low in a marsh.

E Colombia (Arauca S to N Meta and N Vichada) and N Venezuela in llanos along R Orinoco Basin (Cojedes S to Barinas and W Apure, E to Delta Amacuro and N Bolívar); also Trinidad.

Alvaro began birding as an 11 year old in Canada, and eventually trained in Evolutionary Ecology studying, creatures as varied as leaf-cutter ants and Argentine cowbirds. But his career has been focused on birding tourism, both as a guide and owner of his tour company, as well as a avitourism consultant to various organizations. He is the author of Birds of Chile, New World Blackbirds: The Icterids, as well as the ABA Field Guide to the birds of California. He lives in Half Moon Bay, California where he is known for his pelagic birding trips. Email: alvaro@alvarosadventures.com.