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Purple-throated Euphonia Euphonia chlorotica Scientific name definitions

Steven Hilty
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2011

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Introduction

The Purple-throated Euphonia is found in a variety of habitats across its broad range, which stretches from eastern Colombia south to eastern Brazil and northern Argentina. This euphonia usually is found in gallery forest and at the edge of humid lowland forest, but in Amazonia it is found only in river-edge habitats, and in some regions it the euphonia of deciduous forest and of dry scrub. The male Purple-throated Euphonia is similar to several other species of euphonia, but the resemblance of both sexes of Purple-throated Euphonia to the slightly smaller Trinidad Euphonia (Euphonia trinitatis) is particularly striking; fortunately for the field observer, there is very little geographic overlap between the ranges of these two species.

Field Identification

9–10 cm; 8–14·3 g. Small euphonia with short, thick bill. Male nominate race has bright yellow forehead and forecrown extending to just above rear of eye; rest of head and entire upperparts, including upperwing-coverts, glossy blue-black with (in good light) distinct purplish to slightly violet tinge; uppertail blackish, flight-feathers black with dark blue edges and dark blue tinge; chin to foreneck glossy blue-black, underparts bright yellow; underwing-coverts white, basal half of inner web of flight-feathers white, undertail duller than upper surface and with inner web of 2–3 outer pairs of feathers white (forming large white oval on each side of undertail); iris dark brown; bill blue-grey with blackish tip; legs dark grey. Female is olive with faint greyish tinge above, yellower on base of forehead, lores dusky; throat and underparts olive-yellow, central lower breast to belly whitish, with pale ash-grey on central belly. Immature male is like female, but mostly olive-yellow below; subadult male acquires black first on face, sometimes also black mottling on throat and underparts. Races differ rather little: cynophora male is strongly glossed violet above and on bib, has yellow of crown slightly more extensive than on nominate, underparts slightly deeper yellow, female with uniform olive-yellow underparts; taczanowskii male is slightly more purple above, forecrown paler yellow and ending above eye, underparts paler yellow; amazonica is similar to previous, but wing shorter and bill shorter, narrower and more slender, female also more greenish-yellow on forehead, lores and flanks and with yellow of forehead much less sharply demarcated; serrirostris is much like nominate, but yellow crown patch of male ends above (not behind) eye.

Systematics History

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

May form a monophyletic species group with E. affinis, E. luteicapilla and E. trinitatis; has formerly been regarded as conspecific with last-mentioned, but differs in habitat and female plumage. Geographical distribution of some races poorly defined, and ranges listed below somewhat tentative; further study required. Five subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Euphonia chlorotica cynophora Scientific name definitions

Euphonia chlorotica cynophora
E. c. cynophora +1

Distribution

W and S Venezuela (S Táchira, and E to Amazonas and Bolívar E to R Caura and R Cuyuní) S to E Colombia (Meta), probably also N Brazil (N Roraima).
SUBSPECIES

Euphonia chlorotica chlorotica Scientific name definitions

Euphonia chlorotica chlorotica
E. c. chlorotica

Distribution

the Guianas and NC and E Brazil (E and S Amapá, and S of R Amazon from R Tapajós E through N Mato Grosso, Goiás and Minas Gerais to Bahia and Espírito Santo).
SUBSPECIES

Euphonia chlorotica serrirostris Scientific name definitions

Euphonia chlorotica serrirostris
E. c. serrirostris

Distribution

SE Bolivia and S Brazil (from S Mato Grosso, S Goiás and Rio de Janeiro) S to Paraguay, extreme N Uruguay, and N and C Argentina (S to N Buenos Aires).
SUBSPECIES

Euphonia chlorotica taczanowskii Scientific name definitions

Distribution

lowlands in N, E and SE Peru (mainly vicinity of R Marañón, both E and W of river, and Pampas del Heath) and N Bolivia.
SUBSPECIES

Euphonia chlorotica amazonica Scientific name definitions

Distribution

both banks of R Amazon E from SE Colombia and extreme NE Peru to NC Brazil (R Tapajós, at Santarém).

Distribution

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Habitat

In Amazon Basin occurs primarily along forest borders, and in river-edge and young river-island vegetation, as well as clearings with scattered tall trees; infrequently in canopy of forest. Elsewhere, in dry to humid regions in open woodland, gallery forest, forest borders, mangroves, second growth, scrub woodland, trees in pastures, in parks and gardens, and caatinga and chaco scrub. In all areas found primarily outside of forest or along forest borders, not inside forest. In E Brazil in thin, low woodland, cerrado, caatinga and palm groves, and in SE Brazil reported also from montane forest. Lowlands to c. 900 m in S Venezuela and to c. 500 m in E Colombia; c. 650–1100 m in Ecuador; to 1400 m in E Peru and 2000 m in Bolivia; in Brazil primarily in lowlands, but at higher elevations in SE coastal mountains.

Movement

Resident. Some seasonal movements in and out of dry Andean valleys (Peru) and in and out of Espírito Santo (E Brazil) reported; some seasonal wandering likely in all areas.

Diet and Foraging

Mistletoe berries (Loranthaceae), also wide variety of other small fruits, including those of Cecropia (Urticaceae), Annona (Annonaceae) (1), figs (Ficus) and Rhipsalis (Cactaceae); some insects. Contents of ten stomachs were vegetable matter, including both fruits and seeds. Most often occurs in pairs or small family parties, less often in groups; regularly associates with other euphonias, especially in Amazonian region, and also often with mixed-species flocks. Generally forages high in tall trees, but may descend somewhat lower along forest borders. Like many congeners, feeds heavily on mistletoe berries, often spending long periods of time in mistletoe clumps high in canopy. Also examines tree branches for insects. In some areas believed to wander over wide areas.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Typical call a high, clear, whistled “teee, deee”, this often lengthened to 3–4 notes, e.g. “teee, deee, deee”, or occasionally only a single “teee”, notes all on same pitch or first note slightly lower than the rest; essentially identical to calls of E. trinitatis. When excited, gives 1–4 rising, whistled “wheet!” notes. Infrequently heard song a jumbled series of squeaks, harsh notes and whistles. Harsh rattle also reported.

Breeding

A nest in Paraguay was a globular domed structure with small circular side entrance, much like that of others of genus, mainly of fibres and dry leaves, lined with finer fibres, placed high up among four vertical twigs in crown of tall tree. In captivity, eggs greyish-white, marked with reddish-brown and grey, incubation by female, period c. 15 days, both adults feed chicks, by regurgitation. No other information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Widespread and fairly common to locally common. Found in wide variety of forest-edge and semi-open habitats. Occurs in many parks and reserves, and also in many unprotected areas that appear to be at little risk.
Distribution of the Purple-throated Euphonia - Range Map
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Distribution of the Purple-throated Euphonia

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Purple-throated Euphonia, Abundance map
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Purple-throated Euphonia

Euphonia chlorotica

Abundance

Relative abundance is depicted for each season along a color gradient from a light color indicating lower relative abundance to a dark color indicating a higher relative abundance. Relative abundance is the estimated average count of individuals detected by an eBirder during a 1 hour, 1 kilometer traveling checklist at the optimal time of day for each species.   Learn more about this data

Relative abundance
Year-round
0.04
0.19
0.62
Modeled area
(0 abundance)
No prediction
Learn more about predictions

eBird data from -. Estimated for .

Fink, D., T. Auer, A. Johnston, M. Strimas-Mackey, S. Ligocki, O. Robinson, W. Hochachka, L. Jaromczyk, A. Rodewald, C. Wood, I. Davies, A. Spencer. 2022. eBird Status and Trends, Data Version: 2021; Released: 2022. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. https://doi.org/10.2173/ebirdst.2021

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Recommended Citation

Hilty, S. (2020). Purple-throated Euphonia (Euphonia chlorotica), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.puteup1.01
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