Saffron Finch Sicalis flaveola Scientific name definitions

A bright yellow songbird of South America, there has been some disagreement as to whether the Saffron Finch belongs in the family Emberizidae with the sparrows or Thraupidae with the Tanagers. The Saffron Finch can be found in open and semi-open areas in lowlands outside the Amazon Basin. There are three, separate populations one in northern Colombia and Venezuela; another in Ecuador and Peru and the third in north-east Brazil to central Argentina. Mainly a seed eater, the Saffron Finch generally searches for seeds and small arthropods on or near the ground. Commonly kept as caged-birds, the Saffron Finch is very adaptable to human-modified habitats and subsequently is quite common throughout its range.

13·5–15 cm; 12–23·4 g. A medium-sized and well-proportioned yellow-finch with rather short wing and tail, and relatively large bill. Male nominate race has head yellow, slightly more orange forehead and forecrown (on some orange wash extends to throat and face); upperparts only slightly greener, mantle with obscure streaking (visible only in very close inspection); below, entirely lemon-yellow and unpatterned; upperwing looks largely greenish-yellow owing to greenish-yellow coverts, and edging of primaries and secondaries, tertials dark with narrower greenish-yellow edges; tail dark with broad yellowish edging; iris dark brown; bill dusky above and on tip, most of lower mandible yellowish; legs dull dusky pink to dusky brown. Female is similar to male, but less vibrant in colour and with reduced orange on crown (slight differences in coloration obvious when sexes seen together), and with much less yellow on central abdomen. Juvenile has greyish head with slightly darker eyeline, dark-streaked light brown upperparts, rump olive-yellow, flight-feathers and rectrices edged yellowish-olive, throat and underparts greyish with light streaking, crissum yellow; immature similar, but with broad yellow breastband; adult plumage acquired in second year. Races differ mainly in plumage: valida is darker than nominate, more reddish on forecrown, and greenish above extending to nape, bill heavier, legs pinkish; pelzelni is smaller-billed, longer-winged, and relatively shorter-tailed than nominate, plumage much less bright, has slight saffron wash on forehead (seldom extensive), yellowish face, rest of head greenish, back very much greener and with distinct fine narrow streaks, yellowish edging of flight-feathers and wing-coverts narrower (dark centres more evident), duller yellow below, some males with ill-defined streaking on underparts, female is entirely unlike nominate, greyish-brown and streaked throughout above, brownish wings with paler edgings on coverts, dull greenish edges on flight-feathers (but tertials edged pale greyish-brown), greenish edges at bases of rectrices, pale malar area contrasting with narrow submoustachial stripe, throat plain whitish-buff, underparts off-white, finely streaked breast and flanks, dull greyish-horn lower mandible; <em>brasiliensis</em> male is brighter yellow than previous race, with orange wash on crown, bill longer and more laterally compressed; <em>koenigi</em> is similar to last, but bill shorter and not so compressed.

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.

Introduced (probably nominate race) in Panama, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Peru (Lima, Puerto Maldonado (1 Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, D. F. Lane, J. P. O’Neill, and T. A. Parker (2010). Birds of Peru. Revised and updated edition. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ) ), SE Venezuela (Santa Elena de Uairén (2 Crease, A. (2009). Avian range extensions from the southern headwaters of the río Caroní, Gran Sabana, Bolívar, Venezuela. Cotinga 31: 5–19. Close ) ) and Hawaiian Is. Race pelzelni introduced in W Brazil (SE Acre (3 Guilherme, E. (2011). Sobre a ocorrência do canário-da-terra-verdadeiro (Sicalis flaveola: Passeriformes, Emberizidae) na Amazônia Sul-Ocidental. Atualidades Orn. 163: 22–23. In Portuguese. Close ) ); recent records from south central Chile (Los Ríos and Los Lagos) are of uncertain origin, but possibly also were introduced (4 Anon. (2016). Aves de Chile. URL: http://www.avesdechile.cl (download Nov 2016). In Spanish. Close ).

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EBIRD GROUP (POLYTYPIC)

Saffron Finch (Saffron) Sicalis flaveola [flaveola Group]

Available illustrations of subspecies in this group

• eBird map
• 693 photos
• 32 recordings

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SUBSPECIES

Sicalis flaveola flaveola Scientific name definitions

Distribution

N and E Colombia (S to Meta), Venezuela S to R Orinoco (also NW Amazonas) and Trinidad. Status unknown in the Guianas (5 Restall, R.L., Rodner, C. and Lentino, M. (2006). Birds of Northern South America: an Identification Guide. Vols. 1 and 2. Christopher Helm, London. Close , 6 Spaans, A. L., O. H. Ottema, and J. H. J. M. Ribot (2016). Field Guide to the Birds of Suriname. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands. Close ).

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SUBSPECIES

Sicalis flaveola valida Scientific name definitions

Distribution

coastal slope in Ecuador (Guayaquil) S to NW Peru (Ancash).

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SUBSPECIES

Sicalis flaveola brasiliensis Scientific name definitions

Distribution

E Brazil from Maranhão, Tocantins, Goiás (7 Kirwan, G. M., A. Whittaker, and K. J. Zimmer (2015). Interesting bird records from the Araguaia River Valley, central Brazil, with comments on conservation, distribution and taxonomy. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 135(1):21–60. Close ), Minas Gerais and São Paulo E to Atlantic coast.

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EBIRD GROUP (MONOTYPIC)

Saffron Finch (Pelzeln's) Sicalis flaveola pelzelni Scientific name definitions

• eBird map
• 155 photos
• 44 recordings

Distribution

Bolivia E of Andes (S from S Beni), SE Brazil (S from Mato Grosso and Santa Catarina), Paraguay, E Argentina (S to E Mendoza, La Pampa, Buenos Aires and Río Negro) and Uruguay.

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.

Wide variety of habitats, usually semi-open with scattered trees or shrubs, including open dry forest, savanna, thorn-scrub, chaco woodlands, edges of marshes and waterbodies, gallery-forest edge, roadside scrub, second growth, agricultural areas; also lawns in towns and cities. Usually below 1000 m; to 2000 m in dry intermontane valleys of Bolivia.

Sedentary.

Seeds, also small arthropods. Forages on ground , often on lawns in urban areas. Found in pairs and in small flocks.

Song lively and pleasant, notes spaced enough to give calm and pleasing whistled nature, “zwhit, cheew, tzuup, cheew, peepa pew, tzuup, chew...”; much variation, but song always pleasing and made up largely of sweet-sounding notes, sometimes with a few harsher notes, and, unlike most congeners, not suggesting a trill or chatter. Typical call an upslurred “whip”, also a short “tuup”.

Season late May to Nov in Venezuela, Apr–Jan in Trinidad, Oct–Feb in E & S of range (“pelzelni group”), possibly later in Bolivia (fledging in May in Cochabamba); typically two broods per season. Males often sings from conspicuous branch, post or powerline. Nest a bulky semi-sphere of dry grasses , lined with softer material, including hair, placed in palm frond or in cavity, e.g. pipe, roof eave or nestbox, in Trinidad almost always in abandoned nest of Yellow Oriole (Icterus nigrogularis); in S & E (“pelzeni group”) usually builds within old stick or mud nest of furnariid, commonly old nest of Rufous Hornero (Furnarius rufus), Firewood-gatherer (Anumbius annumbi) or thornbird (Phacellodomus), sometimes in artificial structure such as city light fixture. Clutch 2–4 eggs, creamy with purplish-brown markings; “pelzelni group” commonly 4 eggs, cream-coloured or pale greenish with brown and grey speckling throughout; no information on incubation and nestling periods. Nests often parasitized by Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis), at least in Argentina. Reports that juveniles of first brood may nest within season in which they hatched likely erroneous.

Not globally threatened. Common to abundant throughout its very large range. Recently found in SC Chile (Los Ríos and Los Lagos), but unclear whether this due to natural colonization or artificial introduction. Introduced successfully to West Indies, first in Jamaica in 1820s, and in Puerto Rico probably c. 1960; now well established in both, and particularly common and widespread in Jamaica; also recorded in Cuba. Introduced quite successfully to Hawaii . First reported in Panama in 1951, presumably following introduction or escape from captivity. Widely kept and popular as a cagebird.

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.