Yellow Cardinal Gubernatrix cristata Scientific name definitions

The Yellow Cardinal is prized as a songster and as a cage bird. Sadly it has decreased enormously in abundance in the last few decades. The thorn scrub and forest edge habitat this bird prefers has declined, but not to the level to blame habitat conversion for this species decline. The truth may be more insidious; the Yellow Cardinal is one of the few Neotropical birds that has had a massive and negative effect directly from the cage bird trade. Why this species is so susceptible is not clear, but trapping intensity for this bird has been high for many decades. The Yellow Cardinal is a gorgeous species; it is largely yellow and mid-sized with a long tail. The cardinal part of its name comes from the crest, as in a Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). But unlike the true cardinal, the Yellow Cardinal is likely a tanager-finch, not in the Cardinalidae. Both sexes have a black crest and throat patch, with the male having a yellow eyebrow and malar stripe, and yellow underparts; above he is yellowish-olive and streaked. The female is similar except the facial stripes are white, and she has a grey breast and flanks, with yellow restricted to the belly.

20 cm; 46–50·8 g. A well-proportioned but hefty-bodied finch with pointed crest, and often relatively small-looking bill curved on culmen, giving it a somewhat rounded appearance. Male has black crest beginning on central crown, a bold and wide yellow supercilium contrasting with black lores mask and eyestripe, and noticeable yellow crescent below eye; face otherwise greenish-yellow, with bright yellow submoustachial and malar area bordering black throat; upper­parts greenish with narrow darker central streaks, tail feathers blackish with bold yellowish edging, outer rectrices mostly yellow; upperwing blackish, median upperwing-coverts tipped yellow (creating broad yellowish upper wingbar), greater coverts with yellowish edges and tips (creating yellowish wingpanel), flight-feathers heavily edged greenish (giving them an overall greenish look), and tertials edged bright yellow; black of throat ends squarely on upper breast; rest of underparts yellow, with greenish wash on breast and flanks, undertail-coverts bright yellow and usually unmarked; iris dark brown; bill black, grey base of lower mandible; legs black. Female is similar in pattern to male, but differs in coloration: supercilium whitish, turning yellowish behind eye, cheek greyish, lower eye-crescent white, moustachial and malar area white; has throat black (like male), but underparts dominated by olive flanks and breast, with yellow restricted to lower breast, belly, vent and undertail-coverts; upperparts duller, more olive-green, but neatly streaked, and wing edgings olive-green except for white fringes of tertials. Juvenile apparently undescribed.

• Diuca Finch x Yellow Cardinal (hybrid) Diuca diuca x Gubernatrix cristata

N & C Argentina (Santa Fe and Corrientes S to E La Pampa and N Río Negro), extreme SE Brazil (S & W Rio Grande do Sul) and Uruguay; formerly widespread.

Seeds; possibly also small arthropods. Forages for seeds on ground. The fact that it is often found in Prosopis woodland suggests that it may take either insects attracted to this tree or the seeds; fieldwork needed to assess how closely this species is tied to Prosopis. Forages in pairs and in family groups.

Male song , often from near top of larger tree, loud, comprised of three or four syllables repeated in patterns, “wir-wit-chu wir-wit-chu twiit wit-chu tiit wit-chu tiit”; resembles that of Golden-billed Saltator (Saltator aurantiirostris) in strength and quality of notes, but longer and more varied. Call a low “tsip”.

Season Oct–Jan. Nest a large cup-shaped structure made from small twigs and dry grass, lined with moss and fibres, placed 2·5–3 m above ground on branch of small tree or shrub. Clutch 2–3 eggs, pale blue-green with blackish spots, blotches and scrawls throughout entire surface. In a study in Corrientes province, NE Argentina, re-nesting after nest failure occurred in c. 35% of pairs, but there were not re-nesting attempts in pairs that fledged young; modal clutch size was 3 eggs, and 1·6 chicks fledged on average in successful nests; brood parasitism by Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) was detected in 33% of the nests, very often resulting in nest abandonment, and parasitism by botflies Philornis sp. occurred in 22% of the nests, reducing chick survival (1 Domínguez, M., Reboreda, J.C. and Mahler, B. (2015). Impact of Shiny Cowbird and botfly parasitism on the reproductive success of the globally endangered Yellow Cardinal Gubernatrix cristata. Bird Conservation International. 25(3): 294–305. Close ). No other information.

ENDANGERED. CITES II. Rare and local. Estimated global population 1500–3000 individuals in 2007. Has declined rapidly, mainly because of trapping for the cagebird market combined with extensive habitat loss. In Uruguay, where previously a common species throughout, now estimated that only 300 individuals remain, concentrated in NW (R Uruguay basin); in Argentina, where formerly widespread and common, populations in NW (e.g. in Salta) appear to have disappeared entirely; in SE Brazil, where always far fewer records, the species may well be extinct. Remaining populations now small and fragmented. Current stronghold, with healthiest populations, probably in SC Argentina. Some of habitat loss suffered by this species is due to wood extraction for furniture-making, as well as charcoal; afforestation programmes have involved the planting of exotic eucalypts (Eucalyptus), and such plantations are not accepted as a habitat by this species. Shiny Cowbird and botfly parasitism also appear to represent a threat in NE Argentina (1 Domínguez, M., Reboreda, J.C. and Mahler, B. (2015). Impact of Shiny Cowbird and botfly parasitism on the reproductive success of the globally endangered Yellow Cardinal Gubernatrix cristata. Bird Conservation International. 25(3): 294–305. Close ). In Argentina, occurs in Sierra de las Quijadas and Lihué Calel National Parks and Chancaní Provincial Reserve; recorded also in El Palmar National Park, but possibly now extinct there. Captive-breeding programmes are being established In Uruguay and S Brazil, largely with birds seized from poachers.

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.