Golden-rumped Euphonia Chlorophonia cyanocephala Scientific name definitions

Mistletoes and Golden-rumped Euphonia seem to be married in an unbreakable bond. The parasitic mistletoes are a preferred food source for this colorful euphonia which disperses its seeds on top of tree branches that will later be parasitized. Widely but disjunctly distributed in South America it is a frequent member of mixed species flocks throughout its geographic range. Migratory movements are not well understood, and while eastern populations appear to be resident or with minor altitudinal movements, the Atlantic Forest subspecies migrates to the west and downslope from Brazil into Paraguay and Argentina during winter to keep feeding on mistletoes. It is the only euphonia in its range that combines a dark throat, a golden rump and an electric-blue cap. The fast and hasty vocalizations are also diagnostic.

11 cm; 15–16 g. Small euphonia with blue cap and golden rump. Male nominate race has forehead and face (from top of eye) extending back across ear-coverts and down to throat black; crown and nape bright turquoise-blue, the blue curling down from nape onto side of neck behind ear-coverts; mantle and back black with purplish to dark blue gloss, lower back and rump golden-yellow to orange-yellow, uppertail-coverts blue-black; upperwing-coverts and tertials dusky black with dark bluish tinge, flight-feathers dark brown to dusky with dull yellowish-olive margins and outer webs; underparts deep yellow; iris dark brown; bill blackish, blue-grey at base; legs dusky grey. Female has basal forehead band tawny to yellowish-buff, crown and nape turquoise-blue (as on male); otherwise mostly olive-green above, paler and brighter on rump; flight-feathers and tail dark fuscous, edged olive-green; side of head and ear-coverts olive-green, like back, chin to lower breast yellow-olive, turning more yellowish (olive-yellow) on belly and undertail-coverts. Juvenile is much like female, but duller, juvenile male with narrow basal forehead band dull orangish, and crown olive, strongly tinged blue and vaguely scaled greyish, juvenile female with forehead band yellowish. Race pelzelni is very slightly larger than nominate, male rump and underparts paler; insignis male differs in having forehead band orange-yellow with narrow black line behind, female has slightly greener back than nominate.

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.

See remarks under C. elegantissima. Species formerly sometimes referred to by name Euphonia aureata (1 Dickinson, E. C., and L. Christidis, Editors (2014). The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Fourth Edition. Volume 2. Aves Press, Eastbourne, UK. Close ). Taxonomic status of population in SE Brazil, Paraguay and NE Argentina merits investigation because of its apparent isolation, although note recent records from intervening areas. Proposed race intermedia (described from NE Colombia) is difficult to diagnose; measurements overlap with those of nominate and no certain colour differences separate it from latter, into which it is therefore subsumed. Three subspecies recognized.

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.

Believed to wander locally when not breeding. Possible seasonal movements to lower elevation, but not yet well documented. At least some populations or individuals breeding in SE Brazil appear to move during the austral autumn–winter to Misiones (Argentina) and Paraguay (3 Areta, J.I. and Bodrati, A. (2010). Un sistema migratorio longitudinal dentro de la selva atlántica: movimientos estacionales y taxonomía del Tangará Cabeza Celeste (Euphonia cyanocephala) en Misiones (Argentina) y Paraguay. Orn. Neotropical 21(1): 71-86. In Spanish with English summary. Close ). Almost all observations in French Guiana and Surinam have been during the short (Feb–Mar) and long (Jul–Dec) dry seasons, suggesting food-related nomadic movements (4 Ingels, J., Dechelle, M., Pelletier, V., Deville, T., Ribot, J.H. and Claessens, O. (2015). Status and distribution of Golden-rumped Euphonia Euphonia cyanocephala on the Guiana Shield, South America. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. 135(4): 284–291. Close ).

Almost entirely frugivorous , apparently also some insects. One stomach contained only fruit pulp. Seeds pass rapidly through gut; mistletoe seeds (Loranthaceae) typically voided as long sticky, tapioca-like strings, which readily adhere to twigs and branches. Pairs or groups of 3–8 individuals spend much of their time in large clumps of fruiting mistletoe in canopy of trees, where rather quiet (or give soft calls) and keep mostly to themselves; occasionally joined by other euphonias in mistletoe, and only infrequently or incidentally associate with mixed-species flocks. After feeding in a tree, may fly off considerable distance to another site. Occasionally seen while apparently searching for insects in canopy foliage.

Song in Venezuela and Colombia, lasting up to c. 10 seconds (occasionally to 30 seconds), a very fast, complex stream of twittery and squeaky notes mixed with low-pitched “chup” notes. Call a soft whistled “cheeer”, slightly descending, much like call of C. cyanea, but lower-pitched, and this note sometimes repeated several times in succession; in SE Brazil call described as a slow series of 3–4 whistles, song a fast, varied warble. In all areas, fast and complex song is often mixed with call notes.

Nests in Jan and Feb in Venezuela (Aragua and Trujillo); and two nests in Apr and May and 13 birds in breeding condition Dec–May in Colombia. Nest a globular dome of grass and moss, with side entrance, concealed on bank of road cutting or 4–8 m up on epiphyte-laden trunk or branch of small to large tree, most often at forest edge. Clutch 2 eggs, cream, marked light reddish-brown and black, mostly at larger end. No other information.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Uncommon to fairly common; local. Occurs over a wide range of elevations and habitats, including many non-forest, forest-edge and human-altered habitats; found also in many protected areas. Because of severe deforestation in Atlantic coastal region of SE Brazil, and in NE Argentina, populations in this region are much more dependent upon existing reserves and parks, e.g. Itatiaia National Park, than elsewhere in its range.