Family Tanagers (Thraupidae)

Least Concern

Greenish Yellow-finch (Sicalis olivascens)

Taxonomy

French: Sicale olivâtre German: Olivbrust-Gilbtangare Spanish: Chirigüe oliváceo

Taxonomy:

Emberiza olivascens

d’Orbigny and Lafresnaye

, 1837,

La Paz, Bolivia

Until recently considered conspecific with S. mendozae. See also S. lebruni. Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution

S. o. salvini (C. Chubb, 1919) – N Peru from La Libertad S to Huánuco.

S. o. chloris Tschudi, 1846 – W & S Peru (Ancash S to Tacna) and N Chile (Arica–Parinacota S to Coquimbo).

S. o. olivascens (d’Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837) – SE Peru (Cuzco and Puno) and W & C Bolivia S to NW Argentina (Salta and Jujuy S to N La Rioja).

Descriptive notes

12·5–14 cm; 20·4–24·2 g. A pot-bellied and stocky yellow-finch with relatively short tail, and thick-based, short bill with slightly curved culmen. Male nominate race has... read more

Voice

Song variable and siskin (Spinus)-like, 2–4 seconds in duration, a series of rough trills... read more

Habitat

In N of range found in shrubby puna, often on slopes, venturing to edges of villages or... read more

Food and feeding

Virtually no information on diet; appears to concentrate on foraging for seeds and in NW Argentina observed foraging on seeds of ... read more

Breeding

Egg dates Dec–Mar, during wet season, in S Peru, N Chile and N Argentina; fledglings in Jun in Bolivia (Cochabamba), suggesting later... read more

Movements

Sedentary in much of range, but seasonal elevational movements reported from Bolivia.

Status and conservation

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Common to abundant in most of range, being the most numerous Sicalis in most areas of Chile, but considered to be generally... read more

Bibliography

Public comments

Recommended citation

Jaramillo, A. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Greenish Yellow-finch (Sicalis olivascens). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/62081 on 14 December 2019).

Scientific classification

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Thraupidae

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In past, included in a much broader Emberizidae. Probably sister to Cardinalidae, with these two perhaps sister to Mitrospingidae#R #R #R #R. Family limits and internal structure extensively revised in recent years on basis of numerous genetic studies#R #R #R #R #R #R. These have led to subdivision into 15 subfamilies, as well as numerous other notable changes (as compared to HBW) including: relocation herein of Parkerthraustes and Saltator from Cardinalidae, and of Charitospiza, Coryphaspiza, Embernagra, Emberizoides, Incaspiza, Porphyrospiza, Tiaris, Euneornis, Loxipasser, Loxigilla, Melanospiza, Certhidea, Platyspiza, Pinaroloxias, Geospiza, Volatinia, Coryphospingus, Rhodospingus, Sporophila, Piezorina, Xenospingus, Poospiza, Donacospiza, Sicalis, Phrygilus, Nesospiza, Rowettia, Melanodera, Haplospiza, Acanthidops, Idiopsar, Catamenia, Lophospingus, Diuca, Gubernatrix and Paroaria from Emberizidae (=Passerellidae); and also removal of Chlorophonia and Euphonia to Fringillidae, of Rhodinocichla to Rhodinocichlidae, of Chlorospingus to Passerellidae, of Phaenicophilus to Phaenicophilidae, of Spindalis to Spindalidae, of Nesospingus to Nesospingidae, of Calyptophilus to Calyptophilidae, of Lamprospiza, Mitrospingus and Orthogonys to Mitrospingidae, and of Habia, Chlorothraupis and Piranga to Cardinalidae. Generic limits within family also extensively revised, and associated sequence of species followed herein#R.

Subfamily: Diglossinae

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Subfamily (“highland tanagers”, as 75% occur above 2500 m) established very recently as an outcome of first comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Thraupidae, with strong support for clade containing species with highly divergent bill morphologies and ecological niches, with only Conirostrum, Oreomanes (herein merged into Conirostrum) and Diglossa previously treated as tanagers (Conirostrum sometimes in Parulidae) and the remainder in Emberizidae#R. Three main clades: (1) Conirostrum conebills, (2) a “yellow clade” comprising Sicalis, Melanodera, Rowettia, Nesospiza and hooded sierra-finches from what proves to be a polyphyletic Phrygilus#R, and (3) a “grey/blue clade” comprising Diglossa, Catamenia, four sierra-finches moved from Phrygilus, one former member of Diuca, plus Haplospiza, Spodiornis, Acanthidops, Idiopsar and Xenodacnis#R.

Genus: Sicalis Boie, 1828

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In fairly recent past, commonly placed in Emberizidae. Recent molecular analysis finds S. citrina indicated as outside the Sicalis clade, but support for this sufficiently weak that, for the moment, the genus is better treated as monophyletic; previous groupings of species within this genus, largely relating to lowland vs highland or extreme S distributions, are not supported#R. Sycalis is an unjustified emendation.

See full taxonomic structure and notes