Family Tanagers (Thraupidae)

Least Concern

Long-tailed Reed-finch (Donacospiza albifrons)

Taxonomy

French: Donacospize des marais German: Riedfinkentangare Spanish: Cachilo canela

Taxonomy:

Sylvia albifrons

Vieillot

, 1817,

Paraguay

Monotypic.

Distribution:

Bolivia (Beni); SE Paraguay and SE Brazil (S from S Paraná, S São Paulo, S Minas Gerais and W Rio de Janeiro) S to NE Argentina (Misiones, Corrientes, E Formosa and E Chaco S to E Córdoba and NE Buenos Aires) and Uruguay.

Descriptive notes

15 cm; 14–16·5 g. A small and slim finch with long tail, short and rounded wings, and relatively small and well-pointed bill; tail feathers pointed (and often... read more

Voice

Song a pleasant series of two or three elements repeated, e.g. “twee-cha twee-cha twee-cha... read more

Habitat

Marshes and reedbeds with tall emergent vegetation (Typha, Eryngium, Scirpus... read more

Food and feeding

Primarily insects; will also take seeds. Forages by probing in emergent vegetation. Sometimes follows army ants (Formicidae). In pairs and... read more

Breeding

Season Oct–Feb; juveniles seen in Jul in Bolivia. Performs short song flight, flying directly upwards a few metres, before gliding down to... read more

Movements

Sedentary.

Status and conservation

Not globally threatened. Common where its tall-grass marsh habitat exists. Main threat is the draining of wetlands.

Bibliography

Public comments

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: Poospizinae

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Newly defined subfamily dubbed “warbler tanagers” partly because some members have well-developed songs and partly because some are thin-billed and resemble Basileuterus (Parulidae); composed of two formerly large genera, Poospiza and Hemispingus, now broken up, plus otherwise mostly monotypic genera (some resurrected or newly erected)#R; genera Poospiza, Xenospingus, Piezorina, Urothraupis and Donacospiza were previously assigned to Emberizidae, Cnemoscopus sometimes in past to Parulidae.

Genus: Donacospiza Cabanis, 1851

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Commonly considered close to Poospiza in the past; identity as poospizine confirmed in recent molecular analyses#R #R.

See full taxonomic structure and notes

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