Family Tanagers (Thraupidae)

Least Concern

Yellow-billed Cardinal (Paroaria capitata)

Taxonomy

French: Paroare à bec jaune German: Gelbschnabeltangare Spanish: Cardenilla piquigualda

Taxonomy:

T[achyphonus]. capitatus

d’Orbigny

, 1837,

no locality = Corrientes, Argentina

See P. gularis (below). Race fuscipes weakly differentiated; species perhaps better treated as monotypic. Two subspecies tentatively recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution

P. c. capitata#R (d’Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837) – S Brazil (SW Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and Rio Grande do Sul, rarely further E) and adjacent Bolivia (E Santa Cruz) S through Paraguay to N Argentina (E Salta, Formosa and Corrientes S to W Córdoba and N Buenos Aires) and extreme NW Uruguay.

P. c. fuscipes J. Bond & Meyer de Schauensee, 1939 – E Tarija, SE Bolivia.

Introduced (nominate race) in Hawaiian Is.

Descriptive notes

16·5 cm; 17–24·5 g. A medium-sized, rather slim passerine with rounded crown and somewhat rounded tail; bill longer than it is deep, and with gently... read more

Voice

Song a melodious repetition of 2–3 notes in set pattern, e.g. “tweew wiit-teew, tweew... read more

Habitat

Marshes with shrubs or woody vegetation, flooded grasslands adjacent to shrubs or woody vegetation... read more

Food and feeding

Food includes vegetable matter such as seeds, young shoots and berries, also insects; highly adaptable, and in areas near humans may feed... read more

Breeding

Season Sept–Mar. Nest cup-shaped, made from fibres and lined with short rootlets and hair, placed 1·4–3·6 m from... read more

Movements

Sedentary.

Status and conservation

Not globally threatened. Generally common. Has a substantial range, and no evidence of population declines. Introduced in Hawaii c. 1930, and present on the larger islands.... read more

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: Thraupinae

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“Core tanagers”, with over 100 species, including a clade most members of which (Lophospingus, Diuca, Gubernatrix, Paroaria) were previously treated in Emberizidae and one species (Pseudosaltator rufiventris) previously treated in Cardinalidae#R.

Genus: Paroaria Bonaparte, 1832

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Previously classified in Emberizidae, but forms a well-supported thraupine clade with Lophospingus, Neothraupis, Diuca, Gubernatrix, Stephanophorus, Cissopis and Schistochlamys#R #R.

See full taxonomic structure and notes