Vietnamese Greenfinch
Chloris monguilloti
A flashing vision in midnight black and daffodil-yellow with a deeply forked tail. Male averages darker than the female with a solid black back and dark streaking on the breast. Female has a patchier back and thinner streaks than the male. Both sexes have a dark head, a thin yellow collar, and bright wing panels. Inhabits foothills and mountainous pine forests and adjacent edges. Favors the Khasi pine where it can be found foraging in small flocks. Gives dry twitters and a typical finchlike wheezy upswept note. Song is usually a series of dry, “ticking” trills followed by an upswept note.
Identification
The Vietnamese greenfinch is 13.5 to 14 cm (5.3 to 5.5 in) in length and weighs between 15 and 16 g (0.53 and 0.56 oz). It has a large conical bill, a black head and a narrow bright yellow collar. The plumage of the female is similar to that of the male but is less brightly coloured.
Taxonomy
The first formal description of the Vietnamese greenfinch was by the American ornithologist Jean Théodore Delacour in 1926 under the binomial name Hypacanthis monguilloti. In the past the greenfinches were placed in the genus Carduelis but when molecular phylogenetic studies found that they were not closely related to the other species in Carduelis, they were moved to the resurrected genus Chloris. The genus had been first introduced by the French naturalist Georges Cuvier in 1800. The word Chloris is from the Ancient Greek khlōris for the European greenfinch; the specific epithet was chosen to honour Maurice Antoine François Monguillot, the General Secretary of French Indochina. The species is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Chloris monguilloti
- Authority
- (Delacour, 1926)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Genus
- Chloris
Range and habitat
The Vietnamese greenfinch is native to the Đà Lạt Plateau in southern Vietnam. It is inhabits open montane pine forest of Pinus kesiya, along with forest edges and secondary growth, from 1,050 to 1,900 meters elevation, although it has been recorded as low as 600 meters elevation. It feeds on the seeds of pine trees, and has been observed flycatching recently-hatched termites.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Chamaetylas poliophrys
Dark, chunky robin-like bird with a rich brown back and tail, a gray chest, and a white belly. Note the gray eyebrow and reddish throat. Found in montane forest along the Albertine Rift. Fairly shy bird of the understory. The variable song consists of simple, repeated, low whistles. Similar to Brown-chested Alethe, but easily identified by its reddish throat.
Spruce Grouse
Canachites canadensis
Quiet and inconspicuous in coniferous forests, especially where moss covers the ground. Typically seen on ground or along roadsides, but can perch fairly high in trees. On male, look for red eyebrow, dark chest, and bold white spotting on sides and belly. Female is browner and more intricately patterned; best distinguished from other grouse by short tail and strong bars and spots on underparts. Feeds mainly on conifer seeds. Often confiding, allowing good views. “Franklin’s” population, found from Idaho to British Columbia, might be a separate species. Tail pattern and male displays differ.
Russet-crowned Crake
Rufirallus viridis
Fairly small, plump bird with large but disjunct range across much of South America. Dull brown above and rufous below with gray face, rufous crown, red eye, and red legs. Sexes similar. Tends to be quite shy, creeping on the ground in thickets, scrub, wet pastures, and savanna. Found in drier habitats than other rail species. Listen for the trilled song with a clicking or tinkling quality, often stuttering a bit.
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