Hooded Siskin
Spinus magellanicus
Strikingly beautiful siskin found in woodland and grassland with scattered trees and usually highly gregarious; also sometimes associates with mixed-species flocks. Males have a black hood, wings, and tail, and are olive-yellow above and bright yellow below with large yellow wing patches. Females are duller and lack the black hood. The song is a long series of fast and squeaky notes; sometimes many males sing together.
Identification
Hooded siskins are 10 to 14 cm in length. The male is largely green above and yellow below with a black head. It has a narrow yellow collar and a yellow rump. The tail is black with yellow sides to the base and the wings are black with a broad yellow band. Females are duller with a green-brown head, yellow-green breast and sides and a whitish belly.<p>The twittering song may be uttered from a perch or in flight. It is varied and fast, and may contain imitations of other birds.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Spinus magellanicus
- Authority
- (Vieillot, 1805)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Genus
- Spinus
Range and habitat
It inhabits woodland, savannas, scrubland, farmland, parks and gardens. It occurs from sea-level up to 5000 m. In eastern South America, it is found from central Argentina north to central Brazil. In the Andean region, it occurs from northwestern Argentina and northern Chile north to central Colombia. There is an isolated population in southeastern Venezuela, Guyana and the Brazilian state of Roraima.<p>It is commonly found in flocks, feeding in trees or bushes or on the ground. The diet consists mainly of seeds together with buds, leaves and some insects. Geophagy has been observed in this species.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Rock Parrot
Neophema petrophila
Attractive small parrot of southwestern Australia. Dull olive-green parrot with yellowish lower belly and limited blue in folded wing. Face pale blue between eye and bill, with thin blue line between the eyes. Juvenile has yellow on face. Feeds on the ground in open coastal salt marsh and coastal grasslands. Compare Blue-winged Parrot (brighter green, with more yellow on face, large blue wing patch) and Elegant Parrot (yellower, yellow on face). Call a sharp, high-pitched "zit zit zit."
Black-faced Hawk
Leucopternis melanops
Smallish chunky hawk. Identifiable by size, shape, and prominent black mask contrasting with orange cere. Generally rare. Inhabits wet forests where it hunts from the mid-level to the ground; often perches well below canopy level. Takes relatively small prey, chiefly frogs and snakes. Superficially similar to White Hawk but much smaller with orange (not blue-gray) cere; unlike White Hawk, Black-faced tends not to soar for long periods and is less frequently seen than White Hawk.
Rufous-fronted Thornbird
Phacellodomus rufifrons
A rather plain thornbird with a long tail and a dark gray eye. Nondescript; look for the brighter rufous forehead that contrasts with an otherwise plain olive-brown back and buff underparts. Found in open areas with scattered trees and savannas; avoids the forest interior. Tends to be very vocal, often singing a squeaky, chattering duet. Look for its enormous stick nests usually located in isolated trees where they hang suspended at the end of branches. Mainly occurs from Bolivia to eastern Brazil, with a disjunct population in northwestern Peru and extreme southern Ecuador.
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