From Opus

Caryothraustes poliogaster

Photo by DiggitalD
Cockscomb Basin, Belize, February 2007

[edit] Identification

16.5 cm

• Black face
• Yellow head, neck and breast
• Olive back, wings and tail
• Grey rump and belly
• Bill, rather heavy and mostly black

Immatures are rather duller. Facial markings more dusky.

[edit] Distribution

Central America: found in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama

[edit] Taxonomy

Some sources include the taxon simulans, which is included in Yellow-green Grosbeak by Clements¹ and Ridgely and Gwynne²; simulans which is found in the Darien region of eastern Panama has yellow but no gray on underparts which makes it similar to Yellow-green Grosbeak but not to the other subspecies of Black-faced Grosbeak.

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

Two subspecies are recognized¹:

• C. p. poliogaster:

• Lowlands of south-eastern Mexico (Veracruz) to Guatemala and northern Honduras

• C. p. scapularis:

• Caribbean lowlands of Nicaragua to Costa Rica and western Panama

In the past, Black-faced Grosbeak was included in Yellow-green Grosbeak as an additional subspecies.

[edit] Habitat

Lowlands and foothills from sea level up to around 1000m.
Found in the canopy and middle levels of dense rain forest in tall second growth, woodland edges and clearings.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

The diet includes beetles, caterpillars, other insects, fruit, seeds and nectar.

[edit] Breeding

The nest can be found up to 6m in a small tree. It is usually constructed from bromeliad leaves. The clutch consists of 3 brown-spotted greyish-white eggs which are laid between April and June.

[edit] Vocalisation

Calls:sharp chip or tweet, buzzes and whistles; song - whistled cher chi weet, cher chir weet, cher chi chuweet.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Ridgely and Gwynne
3. Avibase
4. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links