From Opus

Sicalis citrina

Photo by birdclub
Location: Emas NP, Brazil

[edit] Identification

Male: Olive-brown above, lemon-yellow forecrown, yellow below, two white spots on the underside of the tail; these spots are visible in flight. The female is much duller and streakier.

[edit] Distribution

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

In most of these areas with a patchy distribution. Often will leave breeding area outside of season, and in those times may wander around in larger flocks including other grassland finches (but usually not with other members of the same genus

[edit] Taxonomy

Three subspecies are recognized^[1]:

• S. c. browni
• S. c. citrina
• S. c. occidentalis

[edit] Habitat

Open, dry savanna, grassland, farmland and other disturbed areas. Does not seem to occur in lowland.

[edit] Behaviour

As researched near Brasilia, Brazil, breeding season is mainly December to May with a peak from late January to March. Nests are cup-shaped structures usually made from grass leaves and placed low over the ground, usually in ferns or tussock grass. Three eggs are common, lower numbers seen less frequently. Incubation and period before fledging are both 13 days.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Ridgely and Tudor 2009. Field guide to the songbirds of South America - The Passerines. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-71979-8
3. Restall et al. 2006. Birds of Northern South America. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300124156
4. Gressler, D.T., M.A. Marini. 2011. Breeding biology of the Stripe-tailed Yellow Finch (Sicalis citrina) in central Brazilian cerrado. Ornithologia Neotropical 22(3): 319-327

[edit] External Links