From Opus

Carduelis xanthogastra

Photo by BirdsPeru
Photographed: Near Mindo - Ecuador

[edit] Identification

10cm. Black, bright yellow belly, tail sides and wing patches. Female - dark olive green above, pale yellow underparts brighter on the belly, blackish tail and wings, bright yellow primary wing patches and tail sides. Young birds resemble the female, but have dusky fringes to the upperpart feathers and smaller yellow wing and tail patches.

[edit] Distribution

Bolivia, Costa Rica, Colombia and Venezuela.

[edit] Taxonomy

Carduelis xanthogaster stejnegeri - Bolivia; larger and longer-billed.

Carduelis xanthogaster xanthogaster - Costa Rica to Colombia and Venezuela; males have larger yellow wing patches and more extensive black on the flanks; females are darker olive above.

[edit] Habitat

Mountain oak forests at altitudes between 800-3000 m.

[edit] Behaviour

The nest is a shallow cup of rootlets, bark, and lichen. 2-3 green-tinged white eggs are laid and incubated by the female.

The diet includes small insects.

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