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Difference between revisions of "Yellow-faced Grassquit" - BirdForum Opus

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[[Image:Yellow-faced Grasquit Costa Rica .jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo of male by {{user|Stanley+Jones|Stanley Jones}} <br />[[Alajuela Province]], [[Costa Rica]], March,  2006]]
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[[Image:Yellow-faced-Grassquit-4V0A5325-Punta-Cana.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Male, nominate subspecies<br />Photo by {{user|fishercl|fishercl}}<br />Punta Cana, [[Dominican Republic]], May 2011]]
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[[Image:Yellow-faced_Grassquitcb.jpg|thumb|400px|right|Photo by {{user|COLOMBIA+Birding|COLOMBIA birding}}<br />Photo taken: W. Andes ]]
 
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;[[:Category:Tiaris|Tiaris]] olivaceus
 
;[[:Category:Tiaris|Tiaris]] olivaceus
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
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Length: 10.0-10.7 cm; weight: 9.5-10.0 g<br/>The Yellow-faced Grassquit is a small bird with a conical bill, sharper than that of the related seedeaters.  The adult male has an olive-green back, and its face and breast are black apart from a bright yellow throat, supercilia, and lower eyelid spot. The rest of the underparts are greyish olive.
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Length: 10.0-10.7 cm; weight: 9.5-10.0 g<br/>
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*Conical bill, sharper than that of the related seedeaters<br />
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The adult female is dull olive-green above and paler grey below, and may have some dark breast smudges. The face pattern is much weaker and duller, and may be almost invisible. Young birds are like the adult female but duller and greyer. Young males begin to acquire full adult plumage in their first year.
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'''Adult male'''
 +
*Olive-green back
 +
*Black face and breast
 +
*Bright yellow throat, [[Topography#Heads|supercilium]], and lower eyelid spot
 +
*Greyish-olive underparts<br />
 +
[[Image:Yellow-faced_Grassquitcb.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Subspecies ''pusillus''<br />Photo by {{user|COLOMBIA+Birding|COLOMBIA birding}}<br />West Andes, [[Colombia]], November 2010]]
 +
'''Adult female'''
 +
*Dull olive-green upperparts
 +
*Paler grey underparts
 +
*Dark breast smudges may be visible
 +
*The face pattern is much weaker and duller, and may be almost invisible<br />
 +
'''Young birds''': duller and greyer than the female<br />
 +
'''Young males''': begin to acquire full adult plumage in their first year.
 
==Distribution==  
 
==Distribution==  
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The Yellow-faced Grassquit, Tiaris olivacea, is a passerine bird which breeds from central [[Mexico]] to [[Colombia]] and northwestern [[Venezuela]], and also on the [[Greater Antilles]]. It is a casual vagrant to the [[United States]] in southern [[Florida]] and southern [[Texas]] and has been introduced to [[Hawaii]].
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[[Central America|Central]] and [[South America]] and the [[Caribbean]]<br />
 +
'''Central America''': [[Mexico]], [[Guatemala]], [[El Salvador]], [[Honduras]], [[Nicaragua]], [[Costa Rica]], [[Panama]], uas
 +
'''Caribbean (West Indies)''': [[Greater Antilles]], [[Cuba]], [[Cayman Islands]], [[Jamaica]], [[Hispaniola]], [[Haiti]], [[Dominican Republic]] and [[Puerto Rico]]<br >
 +
'''South America''': [[Colombia]], [[Venezuela]] and [[Ecuador]]
 +
[[Image:Yellow-faced Grassquit female.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Female, Subspecies ''pusillus''<br />Photo by
 +
{{user|Stanley+Jones|Stanley Jones}}<br />Road to Rincon de la Vieja towards Dos Rios, Guanacaste Province, [[Costa Rica]], November 2011]]
 +
==Taxonomy==
 +
====Subspecies====
 +
There are 5 subspecies<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>:
 +
*''T. o. pusillus'':
 +
:*Gulf lowlands of eastern [[Mexico]] to [[Colombia]] and western [[Venezuela]]
 +
*''T. o. intermedius'':
 +
:*Cozumel Island and Holbox Island (off Yucatan Peninsula)
 +
[[Image:Yellow-faced Grasquit Costa Rica .jpg|thumb|300px|right|Male, Subspecies ''pusillus''<br />Photo by by {{user|Stanley+Jones|Stanley Jones}} <br />[[Alajuela Province]], [[Costa Rica]], March, 2006]]
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*''T. o. ravidus'':
 +
:*Isla Coiba ([[Panama]])
 +
*''T. o. olivaceus'':
 +
:*[[Cuba]], [[Isle of Pines]], [[Jamaica]] and [[Cayman Islands]]
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*''T. o. bryanti'':
 +
:*[[Puerto Rico]]
  
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==Taxonomy==
 
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Several subspecies.<br />
 
 
The scientific name has been spelled ''olivacea'' in the past.
 
The scientific name has been spelled ''olivacea'' in the past.
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
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It is a common to abundant resident in lowlands and foothills up to 2300 m altitude in semi-open areas such as roadsides, pasture, weedy fields, low scrub and gardens. It sometimes forms loose flocks with other emberizid finches.
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Rain forest, open grassy areas, woodlands and grassland. Observed at heights around 275 meters.
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
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The globular nest, built by the female, is made of grass and weed stems and lined with finer material. It has a side entrance and is placed usually less than 30 cm above the ground, often on a grassy bank. This species sometimes forms loose colonies. The clutch is two or three brown-speckled white eggs, which are incubated by the female alone for 12-14 days to hatching.
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====Diet====
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They feed mainly on seeds (mostly grass), berries and some insects.
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The Yellow-faced Grassquit has a weak buzzing trilled ''ttttt-tee'' call. The male vibrates his wings as he sings to the female from only a few centimetres away.
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====Breeding====
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This species feeds mainly on grass seeds, but also takes other seeds, berries and some insects.
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The female builds the globular nest, which is formed from stems of grass and weeds. They sometimes nest in loose colonies. The clutch consists of two or three brown-speckled white eggs, which are incubated by the female alone for 12-14 days to hatching.
 +
====Vocalisation====
 +
'''Call''': a weak buzzing trilled ''ttttt-tee''<br />
 +
The male vibrates his wings as he sings to the female from only a few centimetres away.
 +
==References==
 +
#{{Ref-Clements6thAug15}}#Avibase
 +
#everything.explained
 +
{{ref}}
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
 
{{GSearch|Tiaris+olivace}}
 
{{GSearch|Tiaris+olivace}}
 
[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Tiaris]]
 
[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Tiaris]]

Revision as of 20:50, 7 October 2015

Male, nominate subspecies
Photo by fishercl
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, May 2011
Tiaris olivaceus

Identification

Length: 10.0-10.7 cm; weight: 9.5-10.0 g

  • Conical bill, sharper than that of the related seedeaters

Adult male

  • Olive-green back
  • Black face and breast
  • Bright yellow throat, supercilium, and lower eyelid spot
  • Greyish-olive underparts
Subspecies pusillus
Photo by COLOMBIA birding
West Andes, Colombia, November 2010

Adult female

  • Dull olive-green upperparts
  • Paler grey underparts
  • Dark breast smudges may be visible
  • The face pattern is much weaker and duller, and may be almost invisible

Young birds: duller and greyer than the female
Young males: begin to acquire full adult plumage in their first year.

Distribution

Central and South America and the Caribbean
Central America: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, uas Caribbean (West Indies): Greater Antilles, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico
South America: Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador

Female, Subspecies pusillus
Photo by Stanley Jones
Road to Rincon de la Vieja towards Dos Rios, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica, November 2011

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 5 subspecies[1]:

  • T. o. pusillus:
  • T. o. intermedius:
  • Cozumel Island and Holbox Island (off Yucatan Peninsula)
Male, Subspecies pusillus
Photo by by Stanley Jones
Alajuela Province, Costa Rica, March, 2006
  • T. o. ravidus:
  • T. o. olivaceus:
  • T. o. bryanti:

The scientific name has been spelled olivacea in the past.

Habitat

Rain forest, open grassy areas, woodlands and grassland. Observed at heights around 275 meters.

Behaviour

Diet

They feed mainly on seeds (mostly grass), berries and some insects.

Breeding

The female builds the globular nest, which is formed from stems of grass and weeds. They sometimes nest in loose colonies. The clutch consists of two or three brown-speckled white eggs, which are incubated by the female alone for 12-14 days to hatching.

Vocalisation

Call: a weak buzzing trilled ttttt-tee
The male vibrates his wings as he sings to the female from only a few centimetres away.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Avibase
  3. everything.explained

Recommended Citation

External Links

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