Ultramarine grosbeak
| Ultramarine Grosbeak | |
|---|---|
| Male in Registro, São Paulo, Brazil | |
| Female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Cardinalidae |
| Genus: | Cyanoloxia |
| Species: | C. brissonii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cyanoloxia brissonii (Lichtenstein, MHC, 1823)
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Passerina brissonii (protonym) | |
The Ultramarine Grosbeak (Cyanoloxia brissonii) is a species of grosbeak in the family Cardinalidae. It is found in a wide range of semi-open habitats in eastern and central South America, with a disjunct population in northern South America.
Description
These birds are 15 cm long. Adult males exhibit a dark-blue plumage with bright-blue highlights on the head and upper-wings and black on the face, wings and tail. The females and the juveniles are brown. Both sexes show black legs and large, thick bill.
The Ultramarine Grosbeak is sedentary, only noted to have short-distance local migrations. Individuals of this species are solitary and often territorial, rarely associating with conspecifics or loosely aggregating in mixed-species flocks.
Distribution and habitat
Ultramarine Grosbeaks occur in open or semi-open edge habitats, in dense scrub such as thickets, preferably at the edge of swamps, secondary forests, and agricultural fields or plantations.
The distribution of these birds is disjunct; their range extends from northeast and central Brazil to Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina and throughout the Gran Chaco. An isolated population can be found in southwestern Colombia, between the Western and Central cordilleras throughout the Cauca valley and Dagua regions, where they prefer dry forest borders and semi-arid desert. Another population is found in the mountains of northern Venezuela, from Falcón to the Lara, Sucre, and Monagas regions. There are some morphological and behavioural differences between subspecies from different regions.
Behaviour and ecology
Breeding
Throughout its range, the breeding season for this species generally takes place between September and February. Ultramarine Grosbeaks build cup nests in thick vegetation, close to the ground up to 5 m high, with a clutch of 2 to 3 eggs[2]. The chicks hatch between 13 and 15 days after the eggs are laid.
Feeding
Feeds mainly on seeds, flowers, and fruits[2] but opportunistically forages for insects.
References
- ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Cyanoloxia brissonii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016 e.T22723932A94841030. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22723932A94841030.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ a b Studer; Sousa; Stoudmann (21 February 2025). "Notes on the reproduction of the Ultramarine Grosbeak Cyanoloxia brissonii in northeastern Brazil". Biodiversity Observations. 15: 8–17. doi:10.15641/bo.1747.
- BirdLife International 2012. "Cyanocompsa brissonii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. International Union for Conservation of Nature.
- Hilty, S. 2003. Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm. Londres.
Further reading
- Bryson, R.W. Jr; Chaves, J.; Smith, B.T.; Miller, M.J.; Winker, K.; Pérez-Emán, J.L.; Klicka, K. (2014). "Diversification across the New World within the 'blue' cardinalids (Aves: Cardinalidae)". Journal of Biogeography. 41 (3): 587–599. Bibcode:2014JBiog..41..587B. doi:10.1111/jbi.12218.