Yellow-collared Chlorophonia

Overview

The yellow-collared chlorophonia, Chlorophonia flavirostris, is a small bird belonging to the finch family Fringillidae. It is a resident species with a disjunct distribution across parts of South America and Central America.

Identification

• Plumage: Males feature a shiny emerald-green head and body with a wide yellow collar, bright yellow rump, and a thin chestnut line on the breast; females are duller, mostly grass-green with a faded yellow breast.
• Structure: A chunky, short-tailed bird approximately 10 cm long with a stubby bill.
• Features: Both sexes possess bright orange legs and feet, a grayish-white iris, and an orange to salmon-orange bill.
• Vocalisation: In flight, it produces a nasal and plaintive 'peeeeeeee' call, sometimes mixed with short 'winh' notes, and makes soft 'pek' notes while foraging.

Habitat

This species inhabits the interior and edges of humid to very wet foothill and lower montane evergreen forests in the upper tropical and subtropical zones, as well as mature secondary forest, often favouring steep slopes. It occurs on the west slope of the Andes in Colombia and Ecuador, with a small established population in the Darién Province of Panama. Elevational ranges vary from 200 to 1,800 m in Colombia and 400 to 1,500 m in Ecuador.

Diet

The yellow-collared chlorophonia feeds almost exclusively on small berries and other fruits, though it occasionally includes insects in its diet. It forages primarily in the forest canopy, usually in pairs or small groups of up to seven birds, and may join mixed-species feeding flocks. Outside the breeding season, it can gather in flocks of up to 50 individuals that travel separately from mixed-species groups.

Did you know?

The species was first documented in Panama in 1986, where a small population is apparently established near Cerro Pirre in the extreme eastern Darién Province.