White-vented Euphonia

Overview

The white-vented euphonia, Euphonia minuta, is a very small bird in the family Fringillidae. It is a resident species found across a wide range in the New World, from Mexico through Central America into northern and northwestern South America.

Identification

• Approximately 9 cm long, with a short, thick black bill featuring a blue-grey base.
• Sexually dimorphic: males have glossy blue-black upperparts with a purplish gloss and bright yellow underparts, while females are predominantly olive with white undertail coverts.
• Both sexes have dark brown irises and dark grey legs.
• The song is a loud and forceful shrill series of sharp, staccato notes.

Habitat

Inhabits a variety of humid to wet lowland forest landscapes in tropical and lower subtropical zones, including canopy and edges of rainforest, as well as várzea and terra firme forests. Elevation ranges vary by region, reaching up to 1,500 m in Peru and 1,200 m in Costa Rica.

Diet

Feeds primarily on the fruits of mistletoe and other small fruits, supplementing its diet with small numbers of insects. It forages primarily in the forest canopy, usually singly or in pairs, and frequently joins mixed-species feeding flocks.

Did you know?

The white-vented euphonia almost continuously wags its tail while foraging.