Violaceous Euphonia

Overview

The Euphonia violacea is a small passerine bird belonging to the true finch family, Fringillidae. It is a resident breeder widely distributed across eastern South America.

Identification

• Males feature glossy blue-black upperparts with a deep golden yellow forehead and underparts.
• Females and immatures appear olive green above and greenish yellow below.
• Adults measure 11.4 cm in length and weigh 14 g.
• The song consists of a varied mix of musical notes, squeaks, chattering and imitation.

Habitat

This species occupies forests, second growth and plantations of cocoa and citrus fruit. Its range extends from Trinidad, Tobago and eastern Venezuela south to Paraguay and northeastern Argentina, including the lower Amazon Basin and the Tocantins River drainage in northern Brazil.

Diet

Primarily feeding on small fruits such as mistletoes, epiphytic cacti and Cecropia fruit due to their simple digestive tract, these social birds rarely consume insects. They have also been observed eating terrestrial snails in Brazil.

Did you know?

The species benefits from its relatively inaccessible habitat, which protects it from the trapping that often threatens other members of the Euphonia genus prized as cage birds.