Many-colored Chaco Finch

Overview

The many-colored Chaco finch (Saltatricula multicolor) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae found across parts of South America. It inhabits the Gran Chaco region, ranging from southeastern Bolivia through western Paraguay and northern Argentina into northwestern Uruguay.

Identification

• Size and Build: 17 to 18 cm in length, weighing 20 to 25 g.
• Plumage: Males feature a black face and a white supercilium tapering rearwards, with a white throat, brown crown and nape, and a gray breast band above a cinnamon-buff flank band.
• Bare Parts: Possesses a thick, bright yellow bill with a darker culmen and dusky legs.
• Vocalisation: Song consists of "piree-weeroo-weeroo" repeated ten or more times, accompanied by calls such as a doubled "chu-chup".

Habitat

Native to the Gran Chaco, where it occupies the edges of open woodland and shrubby grasslands. Its range extends from southeastern Bolivia southwards through western Paraguay and northern Argentina into northwestern Uruguay, with rare vagrant records in southwestern Brazil.

Diet

Although not extensively studied, the diet appears to comprise insects and seeds. The bird forages on the ground and in low vegetation, typically in pairs or small mixed flocks with other finches.

Did you know?

The shiny cowbird is a common brood parasite of this species, which breeds from November to March with a clutch of three white eggs marked with blackish spots.