Saffron Finch

Overview

The saffron finch (Sicalis flaveola) is a tanager from South America that is common in open and semi-open areas in lowlands outside the Amazon Basin. It is often regarded as a canary but is not related to the Atlantic canary, and is currently classified as a species of Least Concern.

Identification

• Males are bright yellow with an orange crown, distinguishing them from most other yellow finches.
• Females are usually a slightly duller version of the male, but in the southern subspecies S. f. pelzelni, they are olive-brown with heavy dark streaks.
• They produce a pleasant but repetitious song.

Habitat

This bird inhabits open and semi-open areas in lowlands outside the Amazon Basin. It is found in parts of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, and Trinidad and Tobago, and has also been introduced to locations such as Hawaii, Panama, and Puerto Rico.

Did you know?

Males of the species are polygamous and territorial, a behaviour that has led to them being used for blood sporting where two males are placed in a cage to fight.