Photo from Wikipedia
I've visited this quiet park numerous times and have been priviledged to see saffron finches here. Although everything I read says the males are polygamous, I always see them in pairs.
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. They have a wide distribution in Colombia, northern Venezuela (where it is called "canario de tejado" or "roof canary"), western Ecuador, western Peru, eastern and southern Brazil (where it is called "canário da terra" or "earth canary"), Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina, and Trinidad and Tobago.1
Introduced to Hawaii in the 1960's, these small, bright colored birds lay three to five off-white eggs, heavily marked with brown. They are generally laid in the cavity of a tree, crevice of a rock or under the eaves of a building. Incubation is carried out by the female for 12 to 14 days, chicks fledge in 14 days.2
| Photo by Jack Jeffrey |
Photo by John Schwarz |
The male is bright yellow with an orange crown which distinguishes it from most other yellow finches (the exception being the Orange-fronted Yellow-finch). The females are more confusing and are usually just a slightly duller version of the male. Typically nesting in cavities, the Saffron Finch makes use of sites such as abandoned Rufous Hornero (Furnarius rufus) nests, bamboo branches and under house roofs - this species is tolerant of human proximity, appearing at suburban areas and frequenting bird tables. They have a pleasant but repetitious song which, combined with their appearance, has led to them being kept as caged birds in many areas.
This is a micro, but still too small for a pencil so please BYOP (bring your own pen)!!
Counter Added 6/29/2012 |
1 Wikipedia Web Site
2 iBird Pro iPhone App