Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola)

Saffron Finch Sicalis flaveola

Brazilian name: canário-da-terra-verdadeiro

Male Saffron Finch, Barra do Quaraí, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, August 2004 - click for larger image

Brazil and Peru

The Saffron Finch is a common bird of open and semi-open areas in lowlands outside the Amazon Basin. There are three separate populations: northern Colombia and Venezuela; Ecuador and Peru and north-east Brazil to central Argentina. See the distribution map at Birdlife International.

Female Saffron Finch, Barra do Quaraí, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, August 2004 - click for larger image

The male is bright yellow with an orange crown which distinguishes it from other yellow finches in the continent. The female are more confusing as they can sometimes be just a duller version of the male but the female of the sub-species S. f. pelzelni, as seen in photos 2 and 5, is olive-brown with heavy dark streaks. The immature male has the yellow showing through as can be seen in photo 3.

Immature Saffron Finch, Monte Verde, Espírito Santo, Brazil, March 2004 - click for larger image

They nest in cavities and make use of sites such as abandoned Rufous Hornero (Furnarius rufus) nests and house roofs.

They have a pleasant but repetitious song which, combined with their appearance, has led to them being kept as caged birds in many areas. According to Sick, they are also used in fights where two males are placed in a large cage and bets are taken on which one wins the fight. Sounds very unpleasant.

Male Saffron Finch, Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil, December 2006 - click for larger image

Photo 6 was taken at Tarapoto, San Martin, Peru which is well outside its range so this bird is presumably an escaped cage bird.

The bird in photo 1 was recorded by Jeremy Minns.

Female Saffron Finch, Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil, December 2006 - click for larger image

Saffron Finch, Tarapoto, San Martin, Peru, September 2018 - click for larger image

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