Photo copyright: VM/monacoeye • Do not copy • Image: Treviso, Italy

Bird name: European Goldfinch
Latin: Carduelis carduelis
Other: Goldfinch • Chardonneret élégant (Fr) • Cardellino (It)
Family: Fringillidae • Finches

Many thanks to Valerie for sending in the above photo of a Goldfinch in her garden in northern Italy.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • NW Italy • Feb 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Common Chaffinch
Latin: Fringilla coelebs
Other: Pinson des Arbres
Family: Fringillidae - Finches

The Chaffinch is one of the more common birds along the Cote d’Azur, especially in the winter.

The Chaffinch has a flat haircut, forming an angle at the back of the head.The female Chaffinch does not have the pink and blue colouring of the male, but both can be recognised by their characteristic wing markings, which form a white “T”. Similar looking to the Brambling.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Chestnut Bellied Euphonia
Latin: Euphonia pectoralis
Other: Ferro-velho (Br)
Family: Fringillidae • Euphonias

The Chestnut-bellied Euphonia is very beautifully coloured, with a royal blue coat, yellow shoulder and rust-coloured underparts. The female (see “more photos”) is greenish on top with an indistinct blue cap and only a small patch of chestnut underneath near the tail.

The Chestnut-bellied Euphonia was not at all common at the feeders in Itatiaia and seemed only to appear when all other tourists had left. It lives in southeastern South America, mostly in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

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Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Blue Naped Chlorophonia
Latin: Chlorophonia cyanea
Other: Bandeirinha (Br)
Family: Fringillidae • Chlorophonias

By the time I realised these were Blue-naped Chlorophonias, not the more common Green-headed Tanagers, it was too late to get a decent photo. Oh well, maybe next time …More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia, RJ, Brazil • November 2009

Bird name: Rufous Collared Sparrow
Latin: Zonotrichia capensis
Other: Tico-tico (Br) • Chingolo, Chincol, Cachilo, Copetón, Pichitanca (Es)
Family: Emberizidae • American Sparrows

The Rufous-collared Sparrow is found throughout South and Central America, often near human habitation.

These birds in Itatiaia would feed at dawn on the great numbers of insects that collected around the hotel lights at night. With the aid of the geckos and a few other birds the whole compound was cleaned up by about 7.30!

Adults Rufous-collared Sparrows have a characteristic rufous collar, whereas juveniles lack this and have streaked underparts.

Seen frequently in Itatiaia, Ubatuba and Mostardas.



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Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Image: Lagoa do Peixe • November 2009

Bird name: Saffron Finch
Latin: Sicalis flaveola
Other: Canário-da-terra-verdadeiro (Br) • Canario de tejado (Es), Jilguero dorado
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The Saffron Finch is now classed with the Tanagers (Thraupidae) rather than the Buntings (Emberizidae).

The male is distinguished by a bright yellow front and orange (saffron) glow above and sometimes below the face.

I think these ones are probably subspecies pelzelni, from location. The female and juveniles I find hard to distinguish, as they lack most of the yellow colouring and therefore look similar to quite a few other females. I’m going here on the striped chest as a distinguishing feature, but treat my IDs with caution.

As you can see below (continued here), the Saffron Finch takes advantage of the Rufous Hornero’s great nest-building abilities. Rufous Hornero’s typically build a new nest every year, so there are plenty of empty ones to be squatted.

The Saffron Finch is found throughout much of South America and the Caribbean.

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Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Image: Lagoa do Peixe • November 2009

Bird name: Grassland Sparrow
Latin: Ammodramus humeralis
Other: Tico-tico-do-campo (Br) • Cachilo Ceja Amarilla (Es), Manimbe, Chingolo de Ceja Amarilla
Family: Emberizidae • American Sparrows

The Grassland Sparrow is recognised by that yellow mark above the lores on the face. It is found throughout Brazil and much of South America.More photos...

Image: Lagoa do Peixe - Mostardas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil • November 2009
Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy

Bird name: Hooded Siskin
Latin: Carduelis magellanica
Other: Pintassilgo (Br) • Lucerito (Es), Cabecita negra, Cabecitanegra común, Jilguero cabecinegro, Jilguero peruano
Family: Fringillidae • Siskins

Here’s a photo of a female Hooded Siskin. The male has a dark hood and slightly brighter colours. The Hooded Siskin is found in much of South America and there are various subspecies in the different regions.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lagoa do Peixe • November 2009

Bird name: Misto Yellow Finch
Latin: Sicalis luteiventris
Other: Grassland Yellow-Finch • Sicalis lutola luteiventris
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers

The Misto Yellow-Finch is a little hard difficult to identify because of confusion with the Saffron Finch. Distinguishing features seem to be its lack of saffron colouring, and lack of stripes on breast in female and juvenile forms.

The Misto Yellow-finch is sometimes regarded as a subspecies of Grassland Yellow Finch (Sicalis luteola). Like the Saffron Finch it is now placed in the Tanager family rather than with the Buntings.

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Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Romania May 2009

Bird name: Hawfinch
Latin: Coccothraustes coccothraustes
Other: Gros-bec casse-noyaux (Fr) • Kernbeißer (De)
Family: Fringillidae • Grosbeaks

The Hawfinch is a wary bird, easy to identify by its massive bill. This one was seen at a distance, in Romania.More photos...

Bird name: Domestic Canary
Latin: Serinus canaria domestica
Other: Serin des Canaries • Canari
Family: Fringillidae • Finches

Photo: monacoeye • Monaco • April 2009

This Domestic Canary was a surprise visitor to a friend’s terrace on Easter Monday ! He was very tame and even flew in and landed on the bookshelves at one point.More photos...

Bird name: Brambling
Latin: Fringilla montifringilla
Other: Pinson du Nord
Family: Fringillidae - Finches

Photo: monacoeye • SE France • Feb 2009

The Brambling is a winter visitor to southern Europe, migrating from Northern breeding grounds. A female is pictured above, distinguished from the Chaffinch principally by its orange upper chest.More photos...

Bird name: Greenfinch
Latin: Carduelis chloris
Other: Verdier d'Europe
Family: Fringillidae - Finches

Photo: monacoeye • SE France • Jan 2009More photos...