Purple-throated Euphonia (Euphonia chlorotica)

Purple-throated Euphonia (Euphonia chlorotica)

[order] PASSERIFORMES | [family] Fringillidae | [latin] Euphonia chlorotica | [UK] Purple-throated Euphonia | [FR] Euphone a gorge pourpre | [DE] Purpurkehl-Organist | [ES] Fruterito Azuquero | [NL] Purperkeelorganist

Subspecies

Physical charateristics

The male is blue-black above with a deep purple head and throat. The forecrown and underparts are bright yellow. The female is olive above and whitish below with yellow on the forecrown and flanks.

Listen to the sound of Purple-throated Euphonia

[audio:http://www.aviflevoland.nl/sounddb/P/Purple-throated Euphonia.mp3]

Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto

Range

South America : North, Amazonia, Southcentral

Habitat

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest. This bird lives in pairs or in small groups in forests, clearings, caatingas and fields with trees. They inhabit forest borders, caatinga and chaco scrub and gallery woodland. It is more likely to be found in drier habitats than the Violaceous Euphonia Euphonia violacea.

Reproduction

No data.

Feeding habits

Mostly or even solely fruit. Forages in undersurface of tree crown, high up toward center. Most commonly feeds by taking small bites of fruits that remain attached to tree. Occasionally plucks a fruit and removes pulp by pushing fruit against a horizontal branch. Birds are very selective, examining many fruits before feeding. Usually take only a few bites from a fruit before moving to the next.

Conservation

This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Migration

Sedentary throughout range

Distribution map