Saffron Finch
Sicalis flaveola
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyThraupidae (Tanagers and Allies)
- GenusSicalis (Yellow-Finches)
- SpeciesSicalis flaveola (Saffron Finch)
About the Saffron Finch
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 "native canary"), Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina, and Trinidad and Tobago. It has also been introduced to Hawaii, Panama, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and elsewhere. Although commonly regarded as a canary, it is not related to the Atlantic canary. Formerly, it was placed in the Emberizidae but it is close to the seedeaters.
The saffron finch was formally described in 1766 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the 12th edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Fringilla flaveola. The specific epithet is a diminutive of the Latin flavus meaning "golden" or "yellow". The type locality is Suriname. The saffron finch is now placed in the genus Sicalis that was introduced in 1828 by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie.
Five subspecies are recognised: S. f. flaveola (Linnaeus, 1766... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Saffron Finch in Henri Pittier National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Henri Pittier National Park
Stripe-tailed Yellow-Finch
Sicalis citrina
Blue-gray Tanager
Thraupis episcopus
Bay-headed Tanager
Tangara gyrola
Palm Tanager
Thraupis palmarum
Bananaquit
Coereba flaveola
White-lined Tanager
Tachyphonus rufus
Golden Tanager
Tangara arthus
Silver-beaked Tanager
Ramphocelus carbo
Swallow Tanager
Tersina viridis
Speckled Tanager
Ixothraupis guttata
Olivaceous Saltator
Saltator olivascens
Blue-necked Tanager
Stilpnia cyanicollis
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Saffron Finch in Henri Pittier National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Saffron Finch sighting in Henri Pittier National Park, based on 112 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Saffron Finch in Henri Pittier National Park?
May has the highest sighting rate for Saffron Finch in Henri Pittier National Park in our monthly data.