Saffron Finch
Saffron FinchSaffron FinchSaffron FinchSaffron Finch

Saffron Finch

Sicalis flaveola

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
at Serra da Canastra National Park
637 Verified sightings at Serra da Canastra National Park From 2019 to 2026
17,949 Verified sightings across all 42 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

Closest Relatives at Serra da Canastra National Park

Stripe-tailed Yellow-Finch
LC

Stripe-tailed Yellow-Finch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sicalis citrina

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Grassland Yellow-Finch
LC

Grassland Yellow-Finch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sicalis luteola

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Orange-fronted Yellow-Finch
LC

Orange-fronted Yellow-Finch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sicalis columbiana

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Sayaca Tanager

Sayaca Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thraupis sayaca

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Burnished-buff Tanager

Burnished-buff Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Stilpnia cayana

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Blue-black Grassquit
LC

Blue-black Grassquit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Volatinia jacarina

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Plumbeous Seedeater
LC

Plumbeous Seedeater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sporophila plumbea

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch
LC

Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Emberizoides herbicola

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Green-winged Saltator
LC

Green-winged Saltator

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Saltator similis

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Swallow Tanager
LC

Swallow Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tersina viridis

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Blue Dacnis
LC

Blue Dacnis

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dacnis cayana

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Cinnamon Tanager
LC

Cinnamon Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Schistochlamys ruficapillus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~80%
2 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~70%
3 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~70%
4 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~70%
5 El Palmar National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~60%
6 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~60%
7 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~50%
8 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~50%
9 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~40%
10 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~40%
11 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~40%
12 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~40%
13 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~30%
14 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~30%
15 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
16 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
17 Puracé National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
18 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
~20%
19 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~20%
20 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
~10%
21 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
22 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
23 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
24 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
25 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
26 Nahuel Huapi National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
27 Canaima National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
28 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
29 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
30 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
31 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
32 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
33 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
34 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
35 Coiba National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
36 Noel Kempff Mercado National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
37 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
38 Huascarán National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
Insufficient data
39 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
Insufficient data
40 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
Insufficient data
41 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
42 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Saffron Finch in Serra da Canastra National Park?

About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Saffron Finch sighting in Serra da Canastra National Park, based on 637 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Saffron Finch in Serra da Canastra National Park?

August has the highest sighting rate for Saffron Finch in Serra da Canastra National Park in our monthly data.

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