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 Sierra de la Macarena National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Sierra de la Macarena National Park
Grassland Yellow-Finch
Sicalis luteola
Orange-fronted Yellow-Finch
Sicalis columbiana
Palm Tanager
Thraupis palmarum
Blue-gray Tanager
Thraupis episcopus
Silver-beaked Tanager
Ramphocelus carbo
Swallow Tanager
Tersina viridis
Purple Honeycreeper
Cyanerpes caeruleus
Burnished-buff Tanager
Stilpnia cayana
Blue Dacnis
Dacnis cayana
Paradise Tanager
Tangara chilensis
Masked Tanager
Stilpnia nigrocincta
Turquoise Tanager
Tangara mexicana
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 Sierra de la Macarena National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Saffron Finch sighting in Sierra de la Macarena National Park, based on 416 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Saffron Finch in Sierra de la Macarena National Park?
May has the highest sighting rate for Saffron Finch in Sierra de la Macarena National Park in our monthly data.