All species › Passerines › Finches, euphonias and allies › Bronze-green Euphonia
Bronze-green Euphonia | Euphonia mesochrysa
Groenkaporganist | Eufonia verdibronceada | Gaturamo-verde-bronzeado
The Bronze-green Euphonia is a euphonia of montane forest on the east slope of the Andes, from Colombia to Bolivia. Unlike most euphonias, the male is not blue-black but bronzy olive-green above. It occurs sparsely and usually in small numbers, in pairs or in mixed flocks in the canopy.
Voice
Soft, short and rather nasal calls and a rapid, soft chatter; the sounds resemble those of other euphonias and are often the first sign of the species.
Recording: Jacob Wijpkema — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · xeno-canto
Identification
10 cm, compact, with a short, thick bill. The male has bronzy olive-green upperparts, head and throat, with a small yellow patch on the forehead. Breast and flanks are olive-yellow; the centre of the belly and the undertail coverts are warm ochre-yellow to tawny-yellow. The female lacks the yellow forehead patch and has olive-green upperparts, olive-yellow flanks and a grey centre to the breast and belly. Young birds resemble the female.
Confusion species
The female Orange-bellied Euphonia Euphonia xanthogaster also has a grey belly, but a distinctly rufous forehead; the male of that species is blue-black with yellow underparts. Females of other euphonias are usually yellower below and lack the bronzy sheen. Blue-naped Chlorophonia Chlorophonia cyanea and Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia Chlorophonia pyrrhophrys are brighter grass-green, with blue on the crown or nape.
Habitat
Humid montane rainforest and cloud forest and their edges, also older secondary forest, mainly between about 1000 and 2200 m. It forages in the canopy and on mossy branches, mainly on mistletoe berries and other small fruit. Little is known about the nest; like that of related species, it is probably a domed structure with a side entrance.
Where the bird is most at home, classified by the vegetation units of the Andes and the west coast.
Range and movements
In Colombia mainly on the east slope of the Eastern Andes. In Ecuador on the east slope of the Andes. In Peru on the east slope along the whole length of the country. In Bolivia in the Yungas of La Paz and Cochabamba. Absent from the Galápagos. Outside the guide area only in a small area in western Venezuela.
- Resident
- dark = core range, pale = thinly spread
How and when to look
In montane forest on the east slope, watch for small, green euphonias in mixed tanager flocks; a euphonia with a yellow forehead patch and an olive-green rather than blue-black back is a male of this species.
Conservation status
Least Concern. The species occurs sparsely and usually in small numbers; deforestation on the east slope reduces its habitat locally.
Scientific name
Euphonia mesochrysa | Salvadori, 1873
Salvadori described the species in 1873 and placed it straight away in the genus where it still stands. The genus Euphonia was introduced in 1806 by Desmarest, A-G. The genus name comes from Greek euphōnos, from eu 'good' and phōnē 'sound', meaning 'sweet-voiced', after the calls of these birds. The species name comes from Greek mesos, 'middle', and khrusos, 'gold'. The specimen the first description was based on came from Bogotá, Colombia.