All species › Passerines › Finches, euphonias and allies › Elegant Euphonia
Elegant Euphonia | Chlorophonia elegantissima
Blauwkaporganist | Eufonia capucha azul | Gaturamo-de-capuz-azul
The Elegant Euphonia is a small euphonia of the montane forests of Mexico and Central America, with a light blue hood. In the guide area it has only been reported as a very rare vagrant. It belongs to a group of closely related blue-hooded species, of which the Golden-rumped Euphonia is the Andean representative.
Voice
Soft, rather plaintive whistles and a varied, chattering song with clear and rasping notes; the call resembles that of Golden-rumped Euphonia.
Recording: Manuel Grosselet — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · xeno-canto
Identification
11 cm, with a short, thick bill and a short tail. The male has a light blue crown and nape, a narrow chestnut forehead, a dark, blue-black throat and cheeks and blue-black upperparts. The underparts are deep orange-yellow to ochre. The female is olive-green with the same light blue crown and nape, a rufous forehead and yellowish olive-green underparts. Young birds resemble the female, with a fainter blue hood.
Confusion species
Golden-rumped Euphonia Chlorophonia cyanocephala is the most similar and is the species that occurs in the Andes of the guide area: the male has a golden-yellow rump and a black rather than chestnut forehead. The female Golden-rumped Euphonia is almost identical to that of this species. Any record in the guide area therefore needs good photographs of the rump and forehead of a male.
Habitat
In its own range humid montane forest, forest edges, older secondary forest and shaded plantations, mainly between 1000 and 2500 m. It feeds mainly on mistletoe berries, also on other fruit. The nest is a domed structure with a side entrance, hidden in moss or epiphytes.
Where the bird is most at home, classified by the vegetation units of the Andes and the west coast.
Range and movements
In the guide area only a few unconfirmed reports from Colombia and Ecuador; these probably refer to Golden-rumped Euphonia, which until recently was lumped with this species. Not known from Peru, Bolivia or the Galápagos. Outside the guide area in the mountains from Mexico to western Panama.
How and when to look
An Elegant Euphonia in the guide area is most likely in north-western Colombia, close to Panama. On any blue-hooded euphonia, check the colour of the forehead and the rump.
Conservation status
Least Concern. In its own range the species is trapped locally as a cage bird, and loss of montane forest is a threat.
Scientific name
Chlorophonia elegantissima | (Bonaparte, 1838) (GBIF: Euphonia elegantissima)
Bonaparte described the species in 1838 as Pipra elegantissima; because it was later moved to another genus, the author and year stand in brackets. The genus Chlorophonia was introduced in 1851 by Bonaparte. The genus name combines Greek chlōros, 'green', with the genus name Euphonia. The species name is Latin elegantissimus, superlative of elegans, 'refined, fine'. The specimen the first description was based on came from Mexico.