GrrlScientistScience This article is more than 12 years oldMystery bird: Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Chlorophonia cyanea
This article is more than 12 years oldThis spectacular Brazilian mystery bird is placed in a family that appears to possess more evolutionary potential than any other in the world (includes videos)Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Chlorophonia cyanea Thunberg, 1822 (protonym, Pipra cyanea), photographed at Iguaçu National Park, Parana state, Brazil (South America).
Image: Nick Athanas/Tropical Birding (with permission) [velociraptorize].
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Question: This spectacular Brazilian mystery bird is placed in a taxonomic family that appears to possess more evolutionary potential than any other in the world. Can you name its family? Can you identify this species?
Response: This is an adult male blue-naped Chlorophonia, Chlorophonia cyanea. Along with its sister genus, Euphonia, the Chlorophonias are placed into the subfamily, Euphoniinae. Formerly placed in the Thraupidae (tanagers), mitochodrial DNA studies show that Euphoniinae are better removed to the Fringillidae (the true finches) (AOU 2003).
All populations are associated with humid forest in subtropical highlands and on the lower slopes of mountains, but it occurs nearly down to sea level in the Atlantic forest. Especially in the Atlantic forest region, it can also be found locally in gardens and parks bordering its preferred habitat. Although this species' distribution is highly disjunct, making it appear rare, it is generally fairly common within its range.
Here is a short video of several blue-naped Chlorophonias eating a banana (filmed in the Lodge Gardens at Serra Dos Tucanos Reserve, Brazil, September 2011; uploaded 6 October 2011):
For those of you who, like me, have not seen enough of this species, here's another video for you to enjoy (filmed in the Monte Verde Cloud Forest of Costa Rica; uploaded 27 August 2011):
You are invited to review all of the daily mystery birds by going to their dedicated graphic index page.
If you have bird images, video or mp3 files that you'd like to share with a large and (mostly) appreciative international audience here at The Guardian, feel free to contact me to learn more.
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