Plate 016 · male singing in a flowering lapacho IdentificationSix marks on the plate
- 1Huge bill dark grey and conical.
- 2Black head and breast in the male.
- 3Yellow belly bright golden.
- 4White spots on the wing coverts.
- 5White patch at the base of the primaries.
- 6White tips on the black tail.
Easily confused with Blue-and-yellow TanagerPipraeidea bonariensisSmaller, with a sky-blue head and a short bill. Rufous-browed PeppershrikeCyclarhis gujanensisGreen and yellow, with a rufous brow. No black. 016 / 100 · BIRDS · CARDINALIDAELEAST CONCERN Black-backed Grosbeak
Pheucticus aureoventris
Rey del bosque
Its loud, rich song is one of the finest sounds of the forest in spring. That song and its black-and-yellow plumage make it a target for the cage-bird trade. Its huge bill cracks hard seeds.
- Length
- c. 22 cm
- Altitude
- 500 – 2,800 m
- Breeding
- spring and summer
- Local threat
- trapping for cages
- Fine songster
- Huge bill
- Seeds and fruit
- Resident
Altitude rangeFrom forest to high woodland
All year Lives at forest edges, in montane woodland and wooded ravines. In winter some move down to lower ground.
FoodA bill for hard seeds
- Seedsof trees and shrubs
- Fruitfleshy and dry
- Buds and flowersin spring
- Insectsmostly for nestlings
It feeds in the canopy and in shrubs. Its thick bill opens seeds that other birds cannot crack.
BehaviourSong from the treetop
J F M A M J J A S O N D Breeding and songPresent - Sings from high perches. Long, rich phrases, like a thrush, in spring.
- Flimsy nest. An open cup of twigs in a tree or shrub.
- In pairs. In winter it sometimes forms small groups.
Where to look in Tucumán- Sierra de San Javier
- Reserva Experimental Horco Molle
- Parque Provincial La Florida
- Quebrada de Lules
- Tafí del Valle (RP 307)
- El Siambón