Plate 33

Original Information on Plate

• Jean-Théodore Descourtilz
• 1852-1856
• 33 Euphonia Galoti
• Ink on Paper
• L2010.85.86
• W. Graham Arader III, Arader Galleries

Bird and Plant Identification
In Plate 33 the four birds are the Blue-naped Chlorophonia (Chlorophonia cyanea) located on the top, the Chestnut-bellied Euphonia (Euphonia pectoralis) located in the middle-right, the Golden-rumped Euphonia (Euphonia cyanocephala) located in the middle-left, and the Violaceous Euphonia (Euphonia violacea) located on the bottom. E. pectoralis, E. cyanocephala, and E. violacea are all found in the genus Euphonia and the family Fringillidae. C. cyanea is also found in the family Fringilidae but in the genus Chlorophonia. Originally, Descourtilz labeled all the birds depicted in the plate under the genus, Euphonia.  This may be due to the fact that Chlorophonia and Euphonia were considered historically similar, although the Chlorophonia is visibly much greener.  Also, E. pectoralis was originally labeled E. galoti, however, there is no documentation or record of E. galoti.

The plant visible in the plate is the Passiflora edulis, also commonly known as the passion fruit. It is in the family Passifloraceae.  Passion fruit is an evergreen, perennially flowering vine that grows as it spiraling its tendrils around a sturdy structure. It is native to southern Brazil into Paraguay, and northern Argentina.

Range overlap:
Purple: E. violacea
Green: E. pectoralis
Yellow: E. cyanocephala
Red: C. cyanea

Ecological Inconsistencies: Range
E. violacea has the most extensive range of the birds present on L2010.85.86 extending from mid to eastern Venezuela, the Guianas, and much of mid to eastern Brazil. E. violacea overlaps with the other birds only in the southernmost points of the range of E. pectoralis in the Brazilian Highlands. E. cyanocephala and C. chlorophonia overlap ranges with both E. violacea and E. pectroralis in the Brazilian Highlands. However, the ranges of E. cyanocephala and C. chlorophonia also extend along the east of the Andes Mountains overlapping from central Bolivia up through Venezuela.

Ecological Inconsistencies: Habitat
Although the ranges of the birds of Plate L2010.85.86 overlap in the southeastern area of Brazil, the habitats vary some among the four species. E. violacea, E. pectroralis, and C. cyanea are found in humid forests and in clearings with tall, scattered trees. All four birds are found in forest borders. E. violacea and E. cyanocephala are also found in second growth forests whereas E. cyanocephala is typically not found inside the forest. Also notable is C. cyanea is found in lowlands and at sea level, E. pectoralis is found from sea level to 1550m, and E. cyanocephala is found mainly in lowland and montane elevations.

Ecological Inconsistencies: Food
E. violacea and E. pectoralis feed on fruits and nectar. E. cyanocephala and C. cyanea feed mainly on fruits but also on some insects.

Ecological Inconsistencies: Plant Species

The species of birds depicted in the drawing are not likely to consume passion fruit without another species creating the aperture. However, they will likely eat the passion fruit opportunistically if the option presents itself.

Euphonia Violacea, Plate 33, bottom

Plate 33: bottom

Scientific Name: Euphonia violacea

Other Names:

• Spanish name: Eufonia Violacea
• French: Organiste teité
• German: Veilchenorganist

Binomial name (nomenclature): Fringilla violacea, Linnaeus, 1758, Suriname

Genus: Euphonia

Family: Fringillidae

Range: Euphonia violacea.
Image Credit: http://maps.iucnredlist.org/map.html?id=106009356

Range: Guianas, and northern Brazil, (North of Rio Amazon, east of Rio Jumna, south of Amazon from Rio Madera east to Maranhao)

Description: 10 cm in length, 12.5- 17g. Small Euphonia with relatively heavy bill, for the genus.

Male: has yellow orange fore down patch extending from to front edge of eye, rest of crown, side of head and  nape and underparts blue black with light purple gloss. Flight feathers dusky, tinged blue black. Throat and breast orange yellow, fading into rich yellow in rest of underparts.2-3 flight feathers are white, (usually concealed, sometimes visible in flight). Underside of tail dark grey. Iris dark brown, bill blackish, basal over half of lower mandible blue grey. Legs dark grey.

Female: Forehead yellowish, turns olive on crown and rest of underparts, including upper-wing coverts. Flight feathers dusky, tinged olive, underparts olive- yellow. Undertail coverts yellow, essentially identical to female of E. laniirostris. Immature is like female.

Habitat: Humid forests, forest borders, second growth woodlands, shrubby clearings with taller trees, orchards, parks and trees around buildings. In Brazil, seems to inhabit forests or some woodlands within its territory.

Food: Fruits, also nectar from mistletoe has been reported in Brazil.  Found singly or in pairs and in small groups. In fruiting trees found alone or with others. Forages in small shrubs to canopy of trees, and regularly perches in the open, atop large trees to call or rest. Berries swallowed whole or mashed to remove skin, or pieces pecked from larger fruits. May wander seasonally in search of fruit.

Breeding: October in Brazil. Nest is built by both sexes, globular structure, made from dead leaves, grasses, rootlets, moss. Lined with ferns and/or grass. Typically well hidden among epiphytes, in vines or on tree trunks. Occasionally in niches in roadside banks. Sometimes uses empty nests of other species. Clutch is 3-5 eggs, dull to pinkish whitewash, light to dark red spots. Incubation from females only. Both adults feed young. Nesting period typically longer than majority of small passerines at approximately 21 days.

Voice: Songs incorporate mimicked notes and phrases of other birds, including oscine and non-oscine species. Song elements vary widely in pitch, and quality of mimicked phrases varies also. Calls include variety of whistles and short trills, some musical, others unmusical, raspy, or metallic. Songs include rambling diatribes that also contain short rattles, and various other notes.

• Call: http://macaulaylibrary.org/audio/127990/euphonia-violacea-violaceous-euphonia-brazil-alagoas-curtis-marantz
• Song: http://macaulaylibrary.org/audio/127901/euphonia-violacea-violaceous-euphonia-brazil-alagoas-curtis-marantz

Status: Not globally threatened. Fairly common to common and widespread. Occurs in a number of protected areas, species also occupies unprotected areas as well.

Resources:

• Videos: The Internet Bird Collection (Videos): Violaceous Euphonia
• Photos:
  • The Internet Bird Collection (Photos): Violaceous Euphonia
  • Visual Resources for Ornithology: Violaceous Euphonia
• Sounds: The Internet Bird Collection (Sounds): Violaceous Euphonia

Euphonia Pectoralis, Plate L2010.85.86, middle right

Plate 33: middle right

Scientific Name: Euphonia pectoralis

Other Names:

• Spanish: Euphonia Ventricastana
• French: Organiste à ventre marron
• German: Braunbauchorganist
• Other common names: Black-throated Euphonia. “E. vittata“

Binomial name (nomenclature): Pipra pectoralis, Latham, 1801, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Genus: Euphonia

Family: Fringillidae

Range Euphonia pectoralis. Image credit: http://maps.iucnredlist.org/map.html?id=106009373

Range: Eastern and southeastern Brazil. Adjacent eastern Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina in the province of Misiones.

Description: 11cm in length, 15-16.5g. Rather small Euphonia with a thick bill, distinct in having no yellow patch and no white in tail.  Male hashed to breast and entire upper parts, including upper wing covert highly metallic blue, flight feathers and tail dusky, edged and tinged metallic blue (less so on primaries). Belly and underparts dark chestnut. Metallic blue thighs, golden yellow tuft often protruding beneath wing. Iris dark brown,most of lower mandible blue grey, legs dark grey. Female has forecrown dull yellowish, rest crown to central nape grey, underparts olive, mostly grey below. Sides and flanks yellow- olive. , vent and undertail- coverts dark rufous. Juvenile undescribed.

Habitat: Found in the canopy of humid forests, along forest borders, and in tree- scattered clearings. Found sea level to 1550 m, in the  mountains of  southeastern Brazil, and lowland in adjacent eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina

Food: Small fruits including melastomes, epiphytes, epiphytice cacti, and cecropia. Also observed to take arthropod prey from bark surface. Seen to probe at flowers for nectar and/or insects, and to take sugar water from hummingbird feeders. Usually singly or in pairs or in small groups. And regularly in mixed species flocks. Forages from middle heights to canopy. Often perches in the open or in open trees such as cecropia, where it is active and visible. More conspicuous than other species of euphonia.

Breeding: January in southeastern Brazil, and August in Paraguay. Dome shaped nest with side entrance, made from Formosa and ferns similar to those of congeners or a bit higher above ground and concealed on side of trunk, in suspended roots of epiphyte fern, or amid epiphytes on large branches of bush.

Voice: Call is a series of low pitched rattles, series of warbled notes that may include imitations of other birds.

• Call: http://macaulaylibrary.org/audio/127842/euphonia-pectoralis-chestnut-bellied-euphonia-brazil-alagoas-curtis-marantz
• Song: http://macaulaylibrary.org/audio/135685/euphonia-pectoralis-chestnut-bellied-euphonia-argentina-misiones-juan-areta

Status: Not globally threatened. Fairly common to wide spread in southeastern Brazil, and in extreme northeastern Argentina and eastern Paraguay.  Deforestation is extensive in its range, but generally is numerous in remaining forests. Occurs in protected areas. Relatively little habitat remains outside of protected areas.

Resources:

• Videos: The Internet Bird Collection (Videos): Chestnut-bellied Euphonia
• Photos: The Internet Bird Collection (Photos): Chestnut-bellied Euphonia
• Sounds: The Internet Bird Collection (Sounds): Chestnut-bellied Euphonia

Euphonia Cyanocephala, Plate 33, middle left

Plate 33: middle left

Scientific Name: Euphonia cyanocephala

Other Names

• Spanish: Eufonia Culidorada
• French: Organiste doré
• German: Goldbürzelorganist
• Species sometimes known as E. aureata but present name has priority

Binomial name (nomenclature): Pipra cyanocephala, Vieillot, 1818, Trinidad

Genus: Euphonia

Family: Fringillidae

Range: Euphonia cyanocephala. Image credit: http://maps.iucnredlist.org/map.html?id=106009362

Range: Colombia/Venezuela border and Venezuela Andes, coastal cordilleras, locally southeastern Bolivar, eastern slope in Ecuador, entire eastern slope of Peru, northwestern Argentina (provinces Tucuman, sight records in Cordoba- San Luis border, isolated record in northern Buenos Aires). Also found in north-central and south-central Brazil (isolated records in Para and western Mato Grosso), southeastern Brazil, (Bahia, southern Goias , southern Mato Grosso, southern Torino, and Grande do Sul), southeastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina (Chaco). Believed to wander locally when not breeding. Possible seasonal movements to lower elevation, but not well documented.

Description: 11cm in length.

Males: Crown and napes bright turquoise blue and black purplish to dark blue, lower back and rump golden yellow to orange-yellow. Upper tail coverts blue-black. Flight feathers dark brown to dusky with dull yellowish olive margins and outer webs, underparts deep yellow, iris dark brown, bill blackish, blue- grey at base, legs dusky grey.

Females: Basal forehead, band tawny to yellowish buff, crown and nape turquoise blue, otherwise olive green above, paler and brighter on rump. Flight feathers and tail opus, edged olive green. More yellowish on underbelly.

Juvenile: Appears much like female , but duller, and scaled grayish, juvenile female with forehead band yellowish.

Habitat: Forest borders, second growth woodland, disturbed or partially open areas, shady coffee plantations. Found mainly in mountains, occurs both in humid and fairly dry regions, generally not inside forest. In southeastern Brazil  and adjacent areas, mainly lowland and lowland montane elevations.

Food: Almost entirely frugivorous, also some insects. Pairs and groups of 3-8 spend much of their time in clumps of fruiting mistletoe in canopy. Only infrequently or incidentally associated with mixed species flocks. After feeding in a tree, they may fly off a considerable distance to another site. Occasionally seen while foraging for insects in canopy foliage.

Breeding: Nest is a globular dome of grass and moss, on epiphyte laden trunk or branch of tree, most often on forest edge. Clutch is 2 eggs, cream, marked light reddish brown and black.

Voice: In southeastern Brazil, call described as a slow series of 3-4 whistles, song a fast varied warble. Fast and complex song is often iced with notes of call.

• Call: http://macaulaylibrary.org/audio/70399/euphonia-cyanocephala-golden-rumped-euphonia-venezuela-miranda-paul-schwartz
• Song: http://macaulaylibrary.org/audio/132587/euphonia-cyanocephala-golden-rumped-euphonia-argentina-jujuy-peter-hosner

Status: Not globally threatened. Ranges from common to uncommon, local. Occurs over a wide range of elevations and habitats, including northeastern Brazil, populations in this region more dependent on reserves, and parks than elsewhere in its range.

Resources:

• Videos: The Internet Bird Collection (Videos): Golden-rumped Euphonia
• Photos: The Internet Bird Collection (Photos): Golden-rumped Euphonia
• Sounds: The Internet Bird Collection (Sounds): Golden-rumped Euphonia

Chlorophonia cyanea, Plate 33, Top

Plate 33: Top

Scientific Name: Chlorophonia cyanea

Other Names:

• Spanish: Clorofonia Nuquiazul
• French: Organiste à nuque bleue
• German: Grünorganist
• Other common names: Blue Naped Tanager

Binomial name (nomenclature): Chlorophonia cyanea, Thunberg, 1822

Taxonomy: 7 subspecies tentatively recognized

Genus: Chlorophonia

Family: Fringilidae

Range Chlorophonia cyanea. Image credit: http://maps.iucnredlist.org/map.html?id=106009375

Range: Southeastern Brazil, (south from southern Bahia,) southern to eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina (Misiones).

Description: 11cm in length, 11-15g.  Short tailed, with chunky shape, stubby bill, colorful plumage.

Male nominate race: head, throat, chest glistening emerald green, bright blue- turquoise ocular ring.  Feathers of mantle, scapular and marginal to median upper wing- coverts green, broadly edged blue, central back to uppertail- coverts blue lighter and brighter on rump, flight feathers dusky, edged bright green, tail dusky with green blue edges, breast and lower underparts bright yellow, underside of tail grey; iris dark brown, breast and underparts dull greenish- yellow.

Female: dull golden olive below.

Habitat: Mainly in humid forests, wet pre-montane and montane forests, at forest borders, and in tall or older second growth woodland, sometimes also in tall trees in clearings. Locally in lowlands in western Amazonia, and found at sea level in southeastern Brazil.

Food: Forages almost exclusively on fruits and some insects. Occurs in pairs and more often in groups or families up to approximately 12 individuals. Spends long periods in clumps of mistletoe, forages mainly from mid-levels to canopy, generally inconspicuous except for occasional soft calls. Noted for gleaning insects on mossy limbs.

Breeding: Breeds late November in northeastern Argentina. Forms a grassy ball shaped nest, with side entrance. Clutch is 3 eggs, white with chestnut speckled. Nestlings fed by regurgitation.

Voice: Nasal note, mainly for contact when perched or foraging. Song in all areas choppy. Rather unmusical series of call notes, liquid whistles, soft and sharp notes, at fairly brisk pace.

• Call: http://macaulaylibrary.org/audio/148171/chlorophonia-cyanea-blue-naped-chlorophonia-peru-puno-mark-robbins
• Song: http://macaulaylibrary.org/audio/120875/chlorophonia-cyanea-blue-naped-chlorophonia-bolivia-la-paz-a-bennett-hennessey

Status: Not globally threatened, rare to locally fairly common. Widespread in montane regions, although distribution somewhat patchy with variable abundance, occurs in protected areas,  species range also includes considerable intact habitat that is unprotected but have relatively little risk for the future of existence. Deforestation in Atlantic and coastal regions portions of range is greatest threat to species. In Southeastern Brazil, present in many protected areas, but relatively little habitat outside of protected areas available to species.

Resources:

• Factsheet: http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=9375
• Videos: http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/blue-naped-chlorophonia-chlorophonia-cyanea?only=videos#videos
• Photos: http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/blue-naped-chlorophonia-chlorophonia-cyanea?only=photos#photos