{"id":247112,"date":"2026-02-06T08:49:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T13:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fauna\/saffron-finch\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T14:16:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T19:16:24","slug":"saffron-finch","status":"publish","type":"fauna","link":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/faune-2\/saffron-finch\/","title":{"rendered":"Saffron finch"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sicalis flaveola<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":264312,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":""},"collection":[],"country":[11],"fauna-group":[27523],"fauna-type":[27217],"class_list":["post-247112","fauna","type-fauna","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","country-colombia","fauna-group-finches","fauna-type-birds"],"acf":{"scientific_name":"Sicalis flaveola","animal_description":"The Saffron finch (*Sicalis flaveola*) is a vibrant, sun-drenched songbird native to South America that, despite its name, is actually a member of the tanager family. Renowned for its brilliant golden-yellow plumage, the male is particularly striking with a fiery orange-red patch on its crown and dark wings delicately edged in lemon, while females typically display more subdued, streaked olive tones. These ground-dwelling foragers possess sturdy, conical beaks perfect for a diet of seeds and small insects, and they are beloved for their cheerful, rhythmic melodies. Beyond its radiant appearance, the Saffron finch is known for its remarkably bold personality; it is a highly competitive nester that often foregoes building its own home, instead choosing to commandeer the abandoned mud nests of other birds to raise its young.","animal_habitat":"This species is widely distributed across South America, occupying a vast range that includes Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil, extending south through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia into northern Argentina and Uruguay. Beyond its native range, it has been successfully introduced to several locations, including Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Panama. It is primarily a bird of the lowlands, though it can be found in some Andean valleys at moderate elevations.\n\nIn terms of habitat, it favors open and semi-open environments such as grasslands, savannas, and agricultural fields. It is highly adaptable to human-modified landscapes and is frequently seen in suburban gardens, urban parks, and pastures. It generally avoids dense, continuous forests, preferring areas with scattered trees or scrub where it can easily forage on the ground.","animal_behavior_and_reproduction":"Highly social outside of the breeding season, these birds often gather in large, active flocks to forage for seeds on the ground. When the reproductive period begins, males become intensely territorial, using persistent, melodic songs and physical displays to attract females and defend their chosen site. They typically form monogamous pairs and can produce multiple broods per year if environmental conditions remain favorable.\n\nTheir reproductive strategy is notably opportunistic, as they frequently utilize pre-existing structures rather than building new nests from scratch. They are well-known for occupying abandoned cavities or the sturdy mud nests of rufous horneros, a behavior that sometimes involves competing with or displacing other bird species. Both parents contribute to the care of the young, though the female primarily handles the incubation of the eggs.","diet":"The Saffron finch is predominantly a granivorous bird, meaning its diet consists mainly of various seeds and small grains found on the ground in open grasslands, pastures, and urban lawns. While they rely heavily on grass seeds, these finches are also opportunistic foragers that supplement their nutrition with small insects and other arthropods, particularly during the breeding season when higher protein levels are essential for developing chicks. An interesting aspect of their feeding behavior is their tendency to forage in small, sociable flocks, often intermingling with other species like sparrows to search for food in short vegetation. Furthermore, they have been observed occasionally consuming small fruits and berries, demonstrating a versatile appetite that allows them to thrive in both wild and human-altered environments.","colors":"Adult males are defined by a vibrant saffron-yellow body and a distinctive bright orange-red patch on the crown, complemented by dark olive wing and tail feathers edged in yellow. In contrast, females and juveniles display a more muted, heavily streaked brownish-grey or olive-yellow plumage, providing effective camouflage against the dry grasses and scrub where they forage.","fun_facts":"Despite their name, Saffron finches are actually members of the tanager family and are notorious \"nest pirates\" that frequently seize the abandoned mud nests of Rufous horneros or evict other birds from their homes. They are remarkably opportunistic, often nesting in quirky spots like bamboo tubes, electrical boxes, or even discarded boots left outdoors. These vibrant birds possess a surprisingly feisty temperament; males are so fiercely territorial that they engage in elaborate singing duels and physical skirmishes to defend their turf. Interestingly, while they are primarily seed-eaters, they have a clever habit of foraging for insects around human habitations, making them one of the most adaptable and bold songbirds in South America.","conservation_status_&_efforts":"The Saffron finch is currently classified as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with a population trend that is considered stable and potentially increasing. Its ability to adapt to human-modified environments, such as urban parks, gardens, and agricultural lands, has allowed it to maintain a vast range across South America. While the species is frequently targeted for the illegal pet trade due to its attractive plumage and song, its high reproductive rate and widespread distribution prevent these pressures from causing significant population declines.\n\nConservation efforts for the Saffron finch are primarily focused on general wildlife protection laws and the regulation of the bird trade rather than species-specific recovery programs. In many regions, it benefits from the establishment of protected areas and urban green spaces that provide suitable nesting sites. Public awareness campaigns regarding the illegal trafficking of songbirds also play a role in mitigating the impact of poaching, ensuring that the species remains common and secure throughout its natural habitat.","endemic":false,"conservation_status":"Least Concern","ebird_link":{"url":"https:\/\/ebird.org\/species\/saffi1","title":"View on Ebird","target":"_blank"},"animal_related_page":{"url":"https:\/\/animalia.bio\/saffron-finch","title":"View on Animalia","target":"_blank"},"fauna_family":"Thraupidae","fauna_known_nicknames":"Canario da terra, Saffron-yellow Finch, Pelzeln's Finch","fauna_average_length":"14\u201315 cm \/ 5.5\u20136 in","fauna_average_weight":"12\u201322 g \/ 0.42\u20130.78 oz","fauna_wingspan":"20\u201325 cm \/ 8\u201310 in","fauna_key_physical_feature":"Bright yellow plumage with a distinct orange-red patch on the forehead and crown of the male","fauna_primary_diet":"Primarily Granivore (seeds and small grains, occasionally insects)","fauna_geographical_range":"South America (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina); introduced to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica","fauna_preferred_habitat":"Open and semi-open lowlands, shrublands, savannahs, pastures, and urban parks or gardens","fauna_social_structure":"Highly Social (forms small to medium-sized flocks outside of the breeding season)","fauna_breeding_site":"Cavity nester (utilizes tree hollows, bamboo stalks, abandoned nests of other birds, or man-made structures)","fauna_conservation_status":"Least Concern (LC)","fauna_population_trend":"Increasing","fauna_spanish_name":"Canario de tejado","fauna_french_name":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fauna\/247112","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fauna"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/fauna"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/264312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=247112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"collection","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/collection?post=247112"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=247112"},{"taxonomy":"fauna-group","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fauna-group?post=247112"},{"taxonomy":"fauna-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fauna-type?post=247112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}