Grassland Yellow-Finch

On our second day in Trinidad the group went to the Aripo Savannah, where we saw quite of a variety of species, many of them new to us. When Richard ffench wrote his classic Guide to the Birds of Trinidad & Tobago there were no records of the Grassland Yellow-Finch, Sicalis luteola, first spotted in Trinidad in 2004. In the 2007 Birods of Trinidad and Tobago by Kenefick et. al. they reported an established population of about 50 birds on Trinidad. We saw this male at some distance from the road, but close enough for a documentary photo.

It was a bit confusing to research the Grassland Yellow-Finch, as it has been moved from a family that included the Sparrows, Buntings and Seedeaters (Emberizidae) into the Tanager Family (Thraupidae). It's a small finch of open grasslands, eating seed and insects, and is found from Mexico down to Brazil and Peru. It seems that some of the non-migratory populations are disjunct enough that they may be considered separate species soon. The male is bright yellow underneath and darker above, with yellow around the eye. Female similar, but darker above and less yellow on the face.

Taxonomy as I understand it (seems to be a moving target!):

Order: Passeriformes - Perching Birds (5,000+ species)

Family: Thraupidae - Tanagers and Allies - 372 species, give or take. New World group.

Genus: Sicalis - The Yellow-Finches - 10 species

Species: Sicalis luteola - 7 subspecies. Some many get split, as some subspecies are separated from others and are non-migratory. The Trinidad species if probably the nominate ssp, S. l. luteola.