Violaceous Euphonia

ANIMAL:
Violaceous Euphonia Euphonia violacea

Type of Animal:
Songbird

Habitat:
Forest, second growth, cocoa plantations, citrus plantations, forest borders, clearings, gardens, woodlands, orchards, parks

Location(s):
Far E Colombia, Venezuela, Guiana Shield, N & E Brazil, extreme NE Peru, tiny area of Bolivia bordering Brazil, E Paraguay, far NE Argentina, extreme NW Uruguay, Trinidad, Tobago

Appearance:
Male has glossy blue-black upper body w/ deep golden yellow forehead/belly/chest, females/juveniles olive green above & greenish yellow below

Food/Diet:
Fruit, berries, nectar, insects, vegetables, greens, eggs

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Breeding in zoos, wildlife centers, & aviculture

Lifestyle:
Flocks of 2-10 birds

Additional Info:

Called:
Male: Cock
Female: Hen
Young: Chick
Group: Flock
 
Weight:
0.5 oz

Gestation:
2 weeks

Life Span:
5 years

Height:
4.48 in

Body Length:
4.48 in

Tail Length:
0.55 in

Often flock w/ other bird species
 
Build well-hidden ball-shaped nests w/ side entrance out of leaves/moss/plant fibers.
 
Females lay 3-5 red-blotched white eggs per clutch.
 
Song varied mix of musical notes/squeaks/chattering/imitation.
 
Forages at all levels.
 
Play important role in seed dispersal due to diet.
 
Female does all incubation but both parents take care of chicks.
 
Chicks fledge at 2 weeks but stay w/ parents until they reach 2 months old & reach sexual maturity a month later but often don’t breed until 1st year.
 
Feathers 1st appear at 5 days old.
 
Eyes open at 8 days old.
 
Start eating independently at 24 days old.
 
Usually breed throughout the year.

Fun Fact(s):
Sometimes kept as cage birds due to beauty & song.
 
Once considered to be tanagers, they’re actually members of finch family.
 
Gut specially adapted to digest poisonous mistletoe berries.
Violaceous Euphonia, stock photo

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *