Vermilion cardinal

The vermilion cardinal (Cardinalis phoeniceus) is a species of bird in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.[2]

Vermilion cardinal
Male
Female
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae
Genus: Cardinalis
Species:
C. phoeniceus
Binomial name
Cardinalis phoeniceus
Bonaparte, 1838
Synonyms

Approximate distribution map

  Year-round

Taxonomy and systematics

The vermilion cardinal is monotypic.[2] It and the other species of genus Cardinalis were at one time placed in genera Richmondena and Pyrrhuloxia. The vermilion cardinal is more closely related to the pyrrhuloxia (C. sinuatus) than to the northern cardinal (C. cardinalis).[3][4]

Description

The vermilion cardinal is 19 cm (7.5 in) long. Both sexes have long feathers on the crown that are typically erect. The male is almost entirely red, though it varies from very bright to somewhat dusky. It has a narrow black band around the lower part of its heavy gray bill. The female's crown is gray and the elongated feathers red. The rest of the head is brownish gray with white patches near the bill. The upperparts are grayish brown warming to brown on the rump and the underparts are buffy cinnamon. The juvenile is similar to the female but with more, and richer, brown.[4]

Distribution and habitat

The vermilion cardinal is found in two disjunct areas. One spans from the Guajira Peninsula of northeastern Colombia into northern Venezuela as far as Lara state. The other is further east in Venezuela, from Anzoátegui state east to Sucre state including Margarita Island. It inhabits semi-arid scrublands characterized by cactus and spiny legumes. It generally is found from sea level to 300 m (980 ft) but has been recorded as high as 700 m (2,300 ft) in Lara.[4]

Behavior

Feeding

The vermilion cardinal forages singly, in pairs, or in small groups through low vegetation. Its diet includes invertebrates, fleshy fruits, and seeds.[4]

Breeding

Six vermilion cardinal nests have been described, all from Margarita Island. They were open cups placed in cactus or a bush. The nesting season spanned June to early August. Four of the nests had three eggs and one had four. Only the female incubates the eggs and broods the nestlings but both sexes feed the young.[4]

Vocalization

The vermilion cardinal's song is "a pleasant...'cheer o-weet-toweet toweet toweet'" . Its call is a "chip" .[4]

Status

The IUCN has assessed the vermilion cardinal as being of Least Concern.[1] Though it has a restricted range, it appears to be common in much of it. However, capture for the pet trade in some locations "undoubtedly has significant negative effect on populations."[4]

References
  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Vermilion Cardinal Cardinalis phoeniceus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  2. Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P. (January 2021). "IOC World Bird List (v 11.1)". Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  3. Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 19 January 2021. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved January 19, 2021
  4. Brewer, D. (2020). Vermilion Cardinal (Cardinalis phoeniceus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.vercar1.01 retrieve May 15, 2021
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