Blue-black grassquit

The blue-black grassquit (Volatinia jacarina) is a small Neotropical bird in the tanager family, Thraupidae. It is the only member of the genus Volatinia. It is a common and widespread bird that breeds from southern Mexico through Central America, and South America as far as northern Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay, and in Trinidad and Tobago.[2] A male was also observed in Graham County, Arizona on July 15 and July 17, 2023.[3]

Blue-black grassquit
male at Manduri, São Paulo State, Brazil
female at Manduri, São Paulo State, Brazil
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Thraupidae
Genus: Volatinia
Reichenbach, 1850
Species:
V. jacarina
Binomial name
Volatinia jacarina
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Synonyms

Tanagra jacarina Linnaeus, 1766

This species is sexually dimorphic; the male is glossy blue with some white under the wing. The female is brown above and pale buff with darker streaks below.

Taxonomy

The blue-black grassquit was described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1766 in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Tanagra jacarina.[4] Linnaeus based his description on the "Jacarni" that was described in 1648 by the German naturalist Georg Marcgrave in his Historia Naturalis Brasiliae.[5][6] The type locality is eastern Brazil.[6] The specific epithet jacarina is derived from the Tupi language and was used for a type of finch.[7] The blue-black grassquit is now the only species placed in the genus Volatinia and was introduced in 1850 by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach.[8][9] The genus name is a diminutive of the Latin volatus meaning "flying".[10]

Within the tanager family Thraupidae the blue-black grassquit is in the subfamily Tachyphoninae and is a member of a clade that contains the genera Conothraupis and Creurgops.[11][12]

The blue-black grassquit was formerly placed with the buntings in the subfamily Emberizinae rather than with the tanagers in Thraupinae within an expanded family Emberizidae.[6][11]

Three subspecies are recognised:[9]

  • V. j. splendens (Vieillot, 1817) – Mexico to Colombia and east through Venezuela and the Guianas to the Amazon basin; also Trinidad, Tobago and Grenada
  • V. j. jacarina (Linnaeus, 1766) – southeast Peru to east Brazil and south to north Argentina
  • V. j. peruviensis (Peale, 1849) – west Ecuador, west Peru, and northwest Chile

Description

Adult blue-black grassquits are 10.2 cm (4.0 in) long and weigh 9.3 g (0.33 oz). They have a slender conical black bill. The male is glossy blue-black, with a black tail and wings; the white inner underwing is visible in flight or display. Female and immature birds have brown upperparts and dark-streaked buff underparts.

Behavior

Social monogamous, extra-pair fertilizations, intraspecific parasitism, and quasi-parasitism are commonly found.[13][14] During the breeding season, males defend small territories, about 13,0 - 72,5 m2, dominant males are normally lighter.[15] The male has a jumping display, often performed for long periods, which gives rise to the local name "johnny jump-up". This is accompanied by a persistent wheezing jweeee call,[16] jumping several times in a minute.[17] The extravagant display also has a cost of calling attention of the predator, thus displaying increased nest predation.[18] Predation is the main cause of breeding failure,[19] and predator vocalizations can cause an immune-related reaction to this species.[20] Nests are small cups of rootlets (diameter about 7.5 cm) found in herbaceous vegetation 10–50 cm high,[21] clustered at a landscape,[22] and placed preferably at high complex habitat spots.[23] Nests are built by both sexes.[19][24]

Blue-black grassquits will often form flocks when not breeding. They eat seeds, mostly on the ground.[25]

References
  1. BirdLife International (2018). "Volatinia jacarina". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22723396A132162576. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22723396A132162576.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. Rising, James D. (2020). Del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David; De Juana, Eduardo (eds.). "Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina)". www.hbw.com. doi:10.2173/bow.blbgra1.01. S2CID 216219470. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  3. "Rare Bird Alert: July 21, 2023". 21 July 2023.
  4. Linnaeus, Carl (1766). Systema naturae : per regna tria natura, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1, Part 1 (12th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 314.
  5. Marcgrave, Georg (1648). Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (in Latin). Vol. Liber Quintus: Qui agit de Avibus. Lugdun and Batavorum (London and Leiden): Franciscum Hackium and Elzevirium. p. 210.
  6. Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1970). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 13. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 132.
  7. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 210. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  8. Reichenbach, Ludwig (1849). Avium Systema Naturale (in German). Vol. Abt. 2 Bd. 1. Dresden and Leipzig: Friedrich Hofmeister. Plate LXXIX.
  9. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2020). "Tanagers and allies". IOC World Bird List Version 10.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  10. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 404. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  11. Burns, K.J.; Shultz, A.J.; Title, P.O.; Mason, N.A.; Barker, F.K.; Klicka, J.; Lanyon, S.M.; Lovette, I.J. (2014). "Phylogenetics and diversification of tanagers (Passeriformes: Thraupidae), the largest radiation of Neotropical songbirds". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 75: 41–77. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2014.02.006. PMID 24583021.
  12. Burns, K.J.; Unitt, P.; Mason, N.A. (2016). "A genus-level classification of the family Thraupidae (Class Aves: Order Passeriformes)". Zootaxa. 4088 (3): 329–354. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4088.3.2. PMID 27394344.
  13. Carvalho, Carlos B. V.; Macedo, Regina H.; Graves, Jefferson A. (2006-08-01). "Breeding strategies of a socially monogamous neotropical passerine: extra-pair fertilizations, behavior, and morphology". The Condor. 108 (3): 579–590. doi:10.1650/0010-5422(2006)108[579:BSOASM]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0010-5422. S2CID 86341179.
  14. Manica, Lilian T.; Graves, Jeff A.; Podos, Jeffrey; Macedo, Regina H. (2016-12-01). "Multimodal flight display of a neotropical songbird predicts social pairing but not extrapair mating success". Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 70 (12): 2039–2052. doi:10.1007/s00265-016-2208-x. ISSN 0340-5443. S2CID 40033522.
  15. Santos, Eduardo S.A.; Maia, Rafael; Macedo, Regina H. (2009). "Condition-dependent resource value affects male–male competition in the blue–black grassquit". Behavioral Ecology. 20 (3): 553–559. doi:10.1093/beheco/arp031. ISSN 1465-7279.
  16. Manica, Lilian T.; Macedo, Regina H.; Graves, Jeff A.; Podos, Jeffrey (2016-09-20). "Vigor and skill in the acrobatic mating displays of a Neotropical songbird". Behavioral Ecology. 28 (1): 164–173. doi:10.1093/beheco/arw143. ISSN 1045-2249.
  17. Carlos Biagolini-Jr. (2018-04-25), Tiziu - Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina), archived from the original on 2021-12-12, retrieved 2018-05-14
  18. Dias, Raphael I.; Castilho, Leonardo; Macedo, Regina H. (2010-11-01). "Experimental Evidence that Sexual Displays are Costly for Nest Survival". Ethology. 116 (11): 1011–1019. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.2010.01817.x. ISSN 1439-0310.
  19. Carvalho, C. B. V.; Macedo, R. H. F.; Graves, J. A. (May 2007). "Reproduction of Blue-black Grassquits in central Brazil". Brazilian Journal of Biology. 67 (2): 275–281. doi:10.1590/S1519-69842007000200012. ISSN 1519-6984. PMID 17876437.
  20. Caetano, João V.O.; Maia, Maya R.; Manica, Lilian T.; MacEdo, Regina H. (2014-11-01). "Immune-related effects from predation risk in Neotropical blue-black grassquits (Volatinia jacarina)". Behavioural Processes. 109: 58–63. doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2014.07.003. ISSN 0376-6357. PMID 25038547. S2CID 5412283.
  21. Almeida, Juliana B.; Macedo, Regina H. (2001-04-01). "Lek-like mating system of the monogamous blue-black grassquit". The Auk. 118 (2): 404–411. doi:10.1642/0004-8038(2001)118[0404:LLMSOT]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0004-8038. S2CID 59361668.
  22. Dias, Raphael Igor; Kuhlmann, Marcelo; Lourenço, Luciane R.; Macedo, Regina H. (2009-11-01). "Territorial Clustering in the Blue-Black Grassquit: Reproductive Strategy in Response to Habitat and Food Requirements?". The Condor. 111 (4): 706–714. doi:10.1525/cond.2009.090142. ISSN 0010-5422. S2CID 84877861.
  23. Aguilar, Thais M.; Dias, Raphael I.; Oliveira, Ailton C.; Macedo, Regina H. (2008-03-01). "Nest‐site selection by Blue‐black Grassquits in a Neotropical savanna: do choices influence nest success?". Journal of Field Ornithology. 79 (1): 24–31. doi:10.1111/j.1557-9263.2008.00142.x. ISSN 1557-9263.
  24. Carlos Biagolini-Jr. (2018-04-25), Tiziu - Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina), archived from the original on 2021-12-12, retrieved 2018-05-14
  25. Ridgely, Robert S.; Tudor, Guy (2009). Birds of South America: Passerines. Helm Field Guides. London: Christopher Helm. p. 630. ISBN 978-1-408-11342-4.
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