Bird Guide

Olive-backed Euphonia vs Purple-throated Euphonia

Olive-backed Euphonia (Euphonia gouldi)

Olive-backed Euphonia

Euphonia gouldi

Tiny14 gForest

The olive-backed euphonia is 9 to 10 cm (3.5 to 3.9 in) long and weighs about 11 to 16 g (0.39 to 0.56 oz). It is a small euphonia with a thick stubby bill. The species is sexually dimorphic. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a yellow forehead; the patch extends to the rear of the eye and sometimes has light black flecks. The rest of their crown, and their nape, upperparts, and tail are olive-green. All of them except the uppertail coverts have a bluish gray gloss. Voice: The olive-backed euphonia's song is "a rapid jumble of chatters, buzzes, and harsh whistles". Its calls "include a chi'chi'chi'cheet and a liquid tsip'please-seeee'up!. Another description of its song is "a rambling medley of whistles, chatters and staccato notes, some dry and chaffy, some musical" that may continue for a long time.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Andy Morffew from Itchen Abbas, Hampshire, UK · CC BY 2.0
Purple-throated Euphonia (Euphonia chlorotica)

Purple-throated Euphonia

Euphonia chlorotica

Tiny11 gForest

The purple-throated euphonia is 9 to 10 cm (3.5 to 3.9 in) long and weighs about 8 to 14 g (0.28 to 0.49 oz). The species is sexually dimorphic. Adult males of the nominate subspecies E. c. chlorotica have a bright yellow forehead and forecrown; the color extends to the rear of the eye. The rest of their head and their upperparts are glossy blue-black that in good light has a purplish tinge. The upper side of their tail is blackish and the underside duller with white on the inner webs of the outer two or three pairs of feathers. Voice: The purple-throated euphonia's song is "a jumbled series of squeaks, harsh notes and whistles" that is infrequently heard. A typical call is "a high, clear, whistled teee, deee" that is often lengthened to three or four notes as "teee, deee, deee"; occasionally it makes only a single "teee". The notes are on a single pitch.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: (c) Egon Fink, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Olive-backed Euphonia and Purple-throated Euphonia.