Bird Guide

Orange-bellied Euphonia vs Thick-billed Euphonia

Orange-bellied Euphonia (Euphonia xanthogaster)

Orange-bellied Euphonia

Euphonia xanthogaster

Tiny13 gForest

The orange-bellied euphonia is 9 to 11 cm (3.5 to 4.3 in) long and weighs 9 to 16 g (0.32 to 0.56 oz). It has a thick stubby bill. The species is sexually dimorphic. Adult males of the nominate subspecies E. x. xanthogaster have a deep yellow forehead; the patch extends to well beyond the eye. The rest of their head and their nape are glossy blackish. Their upperparts, wing coverts, and flight feathers are glossy blue-black. The upper side of their tail is blue-black and the underside gray with white inner webs on the outer two to three pairs of feathers. Their throat is purplish black. Voice: The orange-bellied euphonia's song has some regional differences but their significance has not been studied. In Ecuador it has been described as "a variable, almost random-sounding, series of semimusical phrases given in a leisurely manner" and its calls as "a clear ding-ding-ding, a chee!, an upslurred kueé, and a more gravely cheeur-cheeur".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Niels Krabbe · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: in Alcide Dessalines d'Orbigny · Public domain
Thick-billed Euphonia (Euphonia laniirostris)

Thick-billed Euphonia

Euphonia laniirostris

Small15 gForest

The thick-billed euphonia is about 10 cm (3.9 in) long and weighs 13 to 16.5 g (0.46 to 0.58 oz). It is a small euphonia with one of the thicker bills of all euphonias, though it is not dramatically larger than the others'. The species is sexually dimorphic. Adult males of the nominate subspecies E. l. laniirostris have a bright yellow forehead; the patch extends slightly past the eye. The rest of their crown and their face, nape, and upperparts are glossy blue-black. Their upperwing coverts and flight feathers are dusky with a dark blue tinge. Voice: The thick-billed euphonia is rather vocal and a good mimic of other birds' vocalizations. Its song is "highly variable, a choppy series of call notes mixed with whistles, warbles, and piercing notes". Another description is "a long rambling series of original notes and mimicked notes of other birds". Its calls include " loud, sharp, whistled preet!

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Niels Krabbe · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: (c) Jan Ebr & Ivana Ebrová, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jan Ebr & Ivana Ebrová · cc-by

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Orange-bellied Euphonia and Thick-billed Euphonia.