Range:

Habitat:

Grasslands and brushy areas; lowlands outside Amazon basin.

Characteristics:

The male is bright yellow with an orange crown which distinguishes it from other yellow finches in the continent. The females are more confusing as they can sometimes be just a duller version of the male but are often olive-brown with heavy dark streaks.

Behavior:

They are cavity nesters; they stuff a messy mass of straw and feathers into a hole in a tree, under eaves of buildings or in rock crevices.

Reproduction:

Nesting can be anywhere between September to April. The courtship usually commences with the male chasing the female around until she gives up trying to escape his advances, when she finally settles down he will sit down beside her and start dancing and flapping his wings while singing. They will build their own nest in shrubbery but also take readily to nest boxes. Five to seven eggs are generally laid. They have white eggs covered in brownish red spots. Incubation is done by the female alone with the male guarding nearby. After thirteen days the chicks hatch and grow quickly, fledging at around three weeks.

Interesting Facts:

Wild saffron finches prefer to live in flocks during the winter while in spring they live in pairs for breeding. Unlike many other finches, they are not migratory.