English             -             Red-crested Finch

Portuguese    -              Tico-tico-rei

Latin                -              Coryphospingus Cucullatus

I photographed the Red-crested Finch when we were visiting the Pantanal. We were driving down a dirt road called MS184. We stopped at one of the many watering holes that are created when the water evaporates in the dry season. I got out of the car and I was observing what was out and about when I saw a movement in a bush to my right and noticed a pair of Red-crested Finch rustling around in that bush. The day was hot but a bit over cast so I couldn’t get my shutter speed up to where I would have liked. The first photo is of a male and the second photo is of a female.

* The Red-crested Finch is a compact wee bird of 14 cm in length and weighs around 18 gr.

* It has a song a musical 2 or 3 notes series ’chidut-WEET chidut-WEET chidut-WEET or a high ‘spit’ when calling.

* It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay and Peru east of the Andes.

* Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrub land, and heavily degraded former forest.

* The Red-crested Finch mainly forage on the ground, taking seeds, fruits and invertebrates.

* The female lays 2-3 white eggs with a few brown spots, which she incubates alone for 11-15 days. The chicks fledge 11-14 days after hatching, but are not yet able to fly. They continue to be fed by the male and only become independent 3-4 weeks later. Each pair can raise 2-3 clutches per year.

* The Red-crested Finch is generally a common species within its range. Its population trend seems to be steady. It has a very extensive range and therefore on the IUCN red list it is a species ”of least concern”.