Northern and central Argentina (Salta, southern Formosa and Corrientes south to eastern La Pampa and northern Río Negro), extreme south-eastern Brazil (southern and western Rio Grande do Sul) and Uruguay.
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is 1,500 - 3,000 (2010) and decreasing.
Yellow Cardinal (Gubernatrix cristata) [XC510920]
by JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA from Barra do Quara\u00ed, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (call)
Yellow Cardinal (Gubernatrix cristata) [XC686597]
by JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA from Parque Estadual do Esphinillo Barra do Quara\u00ed, Brazil (call)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Genus has sometimes been placed with the cardinals (Cardinalidae), but morphological data suggest that this is unwarranted. Considered probably part of the tanager group (Thraupidae), but precise taxonomic position and closest relatives remain to be determined. Has hybridized with Common Diuca-finch (Diuca diuca) in the wild, perhaps suggesting that it belongs in the tanager clade with Diuca, Paroaria and others.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet