Grassland Yellow Finch (Sicalis luteola) [XC506250]
by JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA from Catamarca: Salina Grande, Argentina (call)
Grassland Yellow Finch (Sicalis luteola) [XC288533]
by Kassius Santos from Bom Jardim da Serra, Bom Jardim da Serra, Santa Catarina, Brazil (song)
Subspecies
Molecular-genetic data suggest that genus is most closely related to the "hooded" group of sierra-finches (Black-hooded Sierra-Finch (Phrygilus atriceps), Peruvian Sierra-Finch (Phrygilus punensis), Grey-hooded Sierra-Finch (Phrygilus gayi) and Patagonian Sierra-Finch (Phrygilus patagonicus). Also, that it belongs within the tanager family (Thraupidae). This species previously considered conspecific with Raimondi's Yellow-Finch (Sicalis raimondii) owing to similarities in plumage, but the two occur sympatrically in coastal southern Peru and behave as good biological species. Has been suggested that subspecies may constitute up to three separate species, nominate, flavissima and chapmani forming one species, chrysops, mexicana, eisenmanni and bogotensis another, and luteiventris a third. Others suggest that only two main groups are involved, luteiventris being a separate species and all other subspecies being conspecific. A detailed study of geographical plumage variation, vocalizations and genetics is needed.
The following 8 subspecies are recognised:
mexicana Brodkorb, 1943 - Central Mexico (Pacific slope in Puebla and Morelos).
chrysops Sclater, PL, 1862 - Southern Mexico (Caribbean slope in Veracruz and Chiapas), southern Guatemala (Sacatepéquez), and Mosquitia region of eastern Honduras and north-eastern Nicaragua.
eisenmanni Wetmore, 1953 - North-western Costa Rica (Guanacaste) and central Panama (Coclé).
luteola (Sparrman, 1789) - Colombia (lower elevations of western Andes, and valleys of R Cauca and R Magdalena), Venezuela (Falcón, Monagas and Bolívar), Guyana and adjacent northern Brazil (R Branco region).
bogotensis Chapman, 1924 - Andes of Venezuela and eastern range in Colombia south through highlands of Ecuador to southern Peru (Arequipa).
flavissima Todd, 1922 - Suriname south to mouth of R Amazon (Brazil).
chapmani Ridgway, 1899 - Lower R Amazon in Brazil (central Pará).
luteiventris (Meyen, 1834) - Breeds in southern Brazil (Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul), Uruguay, lowlands of northern and central Argentina (Santiago de Estero and Corrientes south to Chubut) and central Chile (southern Coquimbo south to Valdivia). Winters north to southe. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Misto Yellow-Finch (Sicalis luteiventris).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet