Euphonia mesochrysa
The Bronze-green Euphonia is a small, stocky, and short-tailed songbird, typically measuring around 10-11 cm (4.0-4.3 inches) in length and weighing between 12-18 grams. Males are striking, boasting iridescent bronze-green upperparts, including the crown, nape, back, wings, and tail, contrasted by a black forehead and throat, culminating in bright yellow underparts. Females, in contrast, exhibit a more subdued olive-green on their upperparts with a dusky head and duller olive-yellow on their ...
This euphonia primarily inhabits humid montane evergreen forests, forest edges, and secondary growth, favoring elevations typically between 500 and 2000 meters in the Andean foothills and slopes.
This species is highly frugivorous, specializing in mistletoe berries (especially from Phoradendron species), but also consumes other small fruits and a minor proportion of insects and spiders, typically gleaned from foliage.
Bronze-green Euphonias are diurnal birds, actively foraging throughout the day, often in the canopy or mid-story of forests. They are primarily arboreal, employing gleaning techniques to find small fruits and insects. Males are territorial, defending their breeding grounds with their distinctive,...
The Bronze-green Euphonia is a resident species, distributed along the humid montane slopes and foothills of the Andes in South America, from Colombia south to northern Peru. Its distribution is fragmented and includes three recognized subspecies. *Euphonia mesochrysa mesochrysa* is found along t...
Least Concern
- The Bronze-green Euphonia is one of the more specialized fruit-eaters, with mistletoe berries forming a significant portion of its diet. - Its digestive system is uniquely adapted to quickly process mistletoe berries, effectively dispersing their sticky seeds to new host plants. - The genus nam...