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Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Photographs on this page were taken by Paul Smith and Matt Denton and are used with permission.
LONG-TAILED REED-FINCH Donacospiza albifrons
Family groups of this edgy finch inhabit flooded tall grass marshes and reedbeds. If they don't want to be seen you won't see them, as they skulk low and out of sight, but get up early enough in the morning and they are more obliging, perching conspicuously on swaying stems taking in the sun. You're more likely to come across them by chance whilst wading through the sea of grass. Unlike most of the birds that share their habitat they flush to a high perch, the top of a nearby bush or small tree, and call agitatedly while flicking the wings and tail. Only when they feel assured that you mean them no harm do they disappear back into thicker cover.
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPAVE2506PH) Juvenile (left) and adult (right), Arroyos y Esteros, Departamento Cordillera (Paul Smith November 2008).
FIGURE 2 - (FPAVE2507PH) Adult male, Arroyo Mboi Kae, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith August 2005).
FIGURE 3 - (FPAVE2508PH) Same individual as (FPAVE2507PH) upperwing (Paul Smith August 2005).
FIGURE 4 - (FPAVE3071PH) Pair, Arroyos y Esteros, Departamento Cordillera (Matt Denton October 2010).
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Donacospiza albifrons
1 (FPAVE2509VI) song recorded Estancia Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro (Paul Smith October 2008).
Click the link to hear the call. Longer versions of this call can be downloaded from the Paraguay page of our partner website Xeno-Canto - the largest collection of freely downloadable Neotropical bird calls available online.