Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Material on this page was provided by Paul Smith, Hemme Batjes, Myriam Velázquez, Alberto Esquivel,
Arne Lesterhuis and Clyde Morris and are used with their permission.
GREAT PAMPA-FINCH Embernagra platensis
Look around any grassy marsh and it won´t be long before you come into contact with this huge finch. With his long legs, long tail and stocky build he is a unique shape, whilst his bright orange bill is visible at a great distance. Streaky brown juveniles are very different, but are instantly recognisable on shape alone. It has been suggested that the Great Pampa-Finch may actually be two species, one in the Chaco (ssp olivascens), one in the Orient (ssp. platensis), the split being based on differences in bill morphology, but at the moment most authorities treat it as a single species.
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPAVE1655PH) Adult with olive crown ssp platensis, Arroyo Mboi Kae, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith August 2005).
FIGURE 2 - (FPAVE1656PH) Same individual as (FPAVE1655PH) upperwing (Paul Smith August 2005).
FIGURE 3 - (FPAVE1657PH) Adult with grey crown ssp platensis, Arroyo Mboi Kae, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith August 2005).
FIGURE 4 - (FPAVE1658PH) Same individual as (FPAVE1657PH) upperwing (Paul Smith August 2005).
FIGURE 5 - (FPAVE1659PH) Adult ssp olivascens, Ruta Trans-Chaco km120 (Clyde Morris October 2008).
FIGURE 6 - (FPAVE1660PH) Adult ssp olivascens, Ruta Trans-Chaco km120 (Clyde Morris October 2008).
FIGURE 7 - (FPAVE1661PH) Adult ssp olivascens, Ruta Trans-Chaco km79 (Hemme Batjes July 2006).
FIGURE 8 - (FPAVE1662PH) Adult ssp platensis, Cerrito, Departamento Ñeembucú (Arne Lesterhuis June 2004).
FIGURE 9 - (FPAVE1663PH) Adult ssp platensis, location unknown (Alberto Esquivel undated).
VIDEO - (FPAVE1666VI) Adult, Arroyos y Esteros, Departamento Cordillera (Paul Smith September 2010).
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Embernagra platensis
1 (FPAVE1664RE) Call recorded Ayolas, Departamento Misiones (Paul Smith October 2009).
2 (FPAVE1665RE) Song recorded Suribi´i, Departamento Central (Myriam Velázquez March 2000).
Click the link to hear the call. Longer versions of this call can be downloaded from the Paraguay page of our partner website www.xeno-canto.com - the largest collection of freely downloadable Neotropical bird calls available online.