Yellow-billed Cardinal - Paroaria capitata

The Yellow-billed Cardinal is in the tanager family and is an import to the Big Island of Hawaii from South America (Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay). The Yellow-billed Cardinal has a bright red head, black upperparts, white underparts, a black chin, a yellow bill, pinkish legs and orange eyes. Juveniles have a brownish head. At first glance, Yellow-billed Cardinals can be confused with Red-crested Cardinals, but the yellow bill and absence of a crest on the Yellow-billed Cardinals is a giveaway. Further, they are not even closely related. The population on the Big Island is probably due to released/escaped cage birds.

(For more information)

Juvenile

Juvenile, Not sure what is on his head 09/06/2011 - Aimakapa Pond, Kona, HI Juvenile, Not sure what is on his head 09/06/2011 - Aimakapa Pond, Kona, HI

Juvenile, Not sure what is on his head 09/06/2011 - Aimakapa Pond, Kona, HI Juvenile, Not sure what is on his head 09/06/2011 - Aimakapa Pond, Kona, HI

09/08/2011 - Aimakapa Pond, Kona, HI 09/08/2011 - Aimakapa Pond, Kona, HI

Adult

09/09/2011 - Whitington Beach County Park, Big Island, HI 09/09/2011 - Whitington Beach County Park, Big Island, HI	09/08/2011 - Whitington Beach County Park, Big Island, HI 09/08/2011 - Whitington Beach County Park, Big Island, HI	09/08/2011 - Whitington Beach County Park, Big Island, HI 09/08/2011 - Whitington Beach County Park, Big Island, HI
08/27/2012 - National Aviary, Pittsburg, PA 08/27/2012 - National Aviary, Pittsburg, PA

Diet: Yellow-billed Cardinals eat seeds, fruit and insects. They can be seen foraging on the ground hunting for seeds.

Courtship: Mating season begins in October.

Nesting: The nest is deep and cup-shaped and is made of small branches, twigs, grasses and horsehair. Usually two eggs are laid and are alricial (little feathers at birth)

Habitat and Range: They are common on the Kona Coast and are usually found in shrubs and open areas near marshes, lakes and rivers and on the edges of woodlands and forests. I saw them on the lawns around various resorts in Kona.

Vocalization: Their call is a single, squeaky note similar to the red-crested cardinal but softer.

Plumage/Molt No information.

Migration: Not sure about South America, but Yellow-billed Cardinals don't migrate in Hawaii.

Tongue/feet: No information on tongue.

Bibliography:

• http://en.wikipedia.org The Free Encyclopedia, Accessed June, 2012
• http://identify.whatbird.com Waite, Mitchell - WhatBird, Accessed June, 2012
• Hawaii Audubon Society, Hawaii's Birds,Hawaiian Audubon Society, 2005
• Nelson, J. Bryan, Pelicans, Cormorants and their relatives,Oxford University Press, 2005

Top of Page