Melanodera melanodera

White-bridled finch
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Thraupidae
Genus:	Melanodera
Species:	M. melanodera
Binomial name
Melanodera melanodera (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)

The white-bridled finch (Melanodera melanodera), also known as the canary-winged finch or black-throated finch, is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus Melanodera together with the yellow-bridled finch (M. xanthogramma). Formerly placed in the family Emberizidae, it is now considered a tanager. It is found in grassland in southernmost South America. There are two subspecies: M. m. melanodera in the Falkland Islands and M. m. princetoniana in southern Argentina and Chile.

The male is grey-green above and yellow below with a grey head and upper breast. It has a black throat and mask which are bordered with white. There are large yellow patches in the wings and tail. Females are brown with dark streaks. They have yellow outer tail-feathers and yellow fringes to the wing feathers.

It is 14–15 cm long. Birds on the mainland are smaller than those on the Falklands with a smaller bill and more yellow in the wings and tail.

The call is a short, high-pitched note and the song is a repeated series of two or three whistles. It sings from a low perch such as a rock or grass tussock.

It is common throughout the Falklands where it occurs up to about 150m above sea-level but is most often found in coastal areas. On the South American mainland it is thinly-distributed up to 580m above sea-level in Magallanes Region in Chile and Santa Cruz Province in Argentina. Its range extends southwards from about 47°S to northern Tierra del Fuego. It is typically found in flat areas of grassland, heathland, farmland or dunes.

The population on the Falklands is about 7,000-14,000 pairs and the species is not considered to be threatened. However it is thought to be declining on the mainland because of overgrazing.

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Wikipedia