Ultramarine Grosbeak

Ultramarine Bishop, male ( Cyanocompsa brissonii )

The ultramarine Bishop ( Cyanocompsa brissonii ), also Dark Blue Bishop, is a South American songbird of the family of cardinals.

Description

The ultramarine bishop reaches a length of 13 cm to 16 cm. The male has a dark blue plumage with a black forehead streak. In addition to black reins, the male also has a black border of the lower mandible. The top of the head, the cheeks and the small wing-coverts are, however, bright cobalt blue. The large wing-coverts and tail and wing feathers have a black color with dark blue seams, while the dark blue color of the belly to belly center and the under tail-coverts is almost black. The male Ultramarine Bishop has dark brown eyes, dark brown feet and an almost black upper mandible. The lower mandible is towards the base, however, more blue-gray.

The female of the ultramarine bishop has at the top a brown plumage, the head and the bottom have a dark ocher to reddish-brown coloration. The elytra, wings and tail are dark brown and have brown ocher hems. The beak of the female is gray - brown. The young birds of ultramarine Bishop resemble the females, but the brown plumage has a lighter color.

Distribution and habitat

The ultramarine bishop occurs in many parts of South America. He lives in western Colombia and northern Venezuela. Further populations exist in eastern Brazil from Fortaleza to eastern Bolivia, Paraguay and northern Argentina. As habitat preference of pairs or small groups living in ultramarine Bishop bush -strewn grasslands, sparse forest or forest edges. He also colonized river banks and pastures.

Internal system

From ultramarine bishop five subspecies have been described:

• Cyanocompsa brissonii argentinia
• Cyanocompsa brissonii caucae
• Cyanocompsa brissonii cyanea
• Cyanocompsa brissonii minor
• Cyanocompsa brissonii sterrea