An almost completely yellow bird wearing a black mask that transforms into an iridescent purple cape on his back.
Meet the Thick Billed Euphonia
Photo Courtesy of Félix Uribe/CC BY-SA 2.0
The thick-billed euphonia (Euphonia laniirostris) is a bird wearing dark blue plumage on his upper parts with yellow underparts and a splash of yellow on the forecrown going to the rear of the crown. A black mask runs from the base of the bill to the sides of the head. In certain light, the dark blue plumage of the upper parts and tail may appear black.
Photo Courtesy of Charlie Jackson/CC BY 2.0
Female birds are olive green on their upper parts and yellow on their bellies with an olive-washed breast.
As juvenile male birds mature, they develop that dark head coloration before the back changes to its natural color.
Photo Courtesy of ryanacandee/CC BY 2.0
These birds are found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
Photo Courtesy of julian londono/CC BY-SA 2.0
The Thick-billed Euphonia prefers to inhabit shrubby areas and forest edges in lowlands to lower foothills.
Photo Courtesy of Félix Uribe/CC BY-SA 2.0
An omnivorous bird, these birds dine on a variety of fruits and insects, in particular mistletoe berries.
Photo Courtesy of Félix Uribe/CC BY-SA 2.0
During the breeding season, they build a spherical nest into which the female lays 2 to 5 white eggs with chestnut spots and incubates them for around 15 days.
Photo Courtesy of Brian Gratwicke/CC BY 2.0
This bird is regarded as of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Photo Courtesy of Becky Matsubara/CC BY-SA 2.0
You can watch this bird right here in the video below: