Black-throated Finch on Saunders Island, Falklands
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.
Size: 2184px × 3276px
Location: Saunders Island Falklands South Atlantic
Photo credit: © Philip Jones / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: _d, atlantic, birds, black-throated, falkland, falklands, finch, island, islands, malvinas, melanodera, pt, saunder, south, vertical, white-bridled
