Characteristics of Female Saffron Finches

Both behavior and plumage can help identify the differences between male and female saffron finches. Technically, despite its name, the saffron finch is not a finch, but a tanager. Saffron finches originate in South America, where three separate populations exist in Colombia and Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina, and Ecuador and Peru. They have been introduced in the wild to Hawaii and Jamaica, and to several other parts of the world as caged fighting birds.

  1. Color Markings

    • The male saffron finch sports vibrant yellow and light green plumage with an orange crown that separates it from other yellow birds in South America. The female saffron finch closely resembles the male in coloration, but tends to be slightly smaller and duller than her counterpart. The female's underside is paler than the male's. The female of one subspecies departs greatly from the color scheme, showing overall brown tones with heavy breast streaking. Both male and female members of the species boast two-toned bills; black on top, lightly colored below.

    Behavior

    • Catching a glimpse of a saffron finch on a nest offers a perfect opportunity to tell a male from a female. The pair seeks tree cavities to build their nests, or will use abandoned nests built by species like the rufous hornero. Male saffron finches sing during breeding season to attract a mate, a sweet and repetitive song, and are ferocious defenders of breeding grounds. Females exclusively incubate their eggs without the help of males for 12 to 18 days. While the female is sitting on the nest, the male will not be far away, playing the role of protector. Both the male and the female accept the responsibilities of feeding the young, which, despite their sexes, will resemble the female for the first portion of their lives. The youngsters fledge in 14 to 17 days and go through their first molt after a year to 18 months, after which their sexes should be determinable through examination of their plumage.

    Aging

    • The color of the saffron finches' feathers grows more vibrant over time, making definite identification even more difficult. Because of this fact, an old female saffron finch, despite her inherent dullness in color, could be more brightly hued than a young male after his first molt.

    Conservation Status

    • Without a true population count, but steadily abundant within its natural range, the saffron finch is listed as being of "least concern" by Birdlife International.