Photo: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Yellow-billed Cardinal
Paroaria capitata
Yellow-billed Cardinal (Paroaria capitata) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 9 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Yellow-billed Cardinal (Paroaria capitata) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 22.3 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Thraupidae Tanagers & Allies
- Genus Paroaria
- Species capitata
Where it lives
Central, eastern Bolivia and southwestern Brazil through northeastern Argentina and northwestern Uruguay
Quick facts
- Weight
- 22.3 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Yellow-billed Cardinal is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Yellow-billed Cardinal is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Yellow-billed Cardinal (Paroaria capitata) belongs to the Thraupidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA c, e Bolivia and sw Brazil through ne Argentina and nw Uruguay.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 22.3 g, with a wing length of about 8 cm and a tail of around 7.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Yellow-billed Cardinal?
The Yellow-billed Cardinal is a small bird that weighs around 22.3 g.
Where does the Yellow-billed Cardinal live?
The Yellow-billed Cardinal is found across South America with a range covering SA c, e Bolivia and sw Brazil through ne Argentina and nw Uruguay, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Yellow-billed Cardinal belong to?
The Yellow-billed Cardinal (Paroaria capitata) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Yellow-billed Cardinal eat?
The Yellow-billed Cardinal is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Yellow-billed Cardinal migrate?
The Yellow-billed Cardinal is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Yellow-billed Cardinal endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Yellow-billed Cardinal make?
1 real field recording of the Yellow-billed Cardinal — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Yellow-billed Cardinal's range?
The Yellow-billed Cardinal has a mapped global range of about 1.5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Thraupidae
A field guide to the Thraupidae family — 394 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.