Red-crested Cardinal

Paroaria coronata

South American native gone feral in Hawaii. Brilliant red crest, clean white chest, sings from conspicuous perches.

Population: Not separately quantified as a global figure by IUCN/BirdLife; described as common to fairly common across its range (especially in the Gran Chaco), with a suspected slow ongoing decline driven by trapping for the cage-bird trade (documented illegal exports, e.g. 1,375 birds to the US in 1978 alone) and habitat loss
Habitat: Semi-open country: subtropical/tropical dry shrubland and degraded former forest/scrubland (especially the Gran Chaco), usually below 500 m and often near rivers, marshes, and lakes; also adapts well to parks, gardens, and cultivated/urban edges in both native and introduced ranges
Fun fact: Despite its name and cardinal-like red crest, the Red-crested Cardinal is not a true cardinal (family Cardinalidae) — it belongs to the tanager family Thraupidae; its species name "coronata" is Latin for "crowned," referring to the raised crest.
Range: Native to south-central South America: northeastern Bolivia, Paraguay, southeastern Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul, southern Pantanal), Uruguay, and central/northern Argentina; introduced and established in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Chile, with reported occurrences in Ecuador, Peru, and Japan
Diet: Omnivorous ground forager, typically in pairs, small groups, or flocks of up to ~50: grass and other seeds and fruit as the primary diet, supplemented with insects/small arthropods such as winged ants and termites
Size: 0.19 m
Lifespan: 10 years

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