Order: PASSERIFORMES - Family: CARDINALIDAE

52 Species currently existing - 26 in region + 1 vagrant

Appearance: Cardinals, belonging to the genus Cardinalis, are medium-sized songbirds known for their striking appearance, especially the males, which typically display vivid red plumage contrasted with black facial masks, while females are more subdued in tones of brown, gray, or olive with reddish highlights; they have stout, conical bills adapted for seed eating and a noticeable crest on the head.

Habitat: The cardinals inhabit a variety of environments including woodlands, forest edges, shrublands, gardens, and urban areas, favoring dense vegetation that provides cover and nesting sites.

Behavior: Cardinals are mostly non-migratory, territorial, and often seen in pairs; they are known for their rich, whistling songs, with both males and females vocalizing, and they feed on seeds, fruits, and insects.

Breeding: During the breeding season, which can occur multiple times a year in suitable climates, they build cup-shaped nests in shrubs or low trees where the female lays and incubates eggs while the male assists by feeding her and later helping to care for the chicks.

Golden Grosbeak

Pheucticus chrysogaster
Spanish Name: Picogordo Amarillo

Size: 8 in |20 cm
Habitat: Humid borders of forests
Height: 1500-2800 m

Photo: © Daniel Pacheco Osorio eBird S163209767 Macaulay Library ML 615440412

Northern Golden Grosbeak (subsp.)

Pheucticus (chrysogaster) laubmanni
Spanish Name: Picogordo Amarillo

Size: 8 in | 20 cm
Habitat: Drier woodland
Height: 1500-2800 m

Photo: © Brian Small

Southern Golden Grosbeak (subsp.)

Pheucticus chrysogaster chrysogaster
Spanish Name: Picogordo Amarillo

Size: 8.5 in | 21.5 cm
Habitat: Dryer semi-open woodland
Height: 1700 - 2800 m

Photo: © Brian Small

Black-backed Grosbeak

Pheucticus aureoventris
Spanish Name: Picogordo Pechinegro

Size: 8.5 in | 21.5 cm
Habitat: forested areas either moist or dry
Height: 1650- 3250 m

Photo: © Pablo Re eBird S84292030 Macaulay Library ML 321320351

Yellow-throated Grosbeak (Subsp.)

Pheucticus (aureoventris) crissalis
Spanish Name: Picogordo Pechidorado

Size: 8.5 in | 21.5 cm
Habitat: open woodland
Height: 1700-3200 m

Photo: © Roger Rodriguez Ardila eBird S38549143 Macaulay Library ML 65558121

Yellow-rumped Grosbeak (Subsp.)

Pheucticus (aureoventris) uropygialis
Spanish Name: Picogordo Pechidorado

Size: 8.5 in | 21.5 cm
Habitat: Humid area
Height: 1700-3200 m

Photo: © Ulrich Menzel eBird S34385550 Macaulay Library ML 48399601

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Pheucticus ludovicianus
Spanish Name: Picogordo Degollado

Size: 7.5 in | 19 cm
Habitat: Dry to humid forest
Height: <3400 m

Photo: © Tom Snow eBird S36444582 Macaulay Library ML 56385 541

Rose-breasted Chat

Granatellus pelzelni
Spanish Name: Candelita Pechiroja

Size: 5.5 in | 14 cm
Habitat: Humid forest
Height: <300 m

Photo: © Andres Vasquez Noboa eBird S260670563 Macaulay Library ML 639044578

Dickcissel

Spiza americana
Spanish Name: Arrocero Norteño

Size: 6 in | 15 cm
Habitat: Rice plantations
Height: <1600 m

Photo: © Martina Nordstrand eBird S68615751 Macaulay Library ML 232134471

Indigo Bunting

Passerina cyanea
Spanish Name: Azulillo Norteño

Size: 5.5in | 14 cm
Habitat: Borders of humid forests
Height: <1800 m

Photo: © Sean Crockett eBird S113647723 Macaulay Library ML 462048641

Blue Grosbeak

Passerina caerulea
Spanish Name: Azulón Norteño

Size: 6.5 in | 16.5 cm
Habitat: Humid and dry forest areas
Height: <1500 m

Photo: © Mark R Johnson eBird S55515967 Macaulay Library ML 154436301

Painted Bunting

Passerina ciris
Spanish Name: Azulillo siete-colores

Size: 5.5 in | 14 cm
Habitat: In San Andres Island
Height: <100 m

Photo: © David Hollie eBird S18582023 Macaulay Library ML 26622721

Blue Seedeater

Amaurospiza moesta
Spanish Name: Semillero Azul

Size: 5 in | 13 cm
Habitat: Shrubs, and bamboo
Height: 1000-1900 m

Photo: © Guillermo Saborío Vega eBird S132863918 Macaulay Library ML 554352631

Ecuadorian Seedeater (Subsp.)

Amaurospiza (moesta) aequatorialis
Spanish Name: Semillero Azul

Size: 5 in | 13 cm
Habitat: Shrubby forest borders
Height: 1000 - 1400 m

Photo: © Nick Athanas eBird S49019570 Macaulay Library ML 117841081

Blue-black Grosbeak

Cyanoloxia cyanoides
Spanish Name: Picogrueso Silvícola

Size: 6.3 in | 16 cm
Habitat: Border of humid forest
Height: < 1400m

Photo: © Guillermo Saborío Vega eBird S47900331 Macaulay Library ML 111241651

Amazonian Grosbeak

Cyanoloxia rothschildii
Spanish Name: Picogrueso Amazónico

Size: 6.3 in | 16 cm
Habitat: Humid forest
Height: <1000 m

Photo: © Ian Davies eBird S15041638 Macaulay Library ML 40755831

Ultramarine Grosbeak

Cyanoloxia brissonii
Spanish Name: Picogrueso Ultramarino

Size: 6 in | 15 cm
Habitat: Arid woodland
Height: 300-1600 m

Photo: © Pablo Re eBird S58470663 Macaulay Library ML 169883921

Red-throated Ant-tanager

Habia fuscicauda
Spanish Name: Habia Gorgirroja

Size: 7.5 in | 19 cm
Habitat: Dry to moist lowland forest
Height: <200 m

Photo: © Brendan Fogarty eBird S100765522 Macaulay Library ML 410639691

Red-Throated Ant-Tanager (Subsp.)

Había (fuscicauda) fuscicauda
Spanish Name: Habia Gorgirroja

Size: 7.5 in | 19 cm
Habitat: Dry to Humid forest border
Height: <200 m

Photo: © Illustration by Hilary Burn.

Sooty Ant-tanager

Habia gutturalis
Spanish Name: Habia Ceniza

Size: 7.5 in | 19cm
Habitat: Humid forest
Height: 100-1400 m

Photo: © Peter Hawrylyshyn eBird S25307864 Macaulay Library ML 20284191

Crested Ant-tanager

Habia cristata
Spanish Name: Habia Copetona

Size: 7.5 in | 19 cm
Habitat: Humid forest
Height: 700-2100 m

Photo: © Peter Hawrylyshyn eBird S39347064 Macaulay Library ML 69700841

Red-crowned Ant-tanager

Habia rubica
Spanish Name: Habia Coronada

Size: 7 in | 18 cm
Habitat: Humid forest
Height: <800 m

Photo: © Fernando Farias eBird S60423612 Macaulay Library ML 181093951

Carmiol's Tanager

Habia carmioli
Spanish Name: Guayabero de Carmiol

Size: 7 in | 18 cm
Habitat: Wet and humid forest borders
Height: 200-1400 m

Photo: © Leandro Arias Salazar eBird S55820453 Macaulay Library ML 156188641

Yellow-lored Tanager

Habia frenata
Spanish Name: Guayabero Cejiamarillo

Size: 7 in | 18 cm
Habitat: In wet and humid forests
Height: 500-1100 m

Lemon-spectacled Tanager

Habia olivácea
Spanish Name: Guayabero Oliváceo

Size: 7 in | 18 cm
Habitat: Wet forest border
Height: <1000 m

Ochre-breasted Tanager

Habia stolzmanni
Spanish Name: Gualyabero ocre

Size: 7.5 in | 19 cm
Habitat: Border of wet forests
Height: 400-2100 m

Red-hooded Tanager

Piranga rubriceps
Spanish Name: Piranga Cabercirroja

Size: 7.5 in | 19 cm
Habitat: Border of wet forest
Height: 1700-3000 m

White-winged Tanager

Piranga leucoptera
Spanish Name: Piranga Aliblanca

Size: 5.5 in | 14 cm
Habitat: Border of humid forest
Height: 600-2300 m

Scarlet Tanager

Piranga olivacea
Spanish Name: Piranga Alinegra

Size: 6.7 in | 17 cm
Habitat: Canopy of wet forest
Height: <3000 m

Summer Tanager

Piranga rubra
Spanish Name: Summer Tanager

Size: 7 in | 18 cm
Habitat: Humid forest border
Height: <3200 m

Hepatic Tanager

Piranga hepatica
Spanish Name: Piranga Bermeja

Size: 7 in | 18cm
Habitat: Woodland, bush, scrub
Height: 1500-2400 m

Highland Hepatic Tanager (Subsp.)

Piranga (hepatica) lutea
Spanish Name: Piranga Bermeja

Size: 7 in | 18 cm
Habitat: Open mountain woodland
Height: 1500 - 2400 m

Vermilion Cardinal

Cardinals phoeniceus
Spanish Name: Cardinal Guajiro

Size: 8 in | 20 cm
Habitat: Shrubs in arid land
Height: <400 m

Yellow-green Grosbeak

Caryothraustes canadensis
Spanish Name: Picogordo de antifaz

Size: 6.5 in | 16.5 cm
Habitat: Humid forest border
Height: 700-1200 m