Red-capped Cardinal

The Red-capped Cardinal is a strikingly patterned bird of Amazonian waterways, its brilliant scarlet-red head, throat, and nape contrasting sharply with glossy black upperparts and clean white underparts. Despite the name and its cardinal-like head pattern, it is not a true cardinal but a member of the tanager family, in the genus Paroaria along with several similarly patterned South American species.

The bill is short, stout, and conical, well suited to a diet that includes a substantial proportion of seeds, and the overall build is slim with a moderately long tail. Sexes look alike, both showing the same bold red-black-white pattern.

This species is closely tied to water, almost always found near rivers, lakes, and marshes, where it forages actively at the water's edge and in adjacent low vegetation.

Key field marks

• Brilliant red head, throat, and nape
• Glossy black upperparts (back, wings, tail)
• Clean white underparts
• Short, stout, conical bill
• Sexes alike

Similar species

Red-crested Cardinal has a red crest confined to the crown with a gray back rather than black, and lacks the extensive red throat of the Red-capped Cardinal. Yellow-billed Cardinal is similar but has a yellow bill and lacks white on the underparts in the same pattern; close attention to bill color and the extent of red helps distinguish these Paroaria species.

Habitat

The Red-capped Cardinal is closely associated with water, inhabiting riverside vegetation, marshes, oxbow lakes, and flooded forest edges, rarely straying far from aquatic habitats.

Range

It is found throughout much of the Amazon basin and surrounding lowlands, including Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil.

Migration

It is a non-migratory resident throughout its range, staying close to permanent water bodies year-round.

Behavior

Red-capped Cardinals are usually seen in pairs or small groups foraging low in waterside vegetation or on the ground near water, often perching conspicuously on low branches or reeds.

Voice

Its calls include sharp, metallic chip notes and a simple, somewhat scratchy song, given from low perches near water.

Feeding

It feeds on a mix of seeds, insects, and fruit, foraging both on the ground and in low vegetation near rivers and lakes.

Nesting and breeding

The species builds an open cup nest low in vegetation, often overhanging water, where the female incubates the eggs and both parents help provision the nestlings.