About Euphonia gouldi P.L.Sclater, 1857
The olive-backed euphonia, with the scientific name Euphonia gouldi P.L.Sclater, 1857, is a small passerine bird that belongs to the finch family. It is a resident breeding species found in the Caribbean lowlands and foothills, ranging from southern Mexico to western Panama. This bird occupies wet forests, tall second growth, and adjacent bushy clearings, usually living at altitudes between sea level and 750 m, and sometimes occurring as high as 1000 m. It builds a spherical cup nest with a side entrance, which is hidden among epiphytes or mosses 2 to 11 meters high in a tree. A typical clutch contains three white eggs marked with brown. Adult olive-backed euphonias measure 9.5 cm in length and weigh 12 g. Adult males have glossy olive upperparts, a yellow forehead, and a rufous belly bordered by yellow. Adult females have less glossy upperparts than males, a chestnut forehead, yellow underparts, and a small rufous patch on the belly. Immature individuals are darker and duller in coloration, and have olive underparts. Olive-backed euphonias occur in small groups, or join mixed-species feeding flocks. They feed mainly on small fruits. Their call is described as a metallic chrrr-chrrr, and their song is a mixture of this call with clear or nasal whistles. The species epithet gouldi honors John Gould, an English ornithologist.
