The Amazonian grosbeak or Rothschild's grosbeak is a species of grosbeak in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. It is found in much of the Amazon Basin, in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Region
Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Occurs widely across lowland Amazonia in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. It inhabits humid terra firme and seasonally flooded forest, tall secondary growth, and forest edges. The species keeps to dense thickets and vine tangles in the understory and midstory, often along streams or forest openings. It is typically local and easily overlooked due to its secretive habits.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Amazonian grosbeak, also known as Rothschild's grosbeak, is a heavy-billed songbird of the cardinal family that favors dense understory in Amazonian forests. Males are strikingly blue-black while females are warm brown, making the species distinctly dimorphic. It was formerly treated as part of the Blue-black Grosbeak complex but is now recognized as a separate species confined to the Amazon Basin. Its rich, whistled song often reveals its presence long before the bird is seen.
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through dense understory; low, direct dashes between cover
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, especially during the breeding season. Nests are likely cup-shaped and placed low to mid-level in dense vegetation. It may occasionally join mixed-species understory flocks but generally keeps to cover. Pairs maintain small territories where the male sings from concealed perches.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of rich, mellow whistles delivered in measured phrases, often descending slightly in pitch. Calls include a sharp metallic 'tink' or 'spink' given from dense cover. Vocalizations carry well in forest understory, aiding detection.
Plumage
Strongly dimorphic: males are glossy blue-black with a uniform appearance and no wingbars; females are warm brown with slightly paler underparts and a diffuse, lighter eyebrow and throat. Both sexes have a stout, conical bill that appears bluish to horn-colored. Plumage is smooth and unspotted, emphasizing the bird’s solid coloration.
Diet
Feeds on a mix of seeds, small fruits, and arthropods. Uses its powerful bill to crack hard seeds and glean insects from foliage and vines. Will take berries from understory shrubs and occasionally forage on or near the ground for fallen items. Opportunistic feeding allows it to exploit forest edges and gaps.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense understory, vine tangles, and shaded forest edges. Often works along stream margins, clearings, and secondary growth where fruiting shrubs are abundant. Stays within 1–6 meters above ground, moving between cover.
