Paroaria nigrogenis
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The masked cardinal (Paroaria nigrogenis) is a bird species in the tanager family (Thraupidae). It is not very closely related to the cardinals proper (Cardinalidae). It is found in Trinidad, far north-eastern Colombia, and northern Venezuela. It was previously considered conspecific with the red-capped cardinal (Paroaria gularis), from which it differs by the black ear-coverts and the red (not black) lower throat and upper chest. Additionally, its lower mandible is typically whitish, but this is not entirely consistent, as it occasionally is pale flesh-coloured. This distinctive taxon is a distinct species, as suggested by the lack of hybridization with P. g. gularis in the limited area of overlap in southern Venezuela. The common name masked cardinal was suggested.
Restall, Robin L.; Rodner, C. & Lentino, M. (2006): Birds of Northern South America. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0-7136-7243-9 (vol. 1). ISBN 0-7136-7242-0 (vol. 2). Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caroni Swamp | 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Masked Cardinal sighting in Caroni Swamp on a given day, based on 313 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 18th most-seen of the 169 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Masked Cardinal in Caroni Swamp on a given day, against about 20% in July, the lowest month.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Masked Cardinal sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Caroni Swamp, in our data
Caroni Swamp is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Masked Cardinal sightings: about 50% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Thraupidae
The closest relatives of the Masked Cardinal that you can see in Caroni Swamp (family Thraupidae, Tanagers and Allies) are Bicolored Conebill (about 30%), Blue-black Grassquit (about 30%) and Bananaquit (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Masked Cardinal is recorded against all the birds logged in Caroni Swamp (313 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
