On 6 December 2012, our bird guide, Adilei, was at the wetland when he found an unfamiliar bird sitting on a wire. He managed to take a few photos before the bird flew off, and after consulting field guides and other birders he identified the bird as a Grassland Yellow-finch Sicalis luteola – a new bird for REGUA. This austral migrant breeds in Argentina and Uruguay and winters in South-west Brazil, Paraquay and Bolivia, reaching as far north as Peru. It is absent from the Atlantic coastal states of Brazil, and they are very rare visitors to Rio de Janeiro state. Grassland Yellow-finch is actually not a finch at all but a species of seedeater, now considered tanagers. As the name suggests, they inhabit open grassland habitats. This record brings the REGUA bird list to an astonishing 465 species! Well done Adilei for such an excellent find!

