Masked cardinal

{{Short description|Species of bird}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Red-capped Cardinal.jpg

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2018 |title=Paroaria nigrogenis |volume=2018 |page=e.T22736357A132189303 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22736357A132189303.en |access-date=11 November 2021}}

| genus = Paroaria

| species = nigrogenis

| authority = (Lafresnaye, 1846)

| synonyms = Paroaria gularis nigrogenis

| range_map = Paroaria nigrogenis map.svg

}}

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.{{ cite journal | last1=Dávalos | first1=L.M. | last2=Porzecanski | first2=A.L. | year=2009 | title=Accounting for molecular stochasticity in systematic revisions: species limits and phylogeny of Paroaria | journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | volume=53 | issue=1 | pages=234–248 | doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2009.06.003 | pmid=19524053 }}{{ cite web | last=Jaramillo | first=Alvaro | date=October 2010 | title=Proposal 469A: Species limits in Paroaria | url=http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCprop469.htm | publisher=South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society | access-date=2 April 2018 }} The common name masked cardinal was suggested.Restall et al. (2006).