Taxonomy
The genus Paroaria is classified in the family Thraupidae, unlike the cardinals proper which are in the Cardinalidae. They were long believed to be closer to American sparrows and placed in the Emberizidae.
The Masked Cardinal was formerly considered conspecific with the Red-capped Cardinal. The Masked Cardinal markedly differs from the Red-capped Cardinal 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 was determined a different species, as suggested by the lack of hybridization with P. g. gularis in the limited area of overlap in southern Venezuela.
Read more about this topic: Red-capped Cardinal