Fulvous-headed Brush Finch

Brown Beard Brush-Finch ( Atlapetes fulviceps )

The Brown Beard Brush-Finch ( Atlapetes fulviceps ) is a species of bird in the bunting family ( Emberizidae ). The range of the species is restricted to the countries of Argentina and Bolivia. The stock is assessed by the IUCN as endangered not (Least Concern ).

Features

The Brown Beard Brush-Finch reaches a body length of about 15 centimeters. The side of the head, the crown and nape are reddish brown. The back, wings and tail are dark olive, the stepped. Of these, the yellow bridle and bit line lift color distinct. The line under the cheeks is blackish in the female reddish brown and the male. The yellow underside, on chest and sides to olive hues.

Distribution and habitat

They move in semi- humid zones in the Stratifikationsschichten from the surface to approximately 3 meters high shrubs and trees at altitudes 1850-3150 meters. In winter they migrate to lower altitudes to about 400 meters. They prefer open areas with secondary vegetation and stands of trees in wooded valleys. You often see them near flowing water. Every now and then they rise up in the Polylepis forests. Their range extends into Bolivia to the departments of La Paz, Cochabamba, the west of Santa Cruz, Chuquisaca and Tarija. According counts of BirdLife International, they were recognized in the biological reserve Cordillera de Sama, the National faunal and Flore reserve Tariquia and the National Park Tunari. In Argentina, they are found in the provinces of Jujuy, Salta and Tucumán in the northwest.

Behavior

You can see the brown beard -Busch buntings mostly in pairs. Looking at dense undergrowth, on moss-covered trunks or thick branches for seeds and insects. Sometimes they climb around with the head down. While it may happen that you see on the ground, but this is rare. As soon as they sense danger twitch his tail and tweeting an alarming pi ziue. Otherwise, her singing is a repeating thin zit. In Jujuy they breed in January.

Research History and etymology

D' Orbigny and Lafresnaye used in their first description taxon Emberiza fulviceps. Only later the bird was categorized in the genus Atlapetes. The word Atlapetes for the genus is composed of atla for the Titan Atlas, whose name means support sufferers and petes together from Greek petros for the rock. Atlas was in ancient mythology the heavens on his shoulders. The specific epithet fulviceps derives from the Latin word from fulvous to yellow-brown.