Slaty Brush Finch

Pectoral - Buschammer ( Atlapetes schistaceus )

The gray breast Buschammer ( Atlapetes schistaceus ) is a species of bird in the bunting family ( Emberizidae ). The species has a large distribution area, which includes the South American countries: Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. The stock is assessed by the IUCN as endangered not (Least Concern ).

Features

The gray breast Buschammer reaches a body length of about 18 centimeters. The top is mostly gray. Only the crown and nape are chestnut colored. The sides of the head are black. The wings and tail are black tinted. There is a striking white wing mirrors on the wings. The throat is white with distinctive black and white stripes on the cheeks. The underside is gray and looks whitish in the middle of the abdomen.

Distribution and habitat

The species occurs in moist to wet mountain forests at altitudes between 2000 and prior to 3800 meters. Here you can see it especially in bushy forest edges, moss -grown stunted and low forms of trees of the coppice areas and thickets and hedges near the tree line. Furthermore, you can see them even in small forest -like areas above the tree line.

Behavior

It is a relatively active Buschammer and therefore relatively easy to discover. Individuals or families follow like other species. You only moves between shrubs and low trees of the lower Stratifikationschichten. She jumps from branch to branch. If she is looking for food at the bottom, it behaves rather unremarkable. She feeds primarily on insects and fruit.

Subspecies

There are five described subspecies, which differ mainly in their coloring and their area of ​​distribution:

• Atlapetes schistaceus schistaceus ( Boissonneau, 1840) Come to the eastern slopes of the Andes in Morona Santiago and the finca Rancho Grande near Santandercitovor. West and Central Andes of Colombia to Ecuador. nominate
• Atlapetes schistaceus Tamae Cory, 1913 in the state of Táchira Only present. Crown is brighter than in the nominate form. The only form with matte black trace above the beak. The throat is white gray. No wing mirror.
• Atlapetes schistaceus fumidus Wetmore & Phelps Jr., 1953 Comes in the Sierra de Perijá before in the state of Zulia. Resembles A. s.castaneifrons but has blacker back.
• Atlapetes schistaceus castaneifrons ( Sclater & Salvin, 1875) was originally described under Buarremon castaneifrons gift in the states of Táchira, Mérida up to the 3,585 meter high Páramo Cendé in the north of Trujillo near the border with Lara. Even brighter crown than in A. s Tamae It lacks the wing mirrors or is very weak.
• Atlapetes schistaceus taczanowskii ( Sclater & Salvin, 1875) was originally under the name Buarremon taczanowskii in the same post as A. s castaneifrons described. Occurs on the eastern slopes of the northern Central Andes of Peru in the regions of Huánuco Junín up. Has a brighter crown than A. s castaneifrons and lacks the wing mirror. The cheeks are almost white with only imperceptible black line.

For some authors, the Cusco Brush-Finch ( Atlapetes canigenis ) Chapman 1919 applies, as another subspecies. This is because, as was formerly used in English too, for the name Slaty Brush - finch. In truth, these endemic species rather still Rotohr - Buschammer ( Atlapetes rufigenis ) or the black face - Buschammer but related ( Atlapetes melanolaemus ).

Research History and etymology

Auguste Boissonneau described this Buschammer initially Tanagra ( Arremon ) schistaceus. 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 comes from the Latin and forms schistaceus from the word for schist (ie, blue-gray).