Little Inca-Finch (Incaspiza watkinsi)

Order: Passeriformes Family: Thraupidae | IUCN Status: Least Concern

little_inca-finch
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Lower Marañon Drainage

little_inca-finch
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Lower Marañon Drainage

little_inca-finch
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Lower Marañon Drainage

little_inca-finch
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Lower Marañon Drainage


Identification & Behavior: ~13 cm (5.1 in). The Little Inca-Finch has a rufous mantle often with dusky streaks. The rest of the back is gray. The head and breast are gray grading to pale buffy towards the belly. It has black around the base of a bright orange bill. The legs are also bright orange. The tail is gray with white outer feathers. It forages on or near the ground in deciduous forest and scrub. It is smaller than the Buff-bridled Inca-Finch although their ranges are not known to overlap. The Little Inca-Finch is the only Inca-finch in its range.

Status: Endemic. The Little Inca-Finch is fairly common in the lower part of the Maranon Drainage at elevations ranging between 300-900 m.

Name in Spanish: Fringilo-Inca Chico.

Sub-species: Little Inca-Finch (Incaspiza watkinsi), Chapman, 1925.

Meaning of Name: Incaspiza: After the Incas, the native peoples of Peru at the time of the Spanish conquista and Gr. spiza= finch. watkinsi: In honor of Henry “Harry” George Watkins (1886-1933) English collector resident in Peru 1902-1933.

See more of the Family Thraupidae   peru aves

Distribution Map
little_inca-finchVoice


References:

    • Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo). The Field Museum.  http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 03/01/2016.