Gray-browed Brush-Finch (Arremon assimilis)

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

grray-browed_brush-finch
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. E Andes, Colombia

grray-browed_brush-finch
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Unchog, Huanuco

grray-browed_brush-finch
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Northwest Peru

grray-browed_brush-finch
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Cuzco Peru


Identification & Behavior: ~20 cm (8 in). The Gray-browed Brush-Finch has yellow-olive upperparts. The cap is black with a median grayish stripe. The sides of the head are dusky-black with a broad gray superciliary that extends back towards the neck. The throat is white. The center of the underparts is white bordered by gray and olive. The underparts are geographically variable.  Birds on the northwest slope of the Andes (nigrifrons) and east slope of the northern Andes (assimilis) have no black breast band. Birds from central Peru south to Puno (poliophrys) have a black breast band.  Both sexes have a black bill. It is similar to the Black-capped Sparrow but is distinguished by yellow-olive upperparts and by favoring more humid habitats at higher elevations. The White-browed Brush-Finch was formerly considered a subspecies of the Gray-browed Brush-Finch.

Status: The Gray-browed Brush-Finch is uncommon in montane forests of the east slope of the Andes and also on the humid west slope south to southern Cajamarca at elevations ranging between 1200 – 3200 m. It also occurs in humid forest in Tumbes at elevations ranging between 400 – 900 m (nigrifrons). It also occurs in Co and Ec.

Name in Spanish: Matorralero de Ceja Gris.

Sub-species: Gray-browed Brush-Finch. (Arremon assimilis assimilis), (Boissonneau), 1840.  Andes of Colombia S to Andes of NW Peru (Amazonas and Cajamarca).
(A. a. nigrifrons), (Chapman), 1923.  Subtropical zone of Andes in SW Ecuador (El Oro and Loja) and NW Peru (Piura S to La Libertad).
(A. a. poliophrys), (Berlepsch and Stolzmann), 1896.  Temperate zone of Andes in C & S Peru (Huánuco, Junín, and Cuzco).

Meaning of Name: Arremon: Gr. a=negative prefix and rrhemon, rrhemonos= silent, without speech. assimilis: L. assimilis similar, like. Indicates a close resemblance or relationship to another, but not necessarily congeneric, species.

See more of the Family Passerellidae  peru aves

Distribution Map
gray-browed_brush-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.