Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch (Atlapetes latinuchus)

Identification & Behavior: ~17.5 cm (7 in). The Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch is geographically variable. All forms have gray or dusky upperparts and tail, but differ in the color of the top of the head and presence of a white wing speculum. The subspecies latinuchus has a rich rufous top of the head and white wing speculum.  The subspecies comptus and baroni have rufous to buff top of the head and no wing speculum.  The Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch forages in montane scrub and edges of humid montane forest. The similar Pale-naped Brush-Finch has an orange-yellow forehead that narrows and grades to a pale crown and nape, and does not have a white wing speculum. Also, see Tricolored Brush-Finch.

Status: The Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch is fairly common in the understory, montane scrub, and shrubbery of montane forests of the east and west slopes of the Andes at elevations ranging between 1850-3200 m. It occurs on the west and east side of the Marañon River. The Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch also occurs in Co and Ec.

Name in Spanish: Matorralero de Pecho Amarillo.

Sub-species: Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch (Atlapetes latinuchus comptus) (P. L. Sclater and Salvin), 1879.  SW Ecuador (from Cañar S to W Loja) and adjacent NW Peru (Piura).
(A. l. latinuchus) (Du Bus de Gisignies), 1855.  SE Ecuador (from E Azuay and E Loja) S to N Peru (Amazonas).
(A. l. chugurensis) Chapman, 1927.  Pacific slope of Cajamarca, in NW Peru.
(A. l. baroni), (Salvin), 1895.  upper Marañón Valley in Cajamarca and La Libertad, in N Peru.

Meaning of Name: Atlapetes: Gr. myth. Atlas, a Titan king who was changed into a mountain and petes= flier, to fly. latinuchus: L. latus= broad and nuchus= nape.

See more of the Family Passerellidae