Band-tailed Sierra-Finch (Porphyrospiza alaudina)

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

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Age: Adult | Sex: L males| R Females | Loc. Cuzco, Peru

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Age: Adult | Sex: Males| Female | Loc. Lima|Arequipa

band-tailed_sierra-finch
Age: Adult | Sex: Male| Female | Loc. Lima|Arequipa

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Age: Sub-adult | Sex: Male| Female | Loc. Lima|Cuzco


Identification & Behavior: ~14.5 cm (5.7 in). The male Band-tailed Sierra-Finch is all gray with a white belly, vent, and undertail coverts. The bill and legs are orange. It has a broad white band on the tail. The female has brown upperparts with dusky streaks without a white band on the tail. The underparts are pale with dusky streaks on the breast. The legs are yellowish and the bill yellowish-gray. The Band-tailed Sierra-Finch forages on the ground. The tail pattern in the male is similar to that of a Band-tailed Seedeater but is distinguished by having a white belly and white undertail coverts. Also see, a female Mourning Sierra-Finch and Short-billed Pipit.

Status: The Band-tailed Sierra-Finch is uncommon in open country on the west slope of the Andes and inter-Andean valleys at elevations ranging from sea level to 4000 m. It also occurs in Ec, Bo, and Ch.

Name in Spanish: Fringilo de Cola Bandeada.

Sub-species: Band-tailed Sierra-Finch (Porphyrospiza alaudinus humboldti), Koepcke, 1963.  SW Ecuador and NW Peru.
(Porphyrospiza alaudinus bipartitus) J. T. Zimmer, 1924.  highlands of Ecuador S through coastal slope in Peru to extreme N Chile (Putre, in Arica–Parinacota region).
(Porphyrospiza alaudinus bracki), O’Neill and T. A. Parker, 1997.  Huallaga Valley, in C Peru.
(Porphyrospiza alaudinus excelsus), Berlepsch, 1906.  S Peru (highlands of Arequipa and Puno) and W Bolivia.

Meaning of Name: Porphyrospiza: Gr. porphyrio, porphyro= purple or purplish color and spiza= finch. alaudinus: L. alauda= lark, alaudinus= lark-like, of a lark.

Formerly known as Phrygilus alaudinus (2018).

See more of the Family Thraupidae   peru aves

Distribution Map
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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.