Peruvian Sierra-Finch (Phrygilus punensis)

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

peruvian_sierra-finch
Age: Adult | Sex: Male | Loc. Ancash, Peru

peruvian_sierra-finch
Age: Adult | Sex: Female | Loc. Cuzco, Peru

peruvian_sierra-finch
Age: Adult | Sex: Male | Loc. Cuzco, Peru

peruvian_sierra-finch
Age: Juvenile | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Highlands of Lima, Peru


Identification & Behavior: ~16 cm (6.2 in). The male Peruvian Sierra-Finch has a bluish-gray head, wings, and tail. The rest of the body is yellow-rufous with a tinge of olive on the back. The female is a dull version of the male. The juvenile is even duller than the female with a conspicuous dusky malar stripe and faint pale superciliary. It forages in sparse dry scrub on the ground in family groups, and often in mixed-species flocks. It is very similar to the Black-hooded Sierra-Finch but is distinguished by a bluish-gray hood in the male. The female of both species are very similar and need to be carefully identified.

Status: The Peruvian Sierra-Finch is common on montane scrub on the west slope of the Andes at elevations ranging between 2800-4700 m. It also occurs in Bo.

Name in Spanish: Fringilo Peruano.

Sub-species: Peruvian Sierra-Finch (Phrygilus punensis chloronotus), Berlepsch and Stolzmann, 1896.   N & C Peru (from Cajamarca S to Cuzco).
(Phrygilus punensis punensis), Ridgway, 1887.  S Peru (Puno) and NW Bolivia (La Paz).

Meaning of Name: Phrygilus: Gr. phrugilos= unidentified bird mentioned by
punensis: Puno Dept.in Peru.

See more of the Family Thraupidae   peru aves

Distribution Map
peruvian_sierra-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.