Merida brushfinch
Merida brushfinch | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Passerellidae |
Genus: | Atlapetes |
Species: | A. meridae
|
Binomial name | |
Atlapetes meridae (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1871)
| |
The Merida brushfinch or Merida brush finch (Atlapetes meridae) is a species of
Taxonomy and systematics
The
Description
Adults weigh about 30 g (1.1 oz) and are 17.5 to 18 cm (6.9 to 7.1 in) in length. The adult's body is olive above merging to lemon yellow below; wings and tail are olive. The head has a chestnut crown, a black mask, a white submoustacial stripe, and a yellow throat. The juvenile is duller, being olive above and dark yellow below. Its head pattern is similar to that of the adult but muted.[3]
Distribution and habitat
The Merida brushfinch is a year-round resident of the Andes of western Venezuela, in Mérida and the eastern part of Táchira departments. It prefers humid
Behavior and ecology
The Merida brushfinch feeds primarily on arthropods, fruits, and berries. It tends to forage from the ground to 10 m (33 ft) up in shrubs and trees. It usually forages and travels in pairs or family groups but will also join mixed-species flocks. Though it usually remains hidden in dense vegetation, it appears to tolerate human observers.[3]
Almost nothing is known about the Merida brushfinch's breeding biology. Its courtship, behavior at a nest, and the nest itself have not been described. Young have been seen: a juvenile bird in Perijá in August and fledglings in Mérida in May and June.[3]
Status
Though the species has a rather restricted range, it is fairly common within it and appears to have a stable population. That and its tolerance for disturbed habitat lead the
References
- ^ . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ a b Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P. (January 2020). "IOC World Bird List (v 10.1)". Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Jaramillo, A., J. del Hoyo, N. Collar, and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Moustached Brushfinch (Atlapetes albofrenatus), version 1.1. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, B. K. Keeney, P. G. Rodewald, and T. S. Schulenberg, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.mobfin1.02