Yellow-headed Brush-finch
Encyclopedia
The Yellow-headed Brush Finch (Atlapetes flaviceps) is an endangered species
of bird
in the American sparrow
and bunting
family
, Emberizidae
. It is endemic to Colombia
. The common name is a semi-literal translation of the scientific name, with Atlapetes
referring to the brush-finch genus
, and flaviceps meaning "yellow-headed".
This species has a yellow to dark olive head. The throat, chin, malar streak, lores, eye-ring, and ear patch are bright yellow in any case. The rest of the plumage
is yellow with dark olive upperparts, wing and tail. The variation in the head color is not well explained, but it is likely that the olive-headed individuals are females and/or immature birds.
In 1987, the first photograph of a living A. flaviceps was published. It showed a bird with very little yellow on the head, and altogether gave the impression that this species had a mainly dusky olive head. Widely distributed in a popular field guide
, this photo led to the misleading common name, in use since the mid-20th century, becoming firmly established.
When the species was rediscovered at the type locality in 1989, it was noted that some birds had the mainly dusky olive head seen in the photograph. But as far as can be told, at least the adult males have the largely bright yellow head that was referenced in the original description of this species. Thus, BirdLife International
chose the common name "Yellow-headed Brush Finch" in 1992, and the AOU
eventually followed suit.
in 1967, but the only recent records are from the upper Coello River basin in Tolima Department (the Toché River is one of the main tributaries of the Coello River). Namely, it is found between 1,000 and 2,500 meters ASL
in Cajamarca
, Ibagué
and Roncesvalles
and perhaps Rovira
municipalities, in the upper reaches of the Anaime, Cocora, Combeima and Toché river valleys.
It remains locally common in thick secondary vegetation and degraded forest, bordering gallery forest
and arracacha
(Arracacia xanthorriza) and granadilla
(Passiflora spp.) plantations. The Yellow-headed Brush Finch has been observed to take part in a mixed-species feeding flock
together with the Common Bush-Tanager
(Chlorospingus ophthalmicus), White-throated Tyrannulet
(Mecocerculus leucophrys), Golden-fronted Whitestart (Myioborus ornatus), Blue-and-black Tanager
(Tangara vassorii), Blue-capped Tanager
(Thraupis cyanocephala) and Fawn-breasted Tanager
(Pipraeidea melanonota). It is threatened by habitat loss; most areas in the inter-Andean valleys of Colombia have already been converted to agricultural land. The total population is believed to be at least 250 but not more than 1,000 adult birds.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the American sparrow
American sparrow
American sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds, forming part of the family Emberizidae. American sparrows are seed-eating birds with conical bills, brown or gray in color, and many species have distinctive head patterns....
and bunting
Bunting
Bunting can refer to:* Bunting , a group of birds* An infant sleeping bag* The act of laying down a bunt, a type of offensive play in baseball* Bunting , a lightweight cloth material often used for flags and festive decorations...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, Emberizidae
Emberizidae
The Emberizidae are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with a distinctively shaped bill.In Europe, most species are called buntings. In North America, most of the species in this family are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the sparrows, the...
. It is endemic to Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. The common name is a semi-literal translation of the scientific name, with Atlapetes
Atlapetes
Atlapetes is a genus of bird in the Emberizidae family. Along with the genus Buarremon they comprise the brush-finches.It contains the following species:* White-naped Brush Finch, Atlapetes albinucha...
referring to the brush-finch genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
, and flaviceps meaning "yellow-headed".
This species has a yellow to dark olive head. The throat, chin, malar streak, lores, eye-ring, and ear patch are bright yellow in any case. The rest of the plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
is yellow with dark olive upperparts, wing and tail. The variation in the head color is not well explained, but it is likely that the olive-headed individuals are females and/or immature birds.
Common name
It is sometimes still referred to by its obsolete common name, Olive-headed Brush-finch. That name is the result of an interesting error. A. flaviceps occurs in a very limited range, and is rare. Until the 1980s, it was known only from the two specimens collected on October 24 and 25, 1911, in the Toché River valley, and two additional specimens collected in 1942. Though the exact amount and brightness was variable in the few specimens, the bright yellow head of these birds was noted. It did not receive a standardized common name due to its rarity however, being only known to a few ornithologists for which the scientific name was sufficient. That name, however, duly referenced the striking color of the type specimen, an adult male.In 1987, the first photograph of a living A. flaviceps was published. It showed a bird with very little yellow on the head, and altogether gave the impression that this species had a mainly dusky olive head. Widely distributed in a popular field guide
Field guide
A field guide is a book designed to help the reader identify wildlife or other objects of natural occurrence . It is generally designed to be brought into the 'field' or local area where such objects exist to help distinguish between similar objects...
, this photo led to the misleading common name, in use since the mid-20th century, becoming firmly established.
When the species was rediscovered at the type locality in 1989, it was noted that some birds had the mainly dusky olive head seen in the photograph. But as far as can be told, at least the adult males have the largely bright yellow head that was referenced in the original description of this species. Thus, BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
chose the common name "Yellow-headed Brush Finch" in 1992, and the AOU
American Ornithologists' Union
The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders...
eventually followed suit.
Distribution and ecology
This bird was encountered in the La Plata Vieja Valley in Huila DepartmentHuila Department
Huila is one of the departments of Colombia. It is located in the southwest of the country, and its capital is Neiva.-Geography:The south of the department is located in the Colombian Massif...
in 1967, but the only recent records are from the upper Coello River basin in Tolima Department (the Toché River is one of the main tributaries of the Coello River). Namely, it is found between 1,000 and 2,500 meters ASL
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
in Cajamarca
Cajamarca, Tolima
Cajamarca is a town and municipality in the Tolima Department of Colombia. The population of the municipality was 18,701 as of the 1993 census....
, Ibagué
Ibagué
Ibagué is the capital of the department of Tolima in Colombia. It is situated 1,285 m above sea level, on the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Central between the Chipalo and Combeima rivers, tributaries of the Coello River...
and Roncesvalles
Roncesvalles, Tolima
Roncesvalles is a municipality in the Tolima department of Colombia. The population of the municipality was 7,647 as of the 1993 census....
and perhaps Rovira
Rovira
This article is about the Colombian town. For people with the surname Rovira, see Rovira Rovira is a town and municipality in the Tolima department of Colombia. The population of the municipality was 21,822 as of the 1993 census....
municipalities, in the upper reaches of the Anaime, Cocora, Combeima and Toché river valleys.
It remains locally common in thick secondary vegetation and degraded forest, bordering gallery forest
Gallery forest
Gallery forests are evergreen forests that form as corridors along rivers or wetlands and project into landscapes that are otherwise only sparsely treed such as savannas, grasslands or deserts....
and arracacha
Arracacha
The arracacha is a garden root vegetable originally from the Andes, somewhat intermediate between the carrot and celery...
(Arracacia xanthorriza) and granadilla
Granadilla
Granadilla is the fruit of the plant Passiflora ligularis.It may also refer to:*Granadillo , a species of tree in the pea family, Fabaceae*Granadilla de Abona, a municipality of Tererife...
(Passiflora spp.) plantations. The Yellow-headed Brush Finch has been observed to take part in a mixed-species feeding flock
Mixed-species feeding flock
A mixed-species feeding flock, also termed a mixed-species foraging flock, mixed hunting party or informally bird wave, is a flock of usually insectivorous birds of different species, that join each other and move together while foraging...
together with the Common Bush-Tanager
Common Bush-Tanager
The Common Bush-tanager is a small passerine bird. It is a resident breeder in the highlands from central Mexico south to Bolivia and northwest Argentina. C. ophthalmicus in the loose sense is a notorious cryptic species complex, and several of the up to 25 subspecies recognized in recent times...
(Chlorospingus ophthalmicus), White-throated Tyrannulet
White-throated Tyrannulet
The White-throated Tyrannulet is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae family.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
(Mecocerculus leucophrys), Golden-fronted Whitestart (Myioborus ornatus), Blue-and-black Tanager
Blue-and-black Tanager
The Blue-and-black Tanager is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family.It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and heavily degraded former forest.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
(Tangara vassorii), Blue-capped Tanager
Blue-capped Tanager
The Blue-capped Tanager is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family.It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and heavily degraded former forest.-References:* BirdLife International...
(Thraupis cyanocephala) and Fawn-breasted Tanager
Fawn-breasted Tanager
The Fawn-breasted Tanager is a species of tanager. It is in the monotypic genus Pipraeidea. It occurs in the Andes of northwestern Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, as well as in the highlands of northeastern Argentina, south Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay....
(Pipraeidea melanonota). It is threatened by habitat loss; most areas in the inter-Andean valleys of Colombia have already been converted to agricultural land. The total population is believed to be at least 250 but not more than 1,000 adult birds.