Antioquia Brushfinch
Atlapetes blancae
The Antioquia Brushfinch (Atlapetes blancae) is a legendary new world sparrow found only in Colombia, weighing about 28 g. The Antioquia brushfinch is a poorly known species of bird from Colombia.
About the Antioquia Brushfinch
The Antioquia brushfinch is a poorly known species of bird from Colombia. It was scientifically described in 2007 on basis of three museum specimens from Antioquia, Colombia, which were previously mislabelled as slaty brushfinches. The specific epithet blancae refers to the whitish underparts of the new species, while also commemorating the Colombian lepidopterologist Blanca Huertas, the wife of ornithologist Thomas M. Donegan. All three museum skins were collected in the 20th century, but only one label has a date, which is given as 1971. Despite recent research attempts, much of what is known of the species remains preliminary.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
A. blancae is as a large finch with grey plumage; dark grey feathers on its back and tail, with whitish grey on its breast, stomach and throat. It has a reddish-brown crown, a black mask and a narrow pale line along the side of its face called a moustachial stripe. The bird has nine primaries, with some individuals also displaying a small white patch on their wing called a speculum. Individuals have been reported to weigh an average of 27.91 g (0.98 oz), have a wing length around 71.75 mm (2.82 in), and a tail length of 77.75 mm (3.06 in). Voice: Researchers have described a variety of call notes and song phrases of the Antioquia brushfinch, allowing them to identify two types of calls and one song. The first call was described as a soft (tz…tz) that lasted around 0.05 seconds. The second call was sharper (tzzzz…tzzzz) and lasted around 0.2 seconds.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Antioquia Brushfinch can be seen all year round, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Antioquia Brushfinch?
- A. blancae is as a large finch with grey plumage; dark grey feathers on its back and tail, with whitish grey on its breast, stomach and throat. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Antioquia Brushfinch?
- The Antioquia Brushfinch is a small sized bird weighing about 28 g.
- Where can you see an Antioquia Brushfinch?
- The Antioquia Brushfinch is endemic to Colombia, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to an Antioquia Brushfinch?
- The Antioquia Brushfinch is most easily confused with the White-rimmed Brushfinch, the Apurimac Brushfinch and the Tepui Brushfinch.
- Is the Antioquia Brushfinch endangered?
- The Antioquia Brushfinch is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Antioquia Brushfinch for real
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