Bird Guide

Slaty Brushfinch vs Yellow-thighed Brushfinch

Slaty Brushfinch (Atlapetes schistaceus)

Slaty Brushfinch

Atlapetes schistaceus

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The slaty brushfinch is 17 to 18 cm (6.7 to 7.1 in) long and weighs about 23 to 44 g (0.81 to 1.6 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies A. s. schistaceus have a rusty crown and nape and a mostly black face. They have a whitish spot on the lores and a long white "moustache" with a thin black stripe below it. Their upperparts are dark gray and their tail blackish. Their wings are mostly blackish with white bases on the primaries and white marginal coverts. The last shows as a white spot on the folded wing. Voice: The slaty brushfinch sings mostly at dawn, "a short tsuu, tweet-tweet". Pairs sing in duet, "poorly coordinated...high-pitched notes and trills that end with distinctive chewy-chewy-chewy or t'chew, t'chew, t'chew". When foraging it makes "thin tseet notes".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Slaty Brushfinch
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Morona-Santiago: PN Sangay, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: (c) Christoph Moning, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Christoph Moning · cc-by
Yellow-thighed Brushfinch (Atlapetes tibialis)

Yellow-thighed Brushfinch

Atlapetes tibialis

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The yellow-thighed brushfinch is about 18 cm (7.1 in) long and weighs 27 to 35 g (0.95 to 1.2 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have puffy lemon yellow feathers on their tibiae that give the species its English name. They have a black crown. The rest of their head and their upperparts are sooty slate and their wings and tail are almost black. Their chin and throat are blackish and their underparts are dull slate. They have a dark rusty brown iris, a black bill, and black to gray legs and feet. Voice: One author described the yellow-thighed brushfinch's primary song as "high, spritely, and somewhat squeaky". Others have called it "bubbly", "metallic", "tinkling", "flowing", "squissing" and "spinking". It is sung by both sexes year-round.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Katherine King · CC BY 4.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Slaty Brushfinch and Yellow-thighed Brushfinch.