Microspingus cinereus
The Cinereous Warbling Finch (Microspingus cinereus) is a subtly elegant passerine, a jewel of the Andean scrublands known for its delicate song. Measuring approximately 13.5 cm (5.3 inches) in length and weighing around 12-16 grams, this small finch exhibits a refined palette of pale ash-gray upperparts, contrasting sharply with a clean white throat and underparts. Distinctive field marks include dark lores that can form a faint mask, giving the face a more defined look, and a bi-colored bil...
Primarily found in montane scrub, dry bushy hillsides, and open woodlands with thorny vegetation, typically at elevations ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 meters.
Mainly insectivorous, consuming small invertebrates gleaned from vegetation, supplemented with small seeds and occasional berries.
Cinereous Warbling Finches are generally observed singly or in pairs, though they may join small, mixed-species foraging flocks outside the breeding season. Their daily activity is diurnal, foraging actively during daylight hours and roosting communally or individually within dense thorny bushes ...
The Cinereous Warbling Finch is endemic to the central Andes of South America, with a broad but somewhat disjunct distribution. Its breeding range encompasses western and central Peru, extending south through Bolivia, reaching northern Chile, and into northwestern Argentina. In Peru, it is primar...
Least Concern
- The name 'Cinereous' refers to its ash-gray plumage, a characteristic shared with other 'cinereous' species across the avian world. - Its scientific genus, *Microspingus*, literally means 'small finch', aptly describing its modest size. - Despite its 'warbling' moniker, its song is often descri...