Poospiza garleppi
The Cochabamba Mountain Finch (Poospiza garleppi) is a small, striking songbird endemic to the high Andes of Bolivia, belonging to the Thraupidae family, which encompasses tanagers and allies. Measuring approximately 14 cm (5.5 inches) in length, it is characterized by its bright yellow underparts, a contrasting rufous or chestnut crown and nape, and olive-gray upperparts. Distinctive field marks include a black mask across the lores and eyes, a clean white throat, and subtle white wingbars. ...
This species inhabits high-altitude arid montane scrub, rocky slopes with dense low shrubs and grasses, and puna grassland edges in the Bolivian Andes, typically found between 3000 and 4500 meters above sea level.
Primarily feeds on small arthropods, including various insects and their larvae, supplemented by seeds from various high-altitude plants, typically foraging by gleaning from the ground and low shrubs.
Cochabamba Mountain Finches are primarily diurnal, actively foraging during daylight hours and likely roosting communally or individually within dense shrubs at night. They employ a mixed foraging strategy, gleaning insects and seeds from the ground, low vegetation, and among rocky crevices with ...
The Cochabamba Mountain Finch is endemic to a highly restricted region of the central Bolivian Andes, primarily within the departments of Cochabamba, PotosÃ, and Chuquisaca. Its breeding and year-round range is confined to a fragmented series of intermontane dry puna and montane scrub patches. Sp...
Endangered
- The Cochabamba Mountain Finch is a true Bolivian endemic, found nowhere else on Earth. - Despite its common name, recent genetic studies place it firmly within the tanager family (Thraupidae), not true finches. - It's often found at dizzying altitudes, typically above 3,000 meters (10,000 feet)...