Rhopospina fruticeti
The Mourning Sierra Finch, *Rhopospina fruticeti*, is a robust, medium-sized passerine primarily inhabiting the high Andean regions of South America. Measuring approximately 15-16.5 cm (6-6.5 inches) in length and weighing around 20-30 grams, its plumage is generally dull and somber, giving it its evocative common name. Adults typically display streaked gray-brown upperparts and underparts, with a paler belly and often a faint rufous wash on the flanks. A dark, conical bill and dark legs are ...
This species primarily inhabits arid montane scrublands, puna grasslands, stony slopes, and disturbed agricultural areas in the high Andes, typically found at elevations between 2,500 and 4,500 meters.
Predominantly granivorous, their diet consists mainly of various seeds from high-altitude grasses and forbs, supplemented by small insects and other invertebrates, especially during the breeding season to feed growing chicks.
Mourning Sierra Finches are largely diurnal, often observed foraging on the ground with a characteristic shuffling gait, meticulously picking seeds and small invertebrates. Outside the breeding season, they frequently form small, loose flocks, sometimes mixed with other sierra finch species, refl...
The Mourning Sierra Finch has a widespread distribution across the high Andes of South America. Its breeding range extends from central Peru south through Bolivia, Chile, and into western Argentina, typically occupying elevations between 2,500 and 4,500 meters. During the austral winter (roughly ...
Least Concern
- Known as one of the 'Mourning' Sierra Finches due to its generally drab, somber plumage, a fitting camouflage for its arid, stony habitat. - Despite their finch-like appearance and name, genetic studies have reclassified them from the Fringillidae (true finches) to the Thraupidae (tanagers and ...