Incaspiza personata
The Rufous-backed Inca Finch (Incaspiza personata) is a striking, medium-sized passerine, typically measuring 15-16 cm in length and weighing around 20-25 grams. Its distinctive plumage features a warm rufous back and rump, contrasting sharply with a soft grey head, nape, and breast. A prominent black facial mask, extending from the lores through the eye, gives it a bold, almost bandit-like appearance, further highlighted by a bright yellow conical bill. The underparts transition to a clean w...
Found in arid montane scrub, thorny thickets, and rocky slopes of the high Andes. Occupies elevations typically ranging from 2,500 to 4,000 meters above sea level.
Primarily granivorous, feeding on various seeds gleaned from the ground and low vegetation. Supplement its diet with insects and other small arthropods, especially during the breeding season.
Typically diurnal, the Rufous-backed Inca Finch spends much of its active time foraging on the ground or in low, thorny bushes, often in pairs or small family groups outside the breeding season. It employs a gleaning strategy, methodically searching for seeds and arthropods amongst sparse vegetat...
The Rufous-backed Inca Finch is endemic to the central and southern Peruvian Andes, maintaining a relatively restricted but stable distribution. Its range extends through the dry intermontane valleys from southern Ancash and Huánuco, south through Pasco, Junín, Ayacucho, and Apurímac, to northern...
Least Concern
- The genus name Incaspiza literally translates to 'Inca finch,' a nod to its Peruvian Andean home and endemic status. - It's one of only four species within the Incaspiza genus, all of which are exclusively found in the dry intermontane valleys of Peru. - Despite its 'finch' common name, genetic...