Sunday Inspiration – Inca, Warbling and Various Finches

Uniform Finch (Haplospiza unicolor) ©WikiC

The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing. (Isaiah 14:7 KJV)

Trust you are enjoying seeing the avian beauties from this huge Thraupidae-Tanagers and Allies family (375). This is the seventh article from this family and this won’t be the last. Counting today’s group, there are 152 left to show you. It will most likely take this one and two more. The desire, of these Passerine Sunday Inspirations, is to let you SEE these fantastically created birds from the Lord. Unless you want me to play a symphony and put all 150+ birds in one slideshow, we will continue to give you “song sized” slideshows. With photos that allow permission to be used, so far, you’ve seen most of the species in the families.

First is a group of genera with only one or two species each.

Buff-throated Warbling Finch (Poospiza lateralis) ©WikiC

“The Inca finches (Incaspiza) are a genus of finch-like birds traditionally placed in the Emberizidae family, but it may be more closely related to the Thraupidae. Its current family status is incertae sedis. Both their scientific and common name refer to the Incan civilization. They are endemic to arid scrub in central and northern Peru. Buff-bridled, gray-winged and little Inca finches are restricted to the Marañón Valley. The rufous-backed Inca finch occurs either on the west slope of the Andes and both slopes of the Marañón Valley and is restricted to higher elevations, compared to great Inca finch which only occurs on the west slope of the Andes, but generally lower than the rufous-backed Inca finch. They are rather terrestrial, and typically forage within dense plant growth on the ground, but commonly perch higher, for example on the top of a tall cactus or in a small tree, when singing. They are typically seen singly or in pairs, but sometimes in small groups outside the breeding season. They normally do not take part in mixed-species flocks.” The problem is there are very few photos available for the six species in this genus.” (Wikipedia)

Black-and-rufous Warbling Finch (Poospiza nigrorufa) ©BirdPhotos.com

“Poospiza is a genus of finch-like tanagers found in both the South American lowlands and the Andes mountains. Generally they are arboreal feeders in light woodland and scrub. All have extensive grey to their plumage, and have—often bold—white or rufous markings.” (Wikipedia)

Tucuman Mountain Finch (Compsospiza baeri) ©Flickr Ron Knight

Compsospiza is a genus of South American birds known as mountain finches (a name shared with several other species such as Poospiza caesar and Leucosticte). The two species were previously included in the genus Poospiza, but in 2009 the South American Classification Committee unanimously agreed to resurrect Compsospiza based on plumage, ecology, morphology and genetic evidence. They are restricted to shrubby woodland in the Andes of Bolivia and Argentina, and both have a grey and rufous plumage.

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