| Merida brushfinch | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Passerellidae |
| Genus: | Atlapetes |
| Species: | A. meridae |
| Binomial name | |
| Atlapetes meridae (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1871) | |
 | |
The Merida brushfinch or Merida brush finch (Atlapetes meridae) is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is endemic to northwestern Venezuela. [2]
The Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) and the Clements taxonomy consider the Merida brushfinch to be a subspecies of moustached brushfinch (Atlapetes albofrenatus) but note that it might be a full species. [3] The International Ornithological Congress (IOC) has accepted it as a full species. [2]
Adults weigh about 30 g (1.1 oz) and are 17.5 to 18 cm (6.9 to 7.1 in) in length. The adult's body is olive above merging to lemon yellow below; wings and tail are olive. The head has a chestnut crown, a black mask, a white submoustacial stripe, and a yellow throat. The juvenile is duller, being olive above and dark yellow below. Its head pattern is similar to that of the adult but muted. [3]
The Merida brushfinch is a year-round resident of the Andes of western Venezuela, in Mérida and the eastern part of Táchira departments. It prefers humid elfin and oak-dominant forest and is a bird of dense undergrowth including ferns and bamboo within and along the borders of such forests. It also inhabits drier woodland with dense undergrowth and is tolerant of disturbed habitats. The brushfinch is found primarily between 1,600 and 2,500 m (5,200 and 8,200 ft) but has been found as low as 1,000 m (3,300 ft). [3]
The Merida brushfinch feeds primarily on arthropods, fruits, and berries. It tends to forage from the ground to 10 m (33 ft) up in shrubs and trees. It usually forages and travels in pairs or family groups but will also join mixed-species flocks. Though it usually remains hidden in dense vegetation, it appears to tolerate human observers. [3]
Almost nothing is known about the Merida brushfinch's breeding biology. Its courtship, behavior at a nest, and the nest itself have not been described. Young have been seen: a juvenile bird in Perijá in August and fledglings in Mérida in May and June. [3]
Though the species has a rather restricted range, it is fairly common within it and appears to have a stable population. That and its tolerance for disturbed habitat lead the IUCN to consider it a species of least concern. [1]
The dark-fronted babbler is an Old World babbler found in the Western Ghats of India and the forests of Sri Lanka. They are small chestnut brown birds with a dark black cap, a whitish underside and pale yellow iris. They forage in flocks in the undergrowth of forests constantly making calls and uttering alarm calls when disturbed.
The chestnut-capped brushfinch, is a Neotropical passerine bird in the New World sparrow Passerellidae
The sapphire-vented puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and possibly Venezuela.
The rufous-banded owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
The violaceous quail-dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Atlapetes is a genus of birds in the New World sparrow family Passerellidae. The species are mainly found in montane forest from Mexico to northwestern Argentina.
The Cuzco brushfinch, also known as the grey brushfinch or sooty brushfinch, is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae. It is endemic to humid Andean forest in southeastern Peru, where mainly found in Cusco. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the slaty brushfinch.
The scarlet-and-white tanager is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is found in Colombia and northern Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest. The male is highly distinctive and has bright scarlet upperparts, darker red wings and undertail coverts, and white underparts with a scarlet median stripe running down the throat and belly. Females are patterned like the males, but are olive-brown instead of scarlet.
The Mérida wren, or paramo wren, is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Venezuela.
The Mérida tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to Venezuela.
The Hispaniolan spindalis is one of four species of bird in family Spindalidae. It is endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
The whiskered wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
The Antillean piculet is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola that is shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
The golden-spangled piculet is a species of bird in subfamily Picumninae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.
The olivaceous piculet is a species of bird in subfamily Picumninae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found from Guatemala south through Central America and western South America to Peru.
The moustached brushfinch is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae.
The canebrake wren is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama.
The Mérida sunangel is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is endemic to Venezuela.
The Choco brushfinch or Choco brush finch is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.
The black-fronted brushfinch or black-fronted brush finch is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is found in the Perijá Mountains of northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela.
